As my previous post mentioned, this weekend is the final stretch of the 2016 Barbados Crop Over season. I thought I would stick with Mount Gay Rum but seeing that I wasn’t on rushed time, I decided to sample a couple other rums. St. George Agricole Rum was one of those as the bottle was pretty and I was intrigued as they also make an absinthe; absinthe intrigues me but only on occasions where I can find a brave soul/victim to agree to a glass. Agricole rum simply put is the style of rum which uses sugar cane juice as opposed to molasses.

There was a familiar scent from the bottle which I can only attribute to how it smells when opening a cachaça or this one rum I had from Dominica many years ago (nondescript label from what I can remember). Slightly floral and perhaps grassy, I asked the bartender to make me something. Knowing she was unable to sample any alcohol for the next few weeks (but for a great reason), she asked if I would be open to her grabbing a recipe from St. George’s website. That recipe included cucumber and balsamic vinegar. That sounded close enough to a salad which equates to healthy, so that sounded great. Given the earthiness of the rum, the ingredients make a lot of sense. The cucumber gave the drink a nice balance given the sweetness of the vinegar and I would be open to making one on my own. See the recipe below and check out St. George’s website for more ideas.

St. George Rum Cocktails

RED VIPER

3.25 oz St. George California Agricole Rum
0.75 oz fresh lime juice
0.75 oz agave syrup
1 barspoon Balsamic vinegar
3-4 pieces cucumber

This “sultry, sensual” Game of Thrones–inspired recipe won ShakeStir’s Chicago cocktail competition. To make it, muddle cucumber in a tin, then add liquid ingredients. Add ice, shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a long, thin twist of lime.