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Classic Caribbean Cocktails
By : Joanne Curcio Quiñones
Infused with the tropics, Caribbean-inspired cocktails are as alluring as the places that made them famous. One of the common threads you’ll find among these famed libations is the use of fruits, flavors and spices that are abundant in this part of the world. Fresh-picked ingredients such as bananas, pineapples, coconuts and citrus fruits are blended with locally grown spices such as ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, mint and allspice to create flavor sensations that are unmistakably Caribbean.
Rum is usually the key ingredient in these tropical concoctions, especially since well-known rums such as Tortuga, Bacardi and Cruzan all hail from this area. Whether dark, light, spiced, aged or infused, rum—the blessed offspring of sugarcane—brightens up any cocktail. Although rum may be king in the Caribbean, it’s not necessarily the star of all island-inspired cocktails. There are plenty of other spirits that put the kick in these mood-lifting refreshments: Tequila, coffee-flavored liqueurs, crème de cacao and other sweet liquors are also responsible for creating unforgettable flavor sensations reminiscent of the region.
Mojito
2 oz. light rum
½ oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. sugar (brown, if possible)
4 oz. club soda
A generous sprig of fresh mint leaves
Mash mint leaves with sugar and lime juice inside a tall glass, and let rest for one minute. Add ice and rum. Stir and top with soda.
Big Bamboo
1 oz. Tortuga Dark Rum
1 oz. Tortuga Gold Rum
½ oz. Tia Maria or Tortuga Rum Coffee Liqueur //
½ oz. lime juice
¼ oz. simple syrup
3 oz. pineapple juice
1 tsp. Falernum
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ½ cup crushed ice and shake well. Serve in tall glass with ice, garnished with a fresh orange slice, pineapple chunk and cherry.
Bushwacker
½ oz. each of:
Dark rum
Frangelico
Amaretto
Crème de Cacao
Kahlúa
Baileys Irish Cream
Blend with ice cubes until it has the consistency of a milkshake.
Painkiller
2 oz. dark rum
2 oz. Coco Lopez
2 oz. orange juice
4 oz. pineapple juice
Combine all ingredients with ice, shake well and dust top with freshly grated nutmeg.
Book your trip today! Visit www.aa.com, call American/American Eagle reservations at 1-800-433-7300, or call your travel agent for more information.
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