There's a National Rum Day, and we're behind

Pardon, and many apologies. It seems we've got to catch up on the countdown to National Rum Day on Aug. 16.



National Rum Day countdown courtesy of Mount Gay Rum. Click on the chart (right) to make it bigger and enjoy your drinks in color. Recipes follow.


Mount Gay & Tonic
1 ¾ oz Mount Gay® Eclipse Rum
Tonic Water
Limes
In a tall glass with ice, pour rum. Fill with tonic. Squeeze in lime wedge. Stir
Garnish with Lime (optional)
Glass: Highball

Southside Cocktail
1½ oz Mount Gay® Rum Eclipse
1 oz fresh lemon juice
¾ oz simple syrup (or ½ tablespoon superfine sugar)
Half a dozen fresh mint leaves
Club soda
Shake all but the soda vigorously with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with club soda, give a quick stir, and garnish with a sprig of mint.
Glass: Highball

The Red Cap
2 oz Mount Gay® Rum Eclipse
1 wedge fresh lime
Dash bitters
1 1/2 teaspoon grenadine
6 to 8 fresh mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Ginger ale
Maraschino cherries

In a rocks glass, muddle 4 cherries with mint leaves and sugar. Add ice.

In a cocktail shaker, mix Mount Gay® Rum Eclipse, a squeeze of lime, a dash of bitters and a slurp of grenadine. Shake well. Pour over ice and muddled mixture. Top off with ginger ale. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a cherry.
Glass: Highball

The Silver Lining

1 oz Ruby Red grapefruit juice
¾ oz St Germain Elderflower Liqueur
1 ½ oz Mount Gay® Rum Eclipse Silver
Top with Tonic water

In a mixing glass, add all ingredients except the tonic water, add ice and shake and strain over fresh ice into a highball glass. Top with tonic water and garnish with long grapefruit
Glass: Highball

Classic Daiquiri
1 ¾ oz Mount Gay® Rum Eclipse Silver
¾ oz grapefruit juice
1/3 oz Maraschino Liqueur
Juice of half a lime

Put all ingredients into a shaker with crushed ice. Shake sharply. Strain into a chilled glass with crushed ice. Garnish with a wedge of lime.
Glass: Old Fashioned or Martini Glass

CHI-CHI
2 oz Mount Gay® Rum Eclipse Silver
½ oz Monin blackberry syrup
4 oz Pineapple juice

Fill cocktail shaker with ice, add ingredients, and shake well. Pour into a chilled glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry and/or pineapple wedge.
Glass: Old Fashioned

Mount Gay® Rum Mojito

1 1/2 oz. Mount Gay® Rum Eclipse Silver
12 fresh spearmint leaves
1/2 lime
2 tbsp. simple syrup (or 4 tsp. sugar)
Top off with club soda

Muddle mint leaves and lime in tall glass. Cover with simple syrup and fill glass with ice; add Mount Gay® Rum and club soda; stir well. Garnish glass with lime wedge and sprigs of mint.
Glass: Highball

Rum –Rita

2 oz Mount Gay® Rum Eclipse Silver
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz Lime Juice
Rock Salt
Method:Rub the glass rim with a lime wedge and dip into rock salt. Pour all ingredients in ice filled shaker. Shake and strain over ice into rocks glass.. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Glass: Rocks glass

The Ultimate Colada
1 oz Mount Gay® Rum Eclipse Silver
1 oz Passoã
2 oz cream of coconut
1 oz light cream

Pour all ingredients in ice filled shaker. Shake and strain over ice into high ball.Garnish with cherriesGlass: High Ball

SKINNY PINA COLADA
1 oz Pineapple juice
½ oz Kalani coconut liqueur
1 ½ oz Mount Gay® Rum Eclipse Silver

Pour all ingredients in ice filled shaker. Shake and strain over ice into high ball. Garnish with a pineapple wedgeGlass: High Ball

Cuba Libre
2 oz Mount Gay® Eclipse Rum
Juice of 1/2 lime
4 oz Cola

Pour lime juice into a highball glass over ice cubes. Add rum, fill with cola, stir, and serve. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Summer Scentsation
1 1/2 oz Mount Gay® Eclipse Rum
3-4 Chunks of fresh Watermelon
3/4 oz Lavender Syrup*
3/4 oz fresh Lemon Juice

In mixing glass, muddle watermelon well. Add remaining ingredients and ice.Shake vigorously, then double strain (strain through Hawthorne into julepstrainer) into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with wedge of watermelon oncocktail pick.

*Lavender Syrup Boil 2 cups water and add 2 cups sugar and 1⁄4 cup dried lavender. Let Steepuntil cool. Drain and refrigerate.

Glass: Cocktail or Martini

Bajan Star Shine
1 oz Mount Gay® Eclipse Rum
2 Slices of Star Fruit cut in fours
1 tsp of Grapefruit Marmalade
1 oz Guava Nectar
½ oz Simple Syrup
Juice of one key lime or one quarter ounce of bottled key lime juice

In mixing glass, muddle the quarters of Star fruit well. Add remaining ingredients and ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into chilled cocktail glass or coupe filled with cracked ice. Garnish with slice of Star Fruit.
Glass: Cocktail or Coupe