As the summer's end draws near, we thought we'd send it off in style by sharing some seasonal cocktails featuring two new rums from Bacardi's new Gran Reserva collection: Bacardi Ocho Años, a finely-wrought "golden sipping rum" aged for at least eight years, and Maestro de Ron, a double-aged rum named for the family's "master blenders."
DAISY DE SANTIAGO
*2 parts Bacardi Gran Reserva Maestro de Ron
*1 1/2 parts yellow chartreuse
*3/4 part fresh lime juice
*1/4 part sugar
*sprig of mint
Pour the Maestro de Ron, lime juice, and sugar into a mixing glass, and then add some ice cubes and stir briefly. Next, fill a wine goblet with crushed ice and pour the liquid from the mixing glass into the goblet. Garnish the goblet with mint and finish off by floating the yellow chartreuse on top.
BACARDI MAESTRO COLLINS
*2 parts Bacardi Gran Reserva Maestro de Ron
*1 part fresh lemon juice
*2 tsp. caster (or "superfine") sugar
*Club soda to fill
*lemon wheel
Pour the Maestro de Ron, lemon juice, and caster sugar into a cocktail shaker with cubes of ice and then give it a good, hard shake. Finely strain the mixture into a serving glass and top it up with soda. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
FLOR DE HUMO
*1 1/2 parts Bacardi Gran Reserva Ocho Años
*3/4 part chamomile/honey smoke syrup
*3/4 part lemon juice
*1/10 part fresh ginger juice
Combine ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake with plenty of ice. Double strain into a coupe glass.
RUM PALOMA
*2 parts Bacardi Gran Reserva Maestro de Ron
*3 parts fresh grapefruit juice
*club soda to fill
*lime wheel
Fill cocktail shaker two-thirds full with ice. Add grapefruit juice and Maestro de Ron. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Top with a splash of club soda, and garnish with a lime wheel.
BACARDI RUM OLD FASHIONED
*2 parts Bacardi Gran Reserva Ocho Años
*2 dashes angostura bitters
*splash of water
*1-2 tsp. sugar
*Orange peel
Mix sugar, water and bitters in an Old Fashioned glass with a bar spoon or muddler. Pour in half the Ocho Años rum. Add two or three large ice cubes and stir repeatedly. Pour in the rest of the rum and add two or three more ice cubes, and stir. Cut a piece of orange peel and squeeze it over the drink before dropping it in.
