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I was giving the Charles Coulombe book, Rum The Epic Story That Conquered The World, a look, and noticed a few drink recipes from all ages of Rum History.

Here's one that, while the name doesn't go back to WWI the formula does:
Between The Sheets
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1/2 oz brandy
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/2 ox light rum
Shake this with ice and serve in a cocktail glass

I find Between The Sheets interesting in that we have a mixture of alcohol we don't often see. Let's see what others we can find.

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I post this next one because we have become lazy when mixing drinks. I confess to often just going to Rum & Coke as a drop back, but forget the history behind the Cuba Libre, the real drink that started that marriage. Having make it in the original way I can say -- You NEED to make it this way. It is decidedly a better drink a treat to your taste buds:
Cuba Libre
3 oz Coca-Cola
Lime wedge
1 oz rum (I like a dark rum)
2 oz Gin
2 dashes of bitters.

Try that mix -- please write to me and tell me what you think!!

We can't talk historic rum drinks without wading into --- The Mai Tai. Here are 4 recipes, each with their subtle tastes standing out -- but each different in their own, cool way....
The Original Mai Tai formula
2 oz 17 year old J. Wray Nephew Jamaican rum
½ oz French Garnier Orgeat
½ oz Holland DeKuyper Orange Curacao
¼ oz rock candy Syrup
Juice of 1 fresh lime
Hand Shake and garnish with ½ the lime shell inside the drink and float a sprig of mint at the edge of the glass.

As the name Mai Tai implies (The Very Best), making one of those can get rather expensive. However, the drink has changed over time:
First changed Mai Tai Recipe
1 oz 15 year old J. Wray Nephew Jamaican rum
1 oz Coruba or Red Heart Jamaican rum
Mai%2BTai.jpg½ Trader Vic Formula orgeat
½ oz Holland DeKuyper Orange Curacao
¼ oz rock candy syrup
Juice of 1 fresh lime
Mix and serve as the Original above

So Trader Vic makes an appearance and the rum used is a bit younger (part of it was that there was such a limited amount of 17 year old that 15 year old J. Wray Nephew Jamaican rum was supstituted. Still more changes were made.

Second Ajusted Mai Tai Formula:
1 oz Trader Vic's Jamaican Rum (15 or 8 year old)
1 oz Martinique rum (St James or Trader Vic's)
1 oz pre-mixed Curacau, ogeat, and rock candy syrup
Juice of 1 fresh lime
Mix and serve as the Original

Here there are more pre-made ingredients, showing the commercialization of the drink, but allowing more of us the ability to eaily make one, or 20. Still, there is one more, which pretty makes up what most of us get when we order a Mai Tai

Present Day Mai Tai Formula
2 oz fine dark rum
4 oz Trader Vic's Mai Tai Mix
Juice of one large lime
Mix and serve as the Original

So once we get past the named Rums (decidedly not American Made) we find the present day Mai-Tai. Try it with a your very best Dark American Rum and tell us how you liked it..


OK OK That's it for me. See you next time!!!
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