reviews

Tuesday Reviews-Day: Cruzan Strawberry Rum

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cruzan-strawberry-rum

***This is a sponsored post. I was provided a sample of Cruzan’s Strawberry Rum for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own. Now that we’ve got that out of the way…***

They had me at strawberry.

Growing up a farmer’s granddaughter, a farmer who grew prize-winning strawberries year after year in a town known for it’s annual Strawberry Festival, pretty much strawberry anything gets my interest up. But back when I started fooling around with cocktails I had a terrible time finding anything strawberry that wasn’t either strawberry wine or the pucker-variety of liqueurs. And while the wine variety can be good, it tends to be regional and the pucker-style liquids are syrupy and shockingly pink.

So, yes, when I heard Cruzan had a strawberry rum in their flavored line-up, I was drooling faster than you can say ‘send me a sample.’

Does Cruzan Strawberry Rum live up to my expectations? Yes, yes it does.

As soon as you open the bottle the smell is undeniably strawberry. Todd was reminded of fresh strawberries with a kick whereas I was reminded of my grandmother’s strawberry freezer jam–plenty of fruit plus a touch more sugar. Flavor-wise I can taste hints of my grandfather’s strawberry wine as well as the frosty, slushy goodness of a good strawberry daiquiri. And it’s so smooth, no harsh edges or burn at the back of your throat, I’m really amazed at how wonderful this flavored rum is.

And while you could drink this rum straight and have a truly enjoyable experience, the thought of this in the aforementioned daiquiri is both delicious and dangerous. Delicious for obvious reasons but dangerous as I think it’d be oh-so-easy to over-imbibe and not realize it until you go to stand up!

Of course, if you don’t have a hankering for a daiquiri, maybe you want something a touch more exotic, why not try this recipe (courtesy of Cruzan’s website)

CRUZAN® STRAWBERRY MAI TAI

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 parts Cruzan® Strawberry
1/2 part DeKuyper® Orange Curacao
1 1/2 parts fresh lime juice
3/4 parts Simple Syrup
1/2 Finest Call Orgeat Syrup

MIXING INSTRUCTIONS

Fill mixing glass full of crushed ice. [Combine all ingredients and shake until well-chilled.] Garnish with a pineapple cube and cherry speared and a mint sprig.

Cheers!

Tuesday Reviews-Day: Cruzan Aged Light Rum

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cruzan-aged-light-rum

***This is a sponsored post. I was provided a sample of Cruzan Aged Light Rum for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own and no further compensation has been received. Now that we’ve got that out of the way…***

So this is the first of 2 new Cruzan rums that I was fortunate enough to review in conjunction with the Independence Sparkler recipe for 4th of July. Unlike a lot of the Cruzan rums we’ve featured here before, this isn’t a flavored rum, it’s an aged rum that’s been filtered to lighten the color a bit but it still retains the flavor of an aged rum.

If this sounds familiar, you may be thinking of my earlier review of Denizen, the Aged White Rum. Cruzan’s is a light rum but it does have a light amber tint that keeps it from being an actual white rum.

In a lot of ways, aged rum is aged rum–the differences between one brand and other are subtle. To this end I tried the Cruzan on it’s own and then refreshed my memory of the Denizen in comparison. Cruzan’s Aged Light Rum is very mellow with just a hint of some harsher edges. I prefer it to the brighter, sharper flavor of the Denizen.

Because of the warmer, rounder flavor, Cruzan Aged Light Rum works really well in simple preparations. A Light & Tonic with lime uses the rum instead of gin for a refreshing highball. Adding a bit of the Aged Light Rum to lime juice and lemon/line soda gives you a Cruzan Lemonade. And, of course, it works perfectly in a Mojito.

While it’s not a spirit I would sip straight, it’s definitely a great base spirit for cocktails and mixed drinks.

Tuesday Reviews-Day: Cruzan Key Lime Rum

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***This is a sponsored post. I was provided a sample of Cruzan’s Key Lime Rum for purpose of review. All opinions expressed, below, are my own and no other compensation has been exchanged. Now that that’s out of the way…***

Our friends at Cruzan Rum were kind enough to share with us their perfect-for-summer flavored rum-Cruzan Key Lime–and I was more than happy to give it a try. After all, with such wonderful memories of their Vanilla and Pineapple rums, I had high hopes for the Key Lime.

Nor was I disappointed!

At first sip, I was reminded of the taste of summer, childhood summers spent with Otter Pops and other super-sweet ice pops squeeze from plastic sleeves. Of course this one has a bit of a kick to it, but (as usual) there is no hard edge from the rum, just a pleasant warmth to counteract the tang of the lime. Todd didn’t think it was quite tart enough, but I stand by my first impression.

Of course, when thinking of lime libations, I often think of the Harry Nilsson’s Coconut song, and one of two images comes to mind.

This one:

(Direct link for the feed readers: Kermit the Frog – Lime in the Coconut)

Or this one:

(Direct link for the feed readers: Practical Magic – Midnight Margaritas)

So of course I was pleased to see this recipe that came along with my information from Cruzan:

Cruzan® Key Lime in a Coconut
Recipe by Jesse Card, Cruzan Master Mixologist
 
Ingredients:
  • 2 ounces Cruzan® Key Lime Rum
  • .75 ounces Lime Juice
  • 1 ounce Coco Lopez® Coconut Cream
Method:
Add all ingredients into a blender with 12 ounces of crushed ice. Blend and pour into a coconut.

Now, I had a coconut shell handy, but it was a souvenir from our cruise and I like to keep him on the shelf so I used a regular glass for my cocktail and I don’t think it’ll make that much of a difference–though if you’ve got a fresh coconut handy, by all means feel free.

For a frozen cocktail made with coconut cream and sweet rum, this is not an overly sweet drink. Like many of it’s kind, the cold does dull some of the rum’s edge, but it’s still noticeable, so you’re not likely to over-indulge without realizing it. The tart of the lime blends nicely with the coconut and really makes for a refreshing treat perfect to beat the summer’s heat.

Cheers!

Tuesday Reviews-Day: Tequila Mockingbird, Cocktails with a Literary Twist

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tequilamockingbird

***This is a sponsored post. I received a copy of Tequila Mockingbird by Tim Federle for purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own. Now, with that out of the way…***

Unlike the last cocktail book that I expected to love and was somewhat disappointed by, I had a few misgivings about Tequila Mockingbird from some of the early information. That the first two parts were titled “Drinks for Dames” and “Gulps for Guys” had my inner feminist cringing but the ill-named sections actually did make sense as each featured works either by or featuring characters of that gender.

But it’s not all femme versus fella. The punny titles are non-stop, with such gems as

  • Love in the Time of Kahlua
  • The Turn of the Screwdriver
  • Lord of the Mai-Tais [that would have been a much more interesting read, I’m thinking]
  • The Phantom Tolljuice
  • Prawn Quixote [this one a snack]

And if you enjoy my occasionally witty turn of phrase in the directions, you’ll enjoy Federle’s all the more.

Of all the works subjected to cocktail creations, I admit I was surprised to see children’s books in the mix–but there was no cause to worry, those are the non-alcoholic drinks. And then there are the edibles found in Bar Bites for the Book Hound and even a smattering of drinking games for those with a masochistic streak.

And then there are the illustrations by Lauren Mortimer. Wonderfully detailed pencil drawings grace many of the cocktail recipes and do a wonderful job of enhancing the humor throughout the book.

I read the first half of the book while sitting in the Jury Selection room–I was almost sorry I had to put it down and go to work when they released us!

Tequila Mockingbird, Cocktail with a Literary Twist is a small book, perfectly gift-sized, and a fun read. Bonus? A lot of the cocktails are built in a Collins glass so are truly a pour away from drinkable. And if you skipped any of the classics mentioned in this book, Federle’s descriptions might just pique your curiosity enough to pick ’em up.

Cheers!

Tuesday Reviews-Day: Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey

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***This is a sponsored post. Product was provided for the purpose of review, no other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are my own. Now that we’ve got that out of the way…***

Do you change your spirits when you put away your seasonal wardrobe? Frankly, the thought never occurred to me, but I can see how some would be inclined.

Just the way summer is prime time for light and airy clothes, light and airy alcohols seem to follow course. Whisk(e)y and it’s darker brethren are often put away as the temperature raises, but not everyone agrees with that process.

On Friday I’ll have a cooling cocktail featuring Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, but before we get to that, let’s talk about the whiskey itself.

The Kilbeggan Distillery is the oldest licensed distillery in Ireland. Their distilling tradition goes back over 250 years and the pot still they use is 180 years old. You’d expect after all that time they must have hit upon something that worked, right?

Opening the bottle, it smells like whiskey–no big surprise there. Rich and lightly smoky, there was nothing unpleasant about the nose. The color is amber, not too dark, not too weak. And the taste? Like most whiskeys it’s sharp at first and burns a bit going down. That burn is what some people enjoy and not necessarily my favorite part, but giving the whiskey a few more sips allowed me to enjoy the warmth that whiskey so easily spreads and the rich flavor the whiskey has. And afterward your left with a decidedly sweet flavor, which is perhaps the most surprising facet to me.

Unlike Scotch, Kilbeggan isn’t overly oaky or peaty, and I can easily see how this would work in a fruit-based cocktail for the summer. Still, I’d be more inclined to pull it out on a rainy summer day, but at least there’s no real reason to put it away until fall.

Cheers!