Get ready, tomorrow is National Rum Day! Days like these are always fun for restaurants like ours. At El Tapatio, we know that a great drink is an essential accompaniment to a good meal. While tequila drinks are the more traditional pairing with Mexican food, rum goes great with tropical flavors, which are no stranger to Mexican cuisine. You can always count on our bartenders to mix a tasty drink, or you can flex your mixology skills and make a rum cocktail at home.
There are countless rum cocktails to try, but here are two of our favorites to get you started.
Mojito
This classic cocktail is simple and refreshing, perfect for a late summer evening. All you need is superfine sugar (granulated sugar will do), mint leaves, club soda, lime, and light rum. Put 2 teaspoons of sugar, 6 to 8 mint leaves, and a splash of club soda into a glass. Muddle the ingredients (you can use a spoon or small spatula if you don’t have a cocktail muddler) until the sugar dissolves. Cut the lime in half, squeeze the juice into the glass, and drop one half into the glass if you like. Pour 2 ounces of rum over the lime and mint leaves and stir. Fill the glass with ice, top it off with club soda, and enjoy!
Rum Swizzle
If you want a symphony of tropical flavors in a glass, this is the drink for you. It’s a little more complicated to make, but the result is worth it! Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 cups of crushed ice
- 1 ounce each of light and dark rum
- ½ ounce of falernum (liqueur or syrup)
- 2 ounces each of orange juice and pineapple juice
- ½ ounce of lemon juice
- 3 dashes or aromatic bitters
- Optional garnish: orange slice, pineapple wedge, and cherry
Fill a double old-fashioned glass or rocks glass halfway with crushed ice. Pour in the rums, falnerum, and juices. Spin a bar spoon or swizzle stick between your palms to mix everything together until the glass is frosty. Fill the rest of the glass with ice and add the bitters. Garnish if you like, and enjoy!