Do you mix?

[kbuzbee]

So, I'm pretty new to Rum but one of the things I notice as a contrast to Bourbon and Scotch is people seem to talk about mixing a lot. I've read the word Coke here more times in 4 days than I have in the rest of my life.

Now to me, the point of a spirit is the spirit and I need to enjoy it on it's own or it has little appeal. Not to say that when out and about I might not order a Margarita or something but, at home, if I am going to drink it, it's almost always neat (or at most, on ice).

So I'm curious as to the Rum community... What say you?

Ken

[Tiare]

I both mix and sip neat.

I think rum mixes wonderfully in cocktails and i also think that if you don`t mix cocktails with rum you will miss out, there are so many nice rum cocktails!

But i also drink rum neat, and especially the better rums.

So as i see it i enjoy the good of 2 worlds and i wouldn`t want to be without any of them.

Its also a question of what mood i`m in. I can find myself one evening only sipping a few rums and another only drink cocktails.But i also must say, i don`t only enjoy rum, i enjoy all spirits except one - vodka.

What is also important and which is very interesting is to walk the way of experimentation and learn which rums goes best with which cocktails and which rums blends together.

Like for instance, many tiki drinks, they are made up of more than one rum which has been carefully selected because they together creates a flavour profile you wouldn`t find with just one rum.

The masters of this rum pairings for tikidrinks was Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic.

[leisure master]

Primarily a mixer here, but I loves me some spirits neat too.

Not limited to rum either - I have been on a serious sazerac kick lately and will sip on bourbon, rum, scotch or what have you.

All things being equal I will just about always mix a cocktail. I will usually have rum or any spirit neat when I first buy it, and then generally only later at night when just relaxing or with a cigar, etc.

good thread

[Jerry]

I like all sorts of spirits, but drink primarily rum, (if I'm not in the mood for beer or wine). I do order cocktails when I'm out, but at home its either neat, on the rocks, or with tonic.

[Edward Hamilton]

The last time I had a rum and coke I was in Central America and my host poured sugar cane sweetened coke, not the hfcs stuff found at most places in the US. That was more than a year ago, and it was good. Not that that I drank more than one or two of those, but it was profoundly different from the cola found outside the tropics. There are other discussions about this on other threads.

This forum is frequently by many people who are new to rum and believe it or not, many are graduating from rum and cola to other better drinks.

I drink most rum neat or with a cube or two of ice. If I can't or wouldn't want to drink it neat, I probably don't want to be drinking much of it, but there are exceptions, noted elsewhere in other posts.

[Edge]

For me, it depends on many factors.

Home or at a bar?
Good rum vs mixing rum?
Relaxing or out with friends having a good time?
My mood

I prefer to sip good rums neat, but I equally enjoy a spiced rum and coke. :)

[Perkeo]

For me it depends on the Rum. I would NEVER mix a good Rum but I have no problem mixing Rums like the Captain.

[spotter57]

Having had many a fine scotch in my day, I would have to say the appeal of rum to me is the vast varieties of rum ( like scotch) and what each one has to offer. Not that I"ve ever turned down many spiced rum and cokes, but I fall on the side of neat rather than mixed.

[Dave in the basement]

Until I find (and can afford!) some good sipping rums that I like, I'll be a full-time mixer. I am not sure that I'll be able to find an ideal sipping rum for myself, though, since I really like sweet drinks.

I have fun finding cool new mixed drinks to try, so I am not complaining by any means.

Fun thread. :)

Dave

[Edoc]

Most of the time, I drink rum over ice with a small wedge of lime. For complex rums, I'll drink it neat, like a port wine.

Mixed rum drinks are fun, but many recipes call for ingredients that aren't easy to find (certain bitters, falernum, etc.). Nonetheless, mixed rum drinks are a big hit with my wife and our friends, and they give me a chance to sample many lower-to-mid-priced rums.

[kbuzbee]

So last night I tell my wife 'I found the perfect mixer for rum....'

She was floored. 'You MIXED your rum?' 'What did you mix it with?'

This was a set up, of course. I answered - 'More Rum!'

Truth. I'd been trying the Pampero Anniv and enjoyed it but wanted it to be a touch sweeter. So I added a splash of Pyrat XO. Wow! Yummy!

Anyone else mix two or more rums to get something different??

Thanks for all the comments,

Ken

[davy jones]

I'll make grog with Cruzan Blackstrap if I'm reading an O'Brian book, but other than that I'm just not interested in mixed drinks. Good rums seem to have plenty to offer on their own.

[Edoc]

Pyrat XO is a terrific rum to add a touch of sweetness. I do exactly the same thing. (I don't care much for Pyrat XO neat).

[Calgaryx]

I think like most it depends on the mood I am in. In the summer you can't beat a Mojito while sitting on the deck but as winter comes, I will be drinking more rums neat with a good book and the fireplace on.

[StephenLouis]

Occasionally I will VERY slowly add water to a NEW rum, one I have not tried... to coax out subtle flavours, as I learned here to do a year ago.cheers.gif

[Anjanettea]

It really depends on which rum I'm drinking. I use to mix Flor de Cana with oj, then I stopped (for no particular reason). More than likely, I'm drinking my rum straight. However, if I'm at my local watering hole (Ricardo Steakhouse), the bartender will make me mixed rum based drinks.party2.gif

[Cane Squeezin's]

Had been neat to try to get my rum legs under me. Then the Appleton Reserve chat7 last night was an eye opener. Folks were mixing all over the place. I'm going to head that way.

[itsme_timd]

Looks like this threads been around a little while but I'll go ahead and toss in my dos centavos.

Like Ken, I noticed that rum drinkers are much more apt to mix cocktails than Scotch or bourbon aficionados. I personally enjoy mine both ways. I love to sip a rum neat, with a splash of water or ice cube and see what flavors come out.

I've always enjoyed mojitos and a good ol' Cuba Libre but thanks to this forum I've tried Mai Tais, caipirinhas and even grog. (Truth told I thought grog was just a term used in pirate stories until I saw it mentioned here.) Another new way I've tried my rum is with a splash of coconut water, another method I saw mentioned here.

I'm probably as likely to sip neat as mixed, depending on my mood and the weather. But either way I always enjoy my rum. yay.gif

[rumdog46]

How uncivilized, sorry couldn't resist that one. But serious I will never drink a rum I gotta add something to it. I enjoy rum served neat maybe 2 -3 ice cubes but only on very rare occassions and certain rums. I truly enjoy the intoxicating smells and tastes of good rums. God I wish I had aspare liver.

[thrall]

For the most part i drink my rum neat... I enjoy the flavor of rum.

Now that is not to say i dont love a good mixed drink made with rum....i enjoy them very much..but they are not the norm for me....

[Mistahunter]

I don't like to complicate my rum too much...if I am not drinking it neat (which I do the majority of the time), I tend to follow the rule of adding something sweet and something sour. I think that is why I'll occasionally go with a Cuba Libre, Daiquiri, Mohito, etc.

Some of these other cocktails are just too sweet for my buds...

The one exception is that I do enjoy a good planter's punch in the summer...

[rumdog007]

I go both ways, 50/50! :)

[distilledspiritualist]

I would like to qualify my vote (I voted "neat") by saying that for all practical purposes, I much prefer to drink my rum (or single malt, brandies, eaux-de-vie, tequila, etc) neat. I believe a well-made spirit can stand on it's own and should be appreciated as such, and will have a lot of complexity and multi-dimentionality, etc.

However, with the possible exception of my industry friends and colleagues, most of my other friends prefer to drink rum mixed. That being the case, I really enjoy making delicious rum cocktails for them, and I join them so as not to be a "rum snob." On those occasions, it just seems more a propo to drink rum mixed.

Either way, as long as rum is being enjoyed, either way is the "right" way in my book!

cheers.gif

[Edward Hamilton]

I go both ways, 50/50! :)

That's what we like about you. You're so flexible, especially when it comes to drinking.

[rumdog007]

Ha! tp;

[Edward Hamilton]

I would like to qualify my vote (I voted "neat") by saying that for all practical purposes, I much prefer to drink my rum (or single malt, brandies, eaux-de-vie, tequila, etc) neat. I believe a well-made spirit can stand on it's own . . .

Rarely would I add something to a drink that I wouldn't drink straight. But there are notable exceptions. Bitters adds a lot of flavor but I don't lick bitters off the top of the bottle and have only tasted them straight on a few rare occasions, which makes me appreciate even more those people who make bitters. They have to taste them and I take my hat off to them for it.

And then there are overproof spirits that benefit greatly by the addition of a bit of clear water. Our senses haven't evolved to really appreciate spirits of more than 100 proof, as much as some of us would like to try to convince me otherwise.

There are overproof rums, and I've enjoyed more than a few that are most commonly drunk straight, in one. Down the hatch, chased by, well, almost anything. And there are noticeable differences in these overproof rums.



Either way, as long as rum is being enjoyed, either way is the "right" way in my book!
cheers.gif

I've always enjoyed the ritual of drinking these overproof spirits even if I didn't exactly enjoy the spirit itself. In many islands, over proof rums are the order of the day but when you really get down to it even the people that distill these strong spirits, whether they are rum, whiskey, etc. suggest that they are best enjoyed at a lower proof, i.e. add a bit of water or other mixer.

[Sparticus]

So last night I tell my wife 'I found the perfect mixer for rum....'

She was floored. 'You MIXED your rum?' 'What did you mix it with?'

This was a set up, of course. I answered - 'More Rum!'

Truth. I'd been trying the Pampero Anniv and enjoyed it but wanted it to be a touch sweeter. So I added a splash of Pyrat XO. Wow! Yummy!

Anyone else mix two or more rums to get something different??

Thanks for all the comments,

Ken


I just recently asked this question. Then came upon your initial inquiry. I should have done some sooner investigating. You answered my q. Pampero could use a bit of sweetening up.

[Kдpt'n]

I'm a neat sipper.

Only at few occasion I drink some Zombie, Ti Punch or Cuba Libra.

Greetings
Kдpt'n

[BaltRumFan]

I find myself doing both neat and mixed, but I'm also very new to rum so who knows how my tastes will change over the years :)

Right now I LOVE mixing some rums with coke zero in the evenings after work. Someone earlier in the thread metion a non-hfcs coke which is awesome! Back in January my local grocery store carried it for superbowl and I grabbed a few bottles. it was night and day....what an amazing rum and coke.

I also have a handful of rums now that I absolutely love neat like Mount Gay XO, Appleton 12yr, etc.... When I find a rum that hits me like those I have no desire to mix them because a double in my sipping glass is heaven on earth. Normally sipping rum is reserved for the weekends when i have time to relax and enjoy it.

One constant....I can't stand any rum I have tried alone with ice. So much as one cube for me ruins rum to the point I can't stand to finish what I've poured.

[Jason]

One constant....I can't stand any rum I have tried alone with ice. So much as one cube for me ruins rum to the point I can't stand to finish what I've poured.

It's funny how that works. For me I enjoy almost every "sipping" rum with a single ice cube. I like both the temperature change and the little bit of water added that opens up the spirit and really releases the flavour within. Most "neat" rums are too much for me, but with just one ice cube I'm in heaven. :)

[limzim2010]

It's funny how that works. For me I enjoy almost every "sipping" rum with a single ice cube. I like both the temperature change and the little bit of water added that opens up the spirit and really releases the flavour within. Most "neat" rums are too much for me, but with just one ice cube I'm in heaven. :)

Anyone into quantum physics at all? I'm not but I've taken an interest in the subject. The thought that our 5 senses (eat, touch, taste, hear, smell) are limited, and there is much more out there, much more around us at this very moment that we just aren't sensing. Pretty interesting.

[BARÓN]

I never or rarely mix Rum. It was meant to be sipped

[young0076]

find myself now just sipping on my rum. More recently I was in a bar, saw some oronoco on the sherf, and got some on the rocks,......mmmmmmm very good

[The Red]

There are some rums I mix, some rums I don't. Something cheap and low quality I'll almost always mix. I also usually keep a bottle of Cruzan Estate dark rum specifically for mixing; it's wonderful with ginger beer and lime in the summer, or hot coffee and a tiny bit of curacao in the winter. Aged rums, however, I usually prefer with nothing but ice.

[chazjaz]

I prefer drinking rum neat. I don't need the extra carbs from mixes. The neat experience allows for contempaltion of flavors. Each time seems like a different component arises. Always something new. Rum mezmorizes. Rum is never boring.HMMR

[D.B.Cooper]

Since my favorite drink is the "Rum" Old Fashioned I am having a cocktail probably 8 out of 10 times when I drink my rum. I find it helps in tasting the "lower shelf" rums when I want something new without going broke.

[SeldomSeen]

Since I rarely imbibe until the very end of the evening, I rarely mix. However, all bets are off on hot summer days and evenings when a cocktail seems like the only thing that will quench my thirst. I have been experimenting with mixing rums with other rums however. As I try new rums, I sometimes find one that is too assertive or lacking something in it's flavor profile,... according to my palate at least. I figure most rums are largely the result of blending several rums together anyway, why not try to blend those that don't quite cut the mustard into something less objectionable. An example is a blend I did recently with Pirate XO and Zaya. I know this may be blasphemous to some as both have many supporters on the Ministry, and I like them too. But Pirate XO strikes my palate a little too citrusy and a little harsh as a sipper. Zaya is smooth enough, but somewhat one dimensional (Vanilla), lacking complexity. I had nearly full bottles of both and found I wasn't returning to them. It seemed each could fill in what was missing from the other or moderate what was objectionable. I tried several ratios and found success with 2 parts Zaya to one part Pirate XO. I liked the blend so much, I had to pick up another bottle of Zaya to finish off the remaining Pirate XO. All have since happily disappeared. Btmup.gif
I now look a little harder at my collection of rum rejects and consider the possibilities.

[El Phadrino]

most of the time i enjoy to drink my rum neat but i also love to have a good old school mai tai with some friends.

[bobt]

I always buy my rum with the intention of drinking it neat, with one exception: I will get a mixer at Christmas for eggnog. Other than that, nothing in my bar is mixed (I put water in my absinthe). I even avoid liqueurs because of the sugar.

I tried, a few times, the ice cube or bit of water to draw out flavor, but because I almost always drink rum neat, even the smallest addition of water makes it taste diluted.

[dreliason]

Please don't hate me or throw rocks my direction. Understand that normally the only thing I put in my rum is ice ... but ... I had some white Depaz rhum from Martinique. Like many white rhums, or rums, it's destiny seems to be mixed, so to speak. Previously I had been offered a Diet Sierra Mist, and it tasted familiar, even through I had not tasted it before. Then it struck me ... I thought it might be good with white rhum ... and I was right! For those of you who have white rum and are uncertain what to do with it, try it was Diet Sierra Mist. You just might like it.

[Matusalem]

I'm in the rarely or less often category but would not say "never" and think rum is meant to be enjoyed however the beholder enjoys it most/best.
cheers.gif

[Arctic Wolf]

I think rum is meant to be enjoyed however the beholder enjoys it most/best.
cheers.gif

Amen! glass.gif

When I offer a glass to a friend or guest, I expect it to be consumed in the manner which gives the recipient the most enjoyment. And I refuse to impose my predispositions.

Matusalem, you and I often seem to agree on the nuances! cheers.gif

[gordonbeall]

I have to say I almost feel sorry for those who don't look at rum as a potential mixer because I think that that is one of rum's greatest attributes, but each to their own of course. I mix it all the time, and sip it too, but do that more often in the later stages of the evening. A great rum cocktail is one of the great joys in life, and there are soooooo many great rum cocktails!cheers.gif

[jackvacton]

I mix most of all, yet have two rums I at times drink neat, which one I would not mix often since it is so good by itself. Again, I would mix it to make an even better drink, but only if what I paired it with would stand as good as it. If I am to try a rum for the first time, I taste it straight (with a bit of water), and then as a simple cocktail:
2 oz rum
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/4 oz simple syrup (2:1)
dash of Angostura bitters
Shaken, strained into chilled glass - no garnish with 1st tasting.

[Mikeycanuk]

Thanks for the recipe! I brought back a bottle of bitters but have yet to open it. I've taken to trying rum straight up since I recently got back.

[mgt]

I buy a new bottle of rum and i try it as it is if its not to my liking i try it again and try to think about the taste what it is. If then i dont like it then i take another glass and sip it once more and then i take out the drinkbook and mix with it, but that doesnt stop me from trying it as it is a couple of more times. You never know one of these days your mood tells you that what youre drinking is actually realy good and you enjoy it for what it is.

[Jolipapa]

Don't you consider that mixing is probably also a question of culture i.e. in the US, England or Scandinavia you'll find more people mixing (rum, but also gin, vodka) beverages, than in France or Italy.
Else, the kind of mix seems different, cocktails are more sophisticated - sometimes even daring - when compared to a somewhat basic ti punch or planteur (no pun intended). Just an example: I love to have a hint of blackcurrant crème in my red Johnny W. I wish you could see people staring at me making a whisky-kir!
And for those mixing two rums, why not, some cocktails ask for it and some rum brands are just that anyway.
My conclusion is that the most important is to have a glass, preferably full and with something you appreciate in it.
Cheers! Oh! we're nearing aperitif time!

[Skulman]

I must say right now I mix all my rums. I try them straight when they are new to me. There is, I dont know the proper term, a strong alcohol flavor to all the rums I try straight. I recently tried the El Dorado 12 YO and it tasted the least alocholy then all the others. I don't know if they are supposed to breath before you try them straight. I try them neat first, then add ice, nothing seems to help, so then I add my pepsi, not coke but pepsi. So like other have said, as long as I like what I'm drinking then drink it.

[dreliason]

For those of you who mix rum, I might suggest you vote in the Rum Recipe Contest. Take a look at Red Sail in the Sunset ... made with Coecoei (a rum based liquor), white rum, key lime, and a light mixer (Sprite or Mist). When I mix, I like to keep the integrity of the rum flavor as I delight my taste buds. I also like rums with a history; that is, a rum that can be tracked back over the centuries.