Rum’s The Word: How To Use White Rum In Place Of Other Clear Spirits
Go beyond mai tais and daiquiris to explore the flavour potential of white rum as a versatile spirit that can be used to lend a flavourful twist to varied cocktails. From fruity drinks to fresh highballs, white rum can be used as a substitute for other clear spirits in the preparation of multiple cocktails — albeit with a vibrant shift in taste and style.
Here’s your guide to white rum swaps, how it changes the structure of a drink, where it shines and where it simply cannot:
Can white rum be used in place of vodka?
Most certainly. White rum can be used to replace vodka in cocktails like a classic moscow mule to prepare a white rum mule and can also be used to prepare a martini cocktail which was originally blended using vodka as its base. The swap leads to the creation of slightly sweeter blends, whereas vodka carries a more neutral and clear finish.
What’s more, this swap also introduces a richer, more tropical effect in cocktails like the rum mule. It works best in citrusy blends that classically use vodka as their base because rum’s sugarcane quality manages to balance out the sharp acidity of tangy mixers like lime juice.
Is white rum a substitute for gin?
Sometimes, white rum can be used in lieu of gin to prepare drinks which have a fresh, fruity note sans the botanical flourish. A simple example of this could be the negroni which is made using about 30 ml white rum instead of the classic gin.
With this, the drink would acquire a tropical flourish, a slightly rounder flavour and a fruitier profile. A botanical element can be introduced in these cocktails in the form of herbal garnishes like a rosemary sprig or muddled basil or even a cucumber peel.
Also Read: Top 10 Mocktails And Rum Cocktails To Mark Rum Day
Does a white rum swap work in tequila cocktails?
When it comes to tequila cocktails, white rum can actually be used as an interesting swap that introduces a different riff into blends like a paloma. This drink would bring together white rum and grapefruit soda in a very fresh flavour interaction, introducing a tropical element into the blend.
However, many times, drinks prepared using white rum in place of tequila lose out on the earthy effect and slightly rustic feel that the latter brings to these blends. For instance, a margarita cocktail is best made using the original tequila, without the rum swap because triple sec works well with the agave spirit to produce a citrusy, peppery effect in the cocktail. Crafting this drink with white rum takes it closer to a daiquiri, significantly altering its signature character.
When is a white rum swap best avoided? And when is it an absolute hit?
In the case of drinks which are defined by agave flavours or botanical elements — such as a mezcal negroni or a martini cocktail, white rum swaps are best left alone. They mellow out the overall flavour profile of the drink, turning it into quite the flop.
As well, in minimalist cocktails like gin and tonic or a margarita, where the spirit itself is the primary flavour, white rum can take away from the intended impact of the blend. And when it comes to builds like old fashioneds or gin negronis, white rum lacks that aged structure, making it less conducive to the swap.
However, in the case of spritzers or highballs, white rum can at the same time be an excellent change — leading to the making of mojito-like drinks that require a characteristic tropical freshness and fizzy touch.
What differences in body and style occur when clear spirits are swapped out with white rum?
Very simply, adding white rum to classic cocktails introduces a cane-sugar sweetness and subtle fruitiness to the mixes. Next, it is slightly denser than vodka, sweeter than tequila and rounder in gin — contributing to building the overall complexity in these blends. And finally, with the white rum swap, cocktails acquire a more tropical and vibrant quality as opposed to a lean and crisp effect, which is particularly effective while hosting a tiki or tropical themed gathering.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
