The Rum Runner was invented in the early 1970s at the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar in Islamorada, Florida. Created by bartender John “Tiki John” Elberto to use up excess inventory, the fruity drink was named in honor of the Prohibition era bootleggers who famously smuggled liquor through the Florida Keys. In the early to mid 1900s, “rum-running” was a massive clandestine business. Bootlegging captains smuggled alcohol via boats from the Caribbean and the Bahamas into the United States. Years later, the famous Florida Keyes resort needed a way to use up surplus, or “dead stock”, rum and liqueurs behind the bar. Tiki John combined the excess alcohols with tropical fruit juices, crafting an iconic tiki beverage that captured the rebellious, tropical spirit of the Florida Keys. It consists of a combination of rum, banana liqueur, blackberry liqueur, grenadine and tropical fruit juices. I’ve taken it up a notch and added Resort Strawberry Mixer for a delicious strawberry twist as well as a creative surfer theme and garnish. Cheers!
Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
- Jigger
- Hurricane Glass
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Cocktail Picks
- Toothpicks
- Small Sunglasses
- Straw
Ingredients – Serves 1
- 1 oz White Rum (Plantaray)
- 1 oz Dark Rum (Flor de Cana)
- .5 oz Banana Liqueur
- .5 oz Blackberry Liqueur
- 1.5 oz Pineapple Juice
- 1.5 oz Strawberry Mix (Resort Margarita Strawberry Mix)
- Splash Grenadine
- Fresh Pineapple for garnish
- Strawberry, Blackberry and Maraschino Cherry for Garnish
Method
- Make the Surfer garnish. Cut the top off the pineapple at the very base. Cut the fronds again about 2 inches up from base. Snip the fronds on the small piece close in to create the surfer’s hair/hat. Set aside. Lay the pineapple on its side and cut in half in the middle. Stand one piece up and cut a 2-inch round piece around the core. Remove the outer skin by pulling off around the center piece. Cut the core piece in half and trim one piece smaller to create the surfer’s body and head. Carve a small indent in the small piece (head) to create a smile. Pierce a toothpick up the bottom of the head halfway and push the remaining half into the body portion. Piece a toothpick halfway through the small piece of frond and push down on the head to connect the hair/hat. Cut a small sliver of strawberry and put in the indent on the head piece for the surfer’s smile. Cut a 3–4-inch piece of pineapple skin and cut a notch in the middle to create the surfers’ shorts. Attach at the bottom of the surfer’s body on each side with toothpicks. Cut a notch along one side on the bottom of the body to sit on the rim of the glass. Set aside.
- Make the pineapple wedge garnish. Cut the remaining half of pineapple in 4 equal pieces. Cut each piece in 1-inch wedges leaving the skin on (place remaining pineapple in a container in the fridge). Cut a slit in a wedge about halfway up to slid onto side of glass. Pierce a blackberry, strawberry and maraschino cherry onto a cocktail pick and set aside.
- Make the cocktail. Add the rums, banana and blackberry liqueurs, pineapple juice, strawberry mix and grenadine to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to combine and strain into an ice filled hurricane glass. Slid the pineapple wedge and surfer onto the side of the glass. Add a small surfboard beside the surfer and sunglasses. Add a straw. Cheers!
Recommended Products – earns commission at no additional cost to you
|
|
|
