Spiced rum negroni

SWEET AND ACCESSIBLE, SPICED RUM IS IDEAL FOR TENTATIVE SPIRIT-SIPPERS, AS WELL AS BEING A KILLER COCKTAIL INGREDIENT

What it is

Spiced rum has always had wide appeal, apart from among the most curmudgeonly of purists.

Its gentle sweetness and spiciness draws in drinkers who might find regular rum a bit too challenging, as well as connoisseurs who appreciate a bit of added intrigue in their tipple. Rum is distilled from sugarcane, then aged in oak barrels, with the colour — light, gold, dark — dependent on how long it’s aged for and whether the sugarcane is caramelised. Spiced rum is just that: rum — usually gold or dark varieties — with spices added to it. The most common spices used are cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom and cloves, but some versions also use aniseed, nutmeg or pepper. Many brands also add some caramel for extra sweetness.

How to have it

Spiced rum and cola is a popular option. An alternative is to mix it with a strong ginger beer, such as Dalston’s or Fever-tree, which creates a flavour bomb for robust palates. Spiced rum also works well in cocktails, either as an accent to another spirit — as with the vodka-based warsaw cooler (vodka, spiced rum, lemon juice, apple juice, triple sec and honey) — or as the backbone of drinks like the cable car (spiced rum, triple sec, lemon, sugar and egg white). Brands like Captain Morgan and Sailor Jerry are solid additions to any bar cabinet, Kraken is an affordable choice with bags of vanilla and cinnamon, and Sadler’s Peaky Blinder black spiced rum is ideal neat or over ice.

Do it yourself

Spiced rum is easy to make. Use a bottle of your favourite light or dark rum — something affordable, as you don’t want to compete against the complex oakiness of a premium bottle. Pour it out into an airtight container, then add your favoured blend of herbs and whole spices (we recommend cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, allspice berries and orange peel). Let it sit for two to three days in a cool, dark place before tasting. Once it’s acquired a potency that works for you, kick back and enjoy your grog.