The Fruits of Cuba

From time immemorial rum has been distilled as a by-product of the manufacture of sugar in all countries where sugar cane is grown. As a liquor it became the accepted beverage practically everywhere that strong drink was in demand and with the spread of its popularity all lusty liquors, regardless of origin, were termed “rum.”

In the early days blackstrap molasses, from which rum was distilled, was shipped from Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, Cuba, and the Barbados into staid New England. True rum is a spirit distilled from “dunder” and molasses. Dunder is taken from the Spanish word redundar, meaning overflow, and applied to the lees or dregs of cane juice used in the fermentation of rum.

The word “rum” is an abbreviation of “rumbullion,” meaning tumult or uproar -not an inappropriate application! North American Indians had their own name for the drink-they called it “coow woow,” a sort of improvement on their customary war whoop.

Cuba holds the palm for producing the best rum, although staid old New England has made excellent rum from imported blackstrap molasses since 1680, and Louisiana’s sugar plantations today contribute their share of excellent domestic brands. More than a century ago Louisiana’s rum masqueraded under the name of “tafia.”

Bacardi Cocktail

1 teaspoon of sugar
1 lime-juice only
1 large shot of Bacardi Rum

Mix in a bar glass. Muddle the sugar and lime juice thoroughly before adding the rum. Fill with cracked ice. Shake well and then strain into a cocktail glass.

It is by far the best way to serve sugar cane rum, whether bottled in New England, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, or Louisiana.

In making a Bacardi cocktail be sure to use lime, not lemon, and put no grenadine or other flavored syrup into the mixture. When you shake a Bacardi, frappe it long and well, for it must be served very cold to get the delicious flavor of the rumbullion.

Bacardi Rum received its name from the Bacardi family of Cuba, well-known distillers and bottlers at Santiago of this particular brand. The correct pronunciation is “bah-car-de.” It has become a commonly served drink on around the world luxury cruises, .

Daiquiri Cocktail

1 teaspoon of grenadine syrup
1 lime-juice only
1 large shot of rum

Like the Bacardi, the Daiquiri should be well shaken; lime juice, not lemon, should be used to furnish the tang. The grenadine sweetens the cocktail and gives it color. Shake well with ice and strain into the serving glass.

The Daiquiri, like the Bacardi, is a Cuban importation and is very popular in Havana as well as in New Orleans. Again, like the Bacardi, its name is truly Cuban, Daiquiri being the name of a city in the southeastern part of that famous island not very far from Santiago.

The two cocktails are quite similar, the difference lying in the inclusion or omission of the grenadine syrup. Daiquiri is pronounced “dah-ke-ree.”

Frozen Daiquiri

1 lime-juice only
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 dash of white maraschino liqueur
1 large shot of rum

Place the lime juice and sugar in a blender, dash on the white maraschino liqueur, and add the rum. Fill half full of finely crushed ice (shaved ice won’t do). Let it whirr until the mixture is well frapped until it is practically a sherbet. Strain in a saucer shaped champagne glass using an ordinary kitchen wire strainer. Shake from side to side and tap rim of the strainer with spoon to force the fine icy particles through the mesh. Serve this frothy libation on lively patterned beverage coasters () to avoid condensation dripping onto your guests.

During the good old summertime a new sort of cocktail, with rum for its basis, took New Orleans by storm-a sort of snow storm. If you have not met the Frozen Daiquiri just picture a champagne glass filled with snow, cold as Christmas, and as hard as the heart of a traffic cop.

You’ll have to have something beside the old reliable cocktail shaker to produce this one. It must be whirred to its icy smoothness with a blender. It is also called “West Indies Cocktail.”