The Expedition

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Mixology

                                      The Expedition

Hello “Got Rum?” readers! I hope this article finds you all healthy and safe.  It has been a whirlwind 5 months, and I know a lot of people have found new hobbies and activities to keep themselves busy.   I am still unemployed due to Covid-19 but have made the most of my time.  I am fortunate to live across the street from a beautiful river with a long path and have been walking 15-20 miles a week.   I have also taken up rock climbing, and am blessed to have a new group of friends who I climb outside with 3-4 times a week.   I have always loved the outdoors-- hiking, fishing, camping…...and as rough as it is not working, I am thankful that it has opened up my eyes to so many wonderful outdoor activities.  My brother and I have always had a wanderlust when it comes to exciting adventures and when I talked to him on the phone this morning he was reminiscing about his time as a US Forest Ranger in the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.   He said he and his buddies created their own “cocktail” consisting of rich dark coffee and aged rum….. They called it “Crum”.   The Expedition cocktail not only has the most fitting name but it also incorporates coffee and of course, RUM, so it seemed the perfect drink to write about this month.

Donn Beach is famous for opening the first “Tiki” bar, “Don the Beachcomber” just after Prohibition ended - but he was far more than just a restauranteur.   Some sources say he was born in New Orleans, others say Texas-- but as a young man he was working on a yacht traveling to Australia by way of Hawaii, as well as working on a ship in the South Pacific.   He was also a major in the army during WWII and received a purple heart after being injured during an attack on a ship.  His first bar was located in Southern California, and later in life relocated to Hawaii where he lived until his death in 1989.  Donn loved adventure, travel, and visiting exotic locations. 

The Expedition cocktail was created by Martin Cate and each ingredient was certainly inspired by all of these journeys that Donn experienced.   

Recipe from Martin Cate’s book “Smuggler’s Cove”

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Blended Black Rum (some of his suggestions include Lemon Hart, Coruba, and Gosling’s Black Seal)
  • 1 oz. Bourbon 
  • 1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
  • ¼ oz. Bittermen’s New Orleans Coffee Liqueur 
  • ½ oz. SC Cinnamon Syrup
  • ½ oz. SC Honey Syrup
  • ¼ oz. SC Vanilla Syrup
  • 2 oz. Seltzer

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a drink mixer tin with 12 ounces of crushed ice and 4 to 6 small agitator cubes.  Flash blend and open pour with gated finish into a tiki mug or glass.  Add an edible orchid as a garnish.  

As a side note--- I made this myself and used Old Forrester Bourbon, and it was perfect.  I also made my own syrup, which I encourage you to do as well.  I used ½ cup of honey with ¼ cup of water, 1 cinnamon stick, and 1 vanilla bean.  I put it all into a saucepan and put it on the stove on medium heat for about 15 minutes.  I removed the cinnamon and vanilla bean and it was a beautifully aromatic and delicious syrup. Because I combined all of the ingredients, you will measure it as 1 ¼ ounces if you do the same.   If you can, I would really suggest using the Bitterman’s coffee liqueur...it is so good and hard to find a substitute that has the same rich chicory flavors.   

Cris