AP Rumtini

                                          AP Rumtini

Not too long ago I helped a friend harvest peaches from her trees, which yielded a high crop. It reminded me of one of my trips to Austin, Texas, where I witnessed how passionate people are about their (Fredericksburg) peaches, so I thought long and hard about a simple-yet-tasty cocktail I could make for this month’s pairing.

I drew inspiration from the AP Rumtini: the “AP” comes from “Apple-Peach” because it uses both of these juices in equal proportions, typically straining the juices twice to avoid having pulp when served.

The rum I selected was Santa Teresa 1796, which provides us with a well-balanced profile. If you want your cocktail to be more on the sweet side, you can substitute the Santa Teresa for a Diplomatico or Zacapa Solera 23. My preference is more aligned with the Santa Teresa, so this is what we are going to use. The ingredients are as follows, we’ll use the cocktail shaker and a Martini glass:

               AP Rumtini

  • 3 oz. Santa Teresa 1976 Rum
  • 1 1⁄2 oz. apple juice
  • 1 1⁄2 oz. peach juice

Add one large ice cube to the shaker, along with the rum and fruit juices. Stir everything while you chill the Martini glass (if you don’t chill it, the cocktail will get warm very quickly). Depending on the juices you use and on your stirring, you may develop foam from the juices, this foam will help you decorate the cocktail, you can even add grated nutmeg or other garnishes.

The cigar I chose was a Magnum 50 from H. Upmann, one of the Cuba’s old classics, 50 x 160, released in 2008 to accompany the successful Magnum 46. While it has a strong character overall, it also has a mild side that becomes well-rounded and complex as you progress during the smoking session. I have a few of these cigars that were released in 2014.

The combination between the cigar and the cocktail was perfect, hard to imagine it being better. The cocktail remained cool and well-balanced and, in my opinion, the sweeter rums would not have worked as well.

The cigar is also at its peak: elegant, devoid of an aggressive concentration of ammonia (thanks to the humidor aging). This cigar profile is perfect for this cocktail, so stay away from more aggressive tobaccos.

I hope you can recreate this pairing at home. If you have fresh juices available, the cocktail will be even more balanced and fresh. Feel free to substitute the apple juice for another one of your preference, just keep the peach one intact, as it is the source of the cocktail’s unique personality.

Philip Ili Barake

#GRCigarPairing