Here’s a rummy cocktail to get your weekend started. It comes courtesy of Jamaican rum Appleton Estate, which has just debuted new packaging and new naming for its core rums.
New packaging and naming on the Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12 Year Old.
What remains the same is the good stuff inside the bottle, still as smooth and robust as a golden rum should be. I sampled the Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12 Year Old, a sweet, fruity, woody number with hints of molasses and even coffee. I mixed it into two cocktails, the Estate Old Fashioned for Blake and a Jamaican Honey Soother for me.
Initially Blake felt his Old Fashioned tasted too “rummy” (he likes them with whisky), but as the ice diluted the drink it grew on him. On the other hand, I immediately liked my Jamaican Honey Soother — which reminds me of my favourite African cocktail, the Dawa (whose name means “medicine” in Swahili) — but is made with rum instead of vodka. Sweet, tart and most of all, strong, this “Jamaican Dawa” will indeed cure what ails you.
I’ve taken to calling this drink a “Jamaican Dawa” after my favourite African cocktail.
Jamaican Honey Soother
- 2 oz Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12 Year Old
- 1/4 oz honey
- 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
Method: Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, then strain into a coupette glass and serve.
— Recipe courtesy Appleton Estate
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