HBN Cocktail Club took a bit of a break for April — but we were back last week and had a great event! We were so happy to have Jon Gregerson from the new local distillery, Distillery 36, join us and chat about their amazing Brigham Rum. We also had our hostess, McKenzie, create a knockout Cuba Libre. So, right now, forget what you know about a “rum and coke” and get ready for an amazing rum craft cocktail recipe you will want to drink ALL SUMMER!

Distillery 36 has created something really special. If you didn’t know, rum is having a moment. Great rums have been somewhat hard to find and it has typically been the section of at the liquor store that is smaller and overrun by one or two brand names, most of which produce a saccharine sweet product that most of us outgrown after college. Distillery 36’s Brigham Rum pioneers a new standard in fine handcrafted liquor, while honoring Utah, the 36th and DECIDING state to end prohibition. Did you ALL KNOW THAT? It is a great Utah tidbit to throw around at parties.

Distillery 36 is super selective about the ingredients that they use and Brigham Rum is created with Utah spring water in every single batch. Another super cool thing to note about Distillery 36 is that they constructed their own stills. I haven’t been on a tour to see these works of art just yet, but I am itching!

Brigham Rum is created from scratch, from mash to finish, and embodies a bold crispness with a hot finish — and the slightest sweetness on the back end. It is a great sipping rum and perfect for cocktails. Ask anyone at this month’s event — this is a rum for everyone!

May’s Cocktail: The Cuba Libre (aka: rum and coke)

Maybe it has been a while since you ordered up a rum and coke.

For me, I can’t remember the last time I even wanted to think about drinking one. Sure, they are fun if you are at a dive bar or a college party; but, as our palates mature, we sort of tend to leave that behind (and if you haven’t, no judgement!). However, the classic Cuba Libre is literally the definition of CRAFT cocktail. And, when you are using a spirit like Brigham Rum, you literally won’t have any idea how it became the rum and Coke we know today.

This cocktail is complex, balanced, and incredibly perfect for summer. In fact, I have been drinking them pretty much exclusively since our HBN Cocktail Club event last weekend. This one is worth the effort, and I highly suggest you try it at home.

Big thanks to McKenzie, May’s hostess, for the amazing amount of work she did to host a HUGE group at her home and to perfect the cola syrup. These ladies, man. They step it up every month, and I am so lucky to call them all friends. Also, thanks to McKenzie and her boyfriend Shawn Ryan, for creating the recipe cards below and taking the lovely group photo!

Here’s the recipe!

HOW TO:

Let’s talk about the cola syrup and the sous vide. I have never really seen a sous vide in action, but if you want to tackle this syrup in a way that will marry the ingredients beautifully, this is definitely the way to go. As you can see, the cola syrup has a crazy amount of ingredients, so you can imagine the complexity you’ll get in just a few ounces of it.

Once your syrup is created, you really have enough to make cocktails for a few weeks — or have a lovely party and really impress your guests with a flavorful and easy cocktail. Putting together these cocktails for 25 ladies was really not so bad. It’s a stirred cocktail with an easy garnish, but the flavor itself will impress everyone.

I can’t not say enough about this cocktail, our hostess, Distillery 36, and the wonderful crowd that participated in May’s event. We learned a lot, enjoyed some great company, and ended the weekend in one of the most perfect ways possible.

THANK YOU!

HBN Cocktail Club, 2016

To find out more about Distillery 36 and book a tour, visit the website HERE >>

To see more photos of May’s event and the Cuba Libre,
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See you all in June for a two-part event where we
will be foraging for local, fresh cocktail ingredients!