Rum Sour

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Rum Sour 

The history behind the classic “sour” dates back to the 1700’s, and to most people that relates to whiskey. But does it work with rum? ABSOLUTELY! One of my very favorite things to do with rum is to substitute it in to classic cocktails in place of the traditional base spirit. Lately I have been playing with different styles of rums in classic sours and the results are magnificent.

The first recorded, written down sour recipe was in Jerry Thomas’s 1862 book The Bon Vivant’s Companion, The Bartender’s Guide. The actual recipe, however, was being used for at least a century prior. Some people consider the sour a scaled down version of a punch, which required “one spirit, two sweet, three strong, and four weak”. This can also be described as spirit, sugar, citrus, and water (to dissolve the sugar).

Back in the days of sea travel, sailors suffered from scurvy, and food and water would easily spoil over months on a ship. Early “mixology” had a gent by the name of Vice Admiral Edward Vernon concocting a mixture of limes and lemons with spirits to serve to his sailors as something not only tasty, but medicinal. This was originally made with rum and was the beginning of what is now known as a “Navy Grog”.

At some point egg white was also added to the sour, not to change the flavor necessarily, but to add texture and “froth” and certainly made it more visually appealing. You can find egg white in a variety of sour cocktails, not only the traditional whiskey sour, but also in Peru’s Pisco Sour and in the classic Ramos Gin Fizz from New Orleans. I for one LOVE what the egg white does to these iconic recipes…….and it also allows you to use bitters not only for the visual design but also adds to the aroma. If you have not had the pleasure of enjoying a drink with egg white, don’t be afraid! It is a lovely addition and once you try it you may not go back to having a sour without it.

I recently made a rum sour for my dear friend and surrogate brother Chad, who had never had one! Needless to say he loved it and is hooked - but it sparked the conversation of WHICH RUM? Rum is such a vast and intricate category that my answer is truly whichever one you want, based on the flavor profile you are in the mood for. The fun thing about the rum category is that you can literally make 3 rum sours with 3 different styles of rum and they all taste completely different. No offense to bourbon (and I dearly love bourbon) but 3 bourbon sours are going to taste very similar. Yes, there will be different nuances based on the proof of the bourbon and the various years of aging, but nothing as distinct as 3 styles of rum.

I have included 3 rum sour recipes below, with 3 contrasting rums. They can be made with or without the egg white but I encourage you to make and enjoy these cocktails as they are written. And please, try them with your favorite rum, or rhum!

-Article written by Cris Dehlavi- 

My name is Cris Dehlavi and I am a native of Arizona, but have lived in Columbus, Ohio for the past 13 years with my daughter, Desi. I have been running the bar program at “M”, of the Cameron Mitchell Restaurant group since 2005. I am currently the President of Columbus USBG as well as a consultant for bars and restaurants nationally. In 2013, I attended the rigorous B.A.R. 5 Day Spirits Certification and have been recognized as one of the top mixologists in the U.S.A. I am one of the senior managers of the prestigious apprentice program at Tales of the Cocktail and work as a mentor to many bar tenders around Ohio. My contribution to "Got Rum?" magazine will include everything from reviews of national cocktail events, articles on mixology, garnish trends, recipes and techniques, to interviews with some of the leading bartenders in the industry