Spooky Rum Punch

Bloody good and easy to make, this deep red concoction will have your guests screaming with delight.

Halloween is just around the corner and we seem to get a lot of requests for rum themed Halloween cocktails. We ran across this one recently and set out to give it a try. After a bit of searching, were able to find the black sanding sugar, but if you have trouble finding it, you can easily make your own using this recipe. The black licorice strings were harder to find, and although a black licorice spider looks really cool (and is edible!) we opted for a plastic one that we dangled from a bamboo pick.

Optionally, you can float some dark rum on the top, which sounds cool, but ours just kept blending with the rest of the cocktail, so we ended up just adding 2 oz. of gold rum and foregoing the dark rum floater.

*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!

Spooky Rum Punch

Tropical Rum Punch, only spookier!!
Course: Drinks
Servings: 1

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pour the black sanding sugar on a flat plate.
  • Rub the lime wedge on the rim of a cocktail glass, then dip in the black sugar to coat.
  • In a cocktail shaker, add ice, light rum, lime juice, simple syrup and pomegranate juice.
  • Shake about 30 seconds until chilled, then pour into the sugar rimmed glass over ice. Enjoy!!

Notes

A Few Fun Options:
1. Use black string licorice to make a spider garnish!
2. Leave room at the top. Gently pour the dark rum on the top so that it floats.
Mmmm…spooky AND  good!

adapted from recipe found on the Caribbean Rum & Beer Festival FB page


Looking for more Halloween Cocktail Recipes? Try The Slimer! Recipe here:

The Slimer

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Mamajuana from the Dominican Republic

Rumored to have medicinal as well as aphrodisiac properties, we set out to find out more about Mamajuana during our recent visit to the Dominican Republic. We had actually heard, and even sampled Mamajuana at the Mt. Pellier Domino Club on St. Croix, where Norma is famous for her batches of Mamajuana, but apparently it actually originated from the Taino Indians in the Dominican Republic and is considered a native drink of the DR. Regardless, it is widely available in the DR and we sampled a good amount of it while there – for research purposes, of course…

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Mamajuana is pronounced mama-whan-a, not mama-joo-whan-a as we were corrected numerous times! This powerful elixir is a mixture of red wine, honey and rum that is soaked in a bottle with twigs, bark, leaves and herbs. Different spices are sometimes used as well. Each bottle tastes a bit different, depending on the mixture and the amount of time spent soaking together.

Mamajuana is commonly consumed as a shot, but we also sampled several beverages made with Mamajuana, such as a Mamajuana Mojito and a Motokoncho (Mamajuana, DR Rum, vodka and cherries). Many Dominican Republic natives believe Mamajuana can cure many ailments, from the common cold and flu to more serious conditions and is widely touted as an aphrodisiac. We were told it was probably best to sample Mamajuana at our resort or a restaurant and not just a roadside stand to be safe.

We brought a bottle back with us, to enjoy a little more of the taste of the DR at home and to try to create some Mamjuana of our own. With proper care, the twigs, herbs and leaves found in the bottle can be re-used for a number of years to create more batches of Mamjuana.

Just wish we could have brought a little of this back with us as well…

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Beautiful beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Have you tried Mamajuana?

To see more posts like this, check out our Island Blog Directory

Rum Recipes

Copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013
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Apple Mojito

 Yet another good way to use those delicious fresh apples this fall – make Apple Mojitos! Brown sugar tastes so good with apples and we preferred  lemon juice over lime (which is normally used for mojitos).
Mmmm…enjoy the taste of fall!

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Apple Mojito

Another delicious way to use all those Fall apples!
Course: Drinks
Servings: 1

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Put brown sugar, mint, lemon juice and one slice of apple in a tall glass and muddle.
  • Add the rum and stir.
  • Fill a the glass with crushed ice and add the apple juice, stir.
  • Top it off with a few splashes of club soda to fill and garnish with the remaining apple slices.

Notes

This recipe calls for a tall glass, but we sure love our mason jars!!

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Dominican Coco Loco

Since we will be visiting the Dominican Republic very soon, we started looking for rum drinks and cocktails from the area to try while we’re there. One that we’ve run across a few times is the Coco Loco. Although there are several versions floating around the internet, this one was identified as a Dominican Coco Loco. We’ll do a little research while down there and let you know if this is close. Even if we nailed the recipe though, I have a sneaky suspicion it may just taste even better served in a coconut on a beautiful beach in the Dominican Republic sunshine…

*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!

Dominican Coco Loco

Servings: 1

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pour the rum, Amaretto, cream of coconut, grenadine, milk and ice into a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Add the pineapple juice and continue to blend until smooth. 
  • Pour into a glass, then garnish with a cherry or a slice of pineapple.

Find more rum recipes here:

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Mojito Jello Shots

I’ve been wanting to try this recipe from A  Beautiful Mess for a while now, but well, it looked like work and I thought it might make a not so beautiful mess in our kitchen. I had some free time last week so I thought I’d give it a shot (yes, intended).

I’m glad I did, ’cause it looked kinda cool and would be great to make for parties, but to be truthful, unless you need to amaze someone with a really cool looking shot for an adult get-together, you can also just put ’em in the little plastic shot glasses for the same taste with a lot less work!

*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes! 

Mojito Jello Shots in Lime Wedges

Amazing jello shot presentation!
Course: Drinks

Ingredients

  • 1 c. Water
  • 1 c. Sugar
  • 3 envelopes Unflavored Gelatin
  • 3/4 c. Lime Juice
  • 3-4 stems Mint Leaves
  • 1 c. White Rum
  • 15 Limes

Instructions

  • Combine water and sugar over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin. (Hint: we added all 3 packs at one time and it clumped terribly. Next time I will try adding one pack at a time and stirring each until it dissolves completely.)
  • Add the lime juice and two stems of mint with the leaves. Let sit for 15 minutes. Remove the mint and stir in the rum.
  • Cut the limes in half and remove the pulp, being careful not to poke a hole in the rind ( I did on a couple of them and the jello leaked right through). I removed the pulp by taking a sharp knife and cutting around the edges, then using a melon baller to scoop the pulp out. It’s not easy, but the lime shells don’t need to look perfect. Believe me…
  • Pour jello into the lime shells. If wanted, take the remaining mint leaves and break them into small pieces. Sprinkle them sparsely on top of the jello and lime halves. Refrigerate the lime halves for at least 3 hours, then cut each half into half again, marvel at the way they look and serve.
  • As I mentioned before, you can also forgo the lime shells and pour the Mojito Jello into 2 oz. plastic shot glasses (like these: 2 oz Plastic Jello Shot Cups with Lids- 125ct) for an equally good taste. The presentation is not quite as cool, but it’s much easier :)

As I mentioned before, you can also forgo the lime shells and pour the Mojito Jello into 2 oz. plastic shot glasses (like these: 2 oz Plastic Jello Shot Cups with Lids- 125ct) for an equally good taste. The presentation is not quite as cool, but it’s much easier.

 

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Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

Rum Therapy Reader’s Choice – Rum Picks

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RUM.

We usually shy away from giving our recommendations on the “best” rums for mixing and the “best” rums for sipping, because, well, we’re simply not rum experts. We know what we like, but that doesn’t mean it’s “the best” for anything – we just like it! Although there are definitely better rums than others, rum tastes are still pretty subjective.

That being said, it is good to have some suggestions or options to begin with – especially when considering a purchase of an entire bottle that you’d like to be reasonably assured that you will want to finish! Recently we polled our wonderful Rum Therapy Facebook Friends on their favorite rums in 3 categories; light mixing, gold mixing and sipping. We figured it would be good to have a sampling of answers from a bunch of rum lovers and the following list is a compilation of those answers, which, as you can imagine, are all over the board! Are your favorites on the list?

For more advice, be sure to check out the websites of some of the wonderful rum experts out there, such as our friend Dave Russell of Rum Gallery or Robert Burr’s Rum Guide.

Cheers!

White Mixing Rums
Bacardi Superior
Cruzan Aged Light Rum
Mount Gay Silver
Blue Chair Bay White Rum
Don Q Cristal
Shellback Silver Rum
Siesta Key Silver
Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum
Havana Club 3 Años
Brugal Especial Extra Dry
Appleton White
Tommy Bahama White Sands
Margaritaville Silver Rum
Castillo Silver
Whaler’s Great White Rum
Coral Bay White Rum
Naked Turtle White Rum

Gold Mixing Rums
Mount Gay Eclipse
Bacardi Gold
Appleton V/X, Reserve or 12 Year
Cruzan Aged
Gosling’s Gold
Old Mill Gold Rum

Sipping Rums
Mount Gay Extra Old
Dos Maderas 5+3 and 5+5
Thomas Tew
Zaya
Brugal Anejo or Extra Viejo
Appleton 21 Year
Santa Teresa 1796
Prichard’s Fine Rum
Oronoco
Gosling’s Old Rum
Arundel 10 Year
Chairman’s Reserve – The Forgotten Cask
Shellback Spiced Rum
Rhum Barbancourt Five Star or Estate Reserve
Seven Fathoms
Pyrat XO Reserve

Sebastian’s
Ron Anejo Pampero Aniversario
Kirk and Sweeney 12 year
Ron Zacapa XO or 23
Flor de Caña Centenario 18 or 25
Ron del Barrilito 3 Star
El Dorado 15
Bacardi Oakheart
Sailor Jerry
Pusser’s
Captain Morgan Private Stock
Kraken
Bones
Seven Fathoms

RedRum


Need some rum cocktail recipes?

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Apple Rum Punch

Well, whether we like it or not, fall is just around the corner, which means – apple season! Since the days of autumn can still be sunny and warm, this recipe for a cold rum appley punch sounds perfect for sipping during your favorite football game or sitting outside enjoying the last of the nice warm rays. There are not a lot of ingredients so it’d be easy to make a large batch for a party! Enjoy!

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*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!

Apple Rum Punch

Apple season calls for a refreshing apple drink.
Course: Drinks
Servings: 1

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pour the rum, apple juice, pomegranate juice and lime juice in an ice filled shaker.
  • Shake well, then pour into an ice filled rocks glass. (We used our beloved mason jars.)
  • Garnish with a slice of lime or wedge of apple.

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Backyard Tea

Unfortunately we’re not on our favorite island swaying in a hammock this weekend, but we’re still looking forward to relaxing and enjoying a little Rum Therapy in our own backyard. We ran across this recipe from Sailor Jerry called “Backyard Tea” that sounds just like what we’re looking for – easy, cold, refreshing and spiked with some tasty Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum.

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Backyard Tea

A refreshing summery drink! Mix up just one glass or a whole batch for a picnic or summer get-together.
Cuisine: Drinks

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add ingredients to an ice filled glass and garnish with slices of lemon.

Hummingbird

Recently a few of our readers asked if we had a recipe for a Hummingbird – a frozen rum cocktail that they enjoyed while vacationing in Jamaica. We hadn’t, but it sounded interesting, so we started searching for one. We ran across several of them – all slightly different and then made just a few small adjustments of our own. So – here’s our version of the Hummingbird. Sorry we can’t provide the beautiful Jamaican beach to go with it!

*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!

Hummingbird

Course: Drinks
Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 1 oz. Gold Rum (we used Appleton)
  • 1 oz. Rum Cream
  • 1 oz. Coffee Flavored Liqueur
  • 1 oz. Cream
  • 2 Strawberries
  • 1/2 Banana
  • 1 1/2 c. Crushed Ice

Instructions

  • Add everything but the ice to a blender and mix.
  • Add the ice and blend until smooth and frothy.
  • Pour into a glass and garnish with a slice of banana and a strawberry, if desired.

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Poppin’ Strawberry Colada

We wanted to post this one sooner, but finding pop rocks turned out to be quite the feat! We thought this might be a good recipe for the holiday weekend – festive, cold and rummy – and with a little sizzle and pop! This can easily be made without rum for the “yung uns” and designated drivers! Be safe and enjoy!

*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!

Poppin' Strawberry Colada

Servings: 2

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Blend rum, pineapple juice, strawberries and coconut cream until smooth.
  • Add ice and blend until creamy.
  • Dip the rim of two small glasses in a small bowl of pineapple juice, then dip in pop rocks (put the pop rocks on a plate for easier access). The rocks will begin to pop as soon as they get wet, but there is still some residual popping to enjoy as you sip! 
  • Add a garnish of blueberries for color. Cheers!

You may also like these recipes:

Firecracker Rum Shots

Red, White & Booze

For more recipes, visit our Rum Recipe Picture Directory
or Rum Recipes by Category

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Rum Therapy encourages you to always drink responsibly.