Post #779405 by Early Landed Larry on Fri, Sep 1, 2017 5:25 PM

This is a variation on the Ah Foo in the book. I'm a sucker for short rum drinks, and I'm a particular fan of variations on old fashioneds, albeit this is more like a daiquiri. I've also been playing with the date syrup i made to service a few recipes in this book.l. The syrup is pretty subtle (especially compared to something like cinnamon syrup), but it definitely has its place.

This is one of the drinks in the book I think is pretty much perfect just as it is - although I prefer to reduce the syrup from 3/4 to a half an ounce for my own taste. It's a brilliant, simple idea,and it is delicious, but at the same time I'd never have thought to make date infused syrup myself. It's also ripe for varying in many ways!

This version has:

Half oz OFTD
3/4 each of Appleton Reserve and Mt Gay Eclipse (but really any of your favourite dark to light golden rums would do, probably not something really abrasive like Myers's, though!)
1/2 oz each of white grapefruit and lime juice
1/2 oz date syrup
A dash each of tiki and xocolate bitters.

Shake well with ice and strain through a fine strainer into an old fashioned glass over a large ice, with a grapefruit twist. Twist the grapefruit peel over the glass and rub around the rim then add to the glass.

YEAH! Every time I make one of these I pretty much love it, and this is no exception. If anything I think the grapefruit works better than the original lemon. It's very fresh, the date syrup is subtle, but you can taste it and it plays well with the other flavours, particularly the tiki bitters, which work great with this combination (I don't always rate them in every context). The bitters elevate it above being just a daiquiri variation, which is why I put it over an ice ball. I'm not sure I would ever boost a dacquiri with OFTD or dark rum of any kind, but it certainly works well here.