Five Rum Cocktails from America Eats Tavern

Last weekend I was invited by Heather Freeman Media & PR to attend a cocktail class at America Eats Tavern. The subject of the class was rum.

Here's the bad news: there are two more classes offered in this series, but they are both sold out.

Lucky for you, there is good news too! I'm here to share five rum cocktails I learned how to make in the class. And remember, you can go and get your own cocktail at America Eats Tavern any time you want! Feel better? ;)

Let's get back to rum. The only way I've used rum in the past was to make vanilla extract, and I absolutely loved it. I also am quite a big fan of mojitos, but sadly those weren't served in the class.

Instead, Owen Thomson, Lead Bartender for Think Food Group, and Ben Wiley, Head Bartender
at the America Eats Tavern, educated me and the other students on the origins and different types of rum, and made us five different cocktails. The amount of knowledge these two men have is hard to express. I was quite mesmerized...drinking at 3 pm might have something to do with that as well.

Are you ready for some cocktails?

Philadelphia Fish House

1 oz Smith & Cross

1/2 oz Green Tea

1/2 oz Peach Brandy {America Eats Tavern makes their own}

1/4 oz Lemon Juice

1/4 oz Simple Syrup {1 part sugar, 1 part water}

1/4 oz Maraschino

{This cocktail was strong but sweet, and smelled incredible.}

Grog

 1 1/2 oz Navy Strength Jamaican Rum

3/4 oz Lime Juice

1/4 oz Simple Syrup

{This cocktail originated in an effort to prevent scurvy among sailors. This cocktail was less sweet than the first, but tasted refreshing.}

Ti Punch

2 oz Rhum Agricole

1/4 oz Cane Syrup {raw sugar + water}

Squeeze of Lime

{This was lethal. I took a sip and had to put it down. Basically, it's a big glass of rum with a tiny slice of lime skin. Although the recipe doesn't call for lime skin, that's what our teachers used.}

Daiquiri

2 oz White Rum

1 oz Lime Juice

1/2 oz Simple Syrup

{This was my favorite cocktail. After taking the photo, I drank the entire thing! It was crisp and clean, not overly sweet, and felt very smooth.}

Mai Tai

2 oz Aged Jamaican Rum

1/2 oz Orange Liqueur

1/2 oz Lime Juice

1/4 oz Orgeat {Almond Syrup}

{I expected this cocktail to taste sweet and tropical, but that wasn't the case.}

Luckily, in addition to the five cocktails, we were also served three snacks: hush puppies, a crab cake with spicy mayonnaise and pickled watermelon rind, and grilled butter oysters.

What's YOUR favorite rum cocktail?