A Caribbean-Italian Mashup — The Rumara
What’s a Rumara? It’s just a combination of the two key ingredients in this cocktail I created — rum and maraschino liqueur. Putting these types of booze together might seem strange, but the result is great.
The Rumara
2.25 ounces dark rum (right now I’m drinking Barcelo Imperial)
.75 ounces Luxardo maraschino liqueur
2 dashes orange bitters
Combine in a shaker with ice, stir with the grace of a cool breeze coming off the Caribbean or Mediterranean, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
I know what some of you are thinking — maraschino liqueur? You mean like those eyeball searingly red cherries? Rest assured, I wouldn’t do that to Den followers. Maraschino liqueur bears no resemblance whatsoever to those Frankencherries. The liqueur has a nutty, vaguely sweet flavor.
The orange bitters can make a big difference. The first time I made a Rumara I used Angostura orange bitters (which are almost sweet), and the second time I used Regan’s orange bitters (which are definitely not). Use whatever bitters you prefer, or whatever you can get your hands on.
Dare to expand your liquid horizons, make yourself a Rumara, and imagine that you’re looking at a beautiful sunset on the horizon.