Rum

They say that rum is in part one of the discoveries that can be attributed to Christopher Columbus. In 1493 Christopher Columbus picked up cane cuttings from the Canaries while on his second voyage to the Americas and transplanted them to Hispaniola,(an island in the Caribbean that is now shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic).

The Caribbean basin proved to have an ideal climate for growing sugar cane, and sugar production quickly spread around the islands. Farmers would produce molasses from this and quickly learned that the molasses would ferment. By the 1650s this was being distilled into a spirit.

Rum was at one time used as cure-all for many of the aches and pains that afflicted those living in the tropics. Today it is used as a popular mixer.

Here are a couple of recipes.

Boston Trolley

• 3/4 oz Light Rum
• 3/4 oz Brandy
• 3/4 oz Triple Sec
• Juice of 1/2 Lime
• Ice

Shake with ice and strain into a glass.

Corkscrew

* 1 1/2 oz Light Rum
* 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
* 1/2 oz Peach-flavored Brandy
* Ice

Shake with ice and strain into a glass. Top with a slice of lime.