The Cocktail Scientist
T H E F L O R I D A R U M R U N N E R
INTRODUCTION
The Florida Rum Runner is a true classic Tiki cocktail that was indeed born in Florida and today can be found on cocktail menus across the globe. Served frozen or on the rocks, its popularity continues to grow, and is often mistaken for a rum punch due to the number of ingredients used in the architecture of the cocktail. But as far as classics go, the Florida Rum Runner is true liquid mastery. For the drink is not only celebrated by rum cocktail aficionados around the world, but also thirsty beach goers that are looking to quench their thirst with a delicious and savory spirited solution from the nearest beach bar.
Florida Rum Runner
MATERIALS & METHODS
The Holiday Isle Tiki Bar Recipe at the Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada, FL (1)
Ingredients:
- Light Rum – 1 oz (30 mL)
- Dark Rum – 1 oz (30 mL)
- 151 Rum – 0.25 oz (7.5 mL)
- Blackberry Brandy – 1 oz (30 mL)
- Banana Liqueur – 1 oz (30 mL)
- Orange Juice – 1.0oz (30 mL)
- Pineapple Juice – 1.0 oz (30 mL)
- Ice – 2 cups
- Garnish: Orange Slice
Directions:
- First, fill blender with ice.
- Add all liquid ingredients except for the Bacardi 151.
- Blend all contents until completely smooth.
- Pour cocktail mixture into a Hurricane glass and garnish with orange slice.Add Bacardi 151 as a floater.
Enjoy!
DISCUSSION
Historical Origin
Like most of the iconic rum cocktails, there lies a veil of mystery when it comes to the origin of the Rum Runner and how it was invented. No one disputes the cocktail was named after the brazen individuals who smuggled rum during Prohibition in the United States from 1920 to 1933. During this time-period it was illegal to produce, import, transport or sell alcoholic beverages in the United States. These rum runners who transported rum from the Caribbean to right outside the 3-mile mark, the U.S. Territorial distance at that time, contributed to an almost Wild West environment off the east coast of Florida. Often rum runners needed to worry more about other rum smugglers than the federal officials patrolling the coast of Florida. Ambushes were unfortunately common. As a result of the situation however, successful rum runners became quite infamous and some were even seen as heroes.The first misconception is that there is only one Rum Runner recipe, the one Tiki beach cocktail that was developed at the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar in 1972. In 1937, in Stanley Arthur’s book, "Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ‘Em", there is reference to a post-prohibition cocktail called the “Rum Runner.” The 1937 Rum Runner is the first time the title of a cocktail is called a Rum Runner, but it is quite different than the one we have all come to know and love. Upon close evaluation, the 1937 cocktail recipe reads more like a variation of the classic Daiquiri, with the only differences being the addition of 1 oz of Pineapple Juice and 2 dashes bitters (2).
RUM RUNNER (1937 Rum Runner cocktail ingredients)
- 2 oz Rum
- ¾ oz Lime Juice
- 1 oz Pineapple Juice
- ¾ oz Simple Syrup
- 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
The second ambiguous event enveloping the Rum Runner lies with why the 1972 cocktail was developed. Legend has it that Tiki John Ebert, a famous bartender in the Florida Keys at the time, was challenged by the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar owner to use up all the dead stock of liquor and make a delectable beach cocktail. Dead stock liquor is liquor that is not moving quickly enough and remains unsold. Other stories suggest that John Ebert was simply looking for a job at the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar and during the interview process was asked to make a delicious cocktail using lesser-known ingredients. Regardless of why the Rum Runner was created, everyone agrees that we are glad the 1972 Rum Runner recipe was invented.
Flavor Profile
One taste of a frozen Florida Rum Runner cocktail and you can taste the complexity of the drink which characterizes it as both Tiki and rich in flavor. Notes of banana and blackberry are easily presented due to the intense cold from being a frozen cocktail. The TRPM5 taste receptor in our taste buds, when exposed to colder temperatures, sends a strong signal to our brain creating an enhanced taste, therefore making the cocktail taste more delicious (3).
Rum
Like the Zombie, Jet Pilot, Navy Grog and Planter’s Punch cocktails, the Florida Rum Runner involves the use of multiple types of rums. In fact, the architecture of the cocktail relies on the strategic use of a Light Rum, Dark Rum, and high proof rum to enhance the drink’s flavor, color, and strength.The first rum utilized in the Florida Rum Runner cocktail is a light rum. The light rum used is a low congener rum and is transparent. This purposeful ingredient allows the other non-rum ingredients in the cocktail to present their aromatic properties and influence the final flavor and color of the cocktail. The light rum is 80-proof (40% ABV) and contributes to the strength of the cocktail.
Dark Rum is also a designed additive into the construction of the final cocktail mixture. Dark rums, which normally are heavy rums unless originally light with caramel coloring added, will have a strong flavor due to the aging process in barrels. The dark rum is also 80-proof (40% ABV) and adds to the strength of the cocktail.The final addition to the Florida Rum Runner cocktail is a 151-proof rum floater which is 75% ABV. Bacardi 151 was the original ingredient used in the manufacture of the first Florida Rum Runner cocktail and was one of the most popular over-proof rums ever invented until it was discontinued in 2016 by Bacardi to share concern for their customers’ health and wellbeing (4). Today, bartenders must use other over-proof rums on the market that are 151-proof to construct the perfect Florida Rum Runner cocktail. The sole purpose of using the over-proof rum in the final cocktail mixture is to increase the strength of the cocktail which is also intended to be diluted by the other ingredients.
Additional Ingredients
Blackberry Brandy
Blackberry Brandy has the color and taste of the fruit used to flavor it. Typically found at 60-proof (30% ABV) the spirit is a significant contributor as well to the overall strength of the Florida Rum Runner cocktail. Brandy is a distilled spirit produced from fermented fruit juices and is typically made from grapes and fruits like blackberries.
Banana Liqueur
Banana Liqueur, also known as crème de banane, not only contributes a desired banana flavor to the Florida Rum Runner cocktail but is normally found to be 50 proof (25% ABV) and is a contributor to the cocktail’s alcohol level. Most banana liqueurs are neutral alcohols flavored with an extract made from both a distillation and infusion of bananas and additionally sweetened with sugar (5).
Orange Juice
Orange Juice is a moderately sweet mixing ingredient, and its deliberate addition to the Florida Rum Runner is truly intentional. The ingredient is filled with natural sugars and is roughly 11 percent sugar and is not nearly as sweet as adding simple syrup. Secondly, it is not nearly as acidic as adding lemon or lime juice and will not overpower the cocktail with sourness.
Pineapple Juice
Manufactured from ripe pineapples, pineapple juice is a popular base used in the construction of many cocktails including the Florida Rum Runner. Pineapple juice is also not as acidic as other citrus juices, like lemon juice and lime juice. Pineapple Juice has a naturally sweet but tart flavor and is loaded with healthy ingredients.
Grenadine
Grenadine is a very popular ingredient used in many cocktails and is overly sweet and non-alcoholic in nature. Deep red in color and rich in flavor, grenadine is traditionally made from pomegranate, and is a significant contributor to the Florida Rum Runner cocktail’s pinkish red color.
NUTRITION FACTS
(Amount Per 1 Fl oz in an 8.34 Fl oz Cocktail)
Calories: 49.7
Total Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 0.3 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 5.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.2 g
Sugar: 3.52 g
ABV: 18.3%
CONCLUSION
If Florida had a State cocktail it would surely be the Florida Rum Runner. The cocktail’s humble roots being invented behind a bar on the beach in Islamorada, Florida has only enhanced cocktail lore and appreciation for the drink. Mouthwatering to its core, the Florida Rum Runner is not only an enchanting beach cocktail but is innovative in its masterful approach to mixing multiple unused spirits together.
REFERENCES
- Holiday Isle Tiki Bar. (2021). Retrieved from: https://www.holidayisle.com/resources/media/holiday/user/1597437003-Rum_Runner__(2).pdf
- Arthur, S. C. (1937). Famous New Orleans Drinks and how to Mix ‘em. United States: Harmanson.
- Heller, L. (2005). Food temperature affects taste reveal scientists. BeverageDaily.com. Retrieved from: https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2005/12/19/Food-temperature-affects-taste-reveal-scientists
- Bacardi. (2021). The Legend of Bacardi 151. Retrieved from: https://www.bacardi.com/us/en/the-legend-of-bacardi-151-rum/
- Difford, S. (2021). Banana Liqueurs (crème de banane). Difford’s Guide. Retrieved from: https://www.diffordsguide.com/beer-wine-spirits/category/185/banana-liqueurs
