Cruzan Black Strap Rum

Cruzan Black Strap Rum, Appleton Estate V/X and Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut... by god I'm on to something here!

On 2008-10-02 16:58, Bongo Bungalow wrote:
Cruzan Black Strap Rum, Appleton Estate V/X and Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut... by god I'm on to something here!

Mmmm, Black Strap!!!

While we're on the subject...

Robert Hess, aka DrinkBoy, created a drink that I think is on par in terms of caliber to the great classics... observe(this is not off-topic, I promise):

Jolly Roger

2 oz dark rum (I use Goslings)
1 oz OJ
1/4 oz part falernum
dash Angostura bitters

[shake with ice, strain into cocktail glass]

Last night, I replaced 1 part of the Goslings with Black Strap, and it was stellar, if a little too sweet... you could turn that 1/4 oz falernum into a dash and it'd be fine, I think.

I don't want to toot my own horn, but I also made a Black Strap drink of my own, which I detailed here, which I still think is one of the best drinks I've had.

Aloha

DJ that does sound good... I'm for anything with some black strap... except I'm with the Lipitor crowd and that means no grapefruit juice. I wonder what's a good substitute! Lemon juice?

I bet you could get away with that, Bongo.

I'm glad somebody likes Blackstrap, cause I can't stand the stuff. I've tried several cocktails with it over the last few years and all I taste is a glassful of molasses. Even tried a Corn 'n Oil with homemade falernum with high hopes, but that didn't work for me either. Back it goes to the dark, dusty recesses of the bar.

On 2008-10-04 19:46, GatorRob wrote:
I'm glad somebody likes Blackstrap, cause I can't stand the stuff. I've tried several cocktails with it over the last few years and all I taste is a glassful of molasses. Even tried a Corn 'n Oil with homemade falernum with high hopes, but that didn't work for me either. Back it goes to the dark, dusty recesses of the bar.

Don't give up so easily. Have you tried a Blackstrap Betty?

A great rum drink, as well all know, has to have balance. Too much black strap and it can be too heavy with molasses. I have found that my tastes continue to develop and I enjoy heavier rums now more tan I did, say a year ago.

Heavier rums, yes. But Blackstrap is in a category all to its own.

As to a Blackstrap Betty, no I haven't tried that as I don't have a recipe for it.

On 2008-10-05 14:41, GatorRob wrote:
...

As to a Blackstrap Betty, no I haven't tried that as I don't have a recipe for it.

I haven't tried it either.. But it did win the Forbidden Island drink contest... Martin Cate had this to say about it:

In reference to Tikiwahine's winning Blackstrap Betty; "...despite its name, understands that Cruzan Blackstrap is best used in small amounts. That, combined with fresh lime, pineapple, and a touch of vanilla and coconut, makes it taste like an instant classic."

Sounds good to me!

For years, one of my cold weather warmer-upper drinks has been a spoon of blackstrap molasses in a mug of boiling water. I add a splash of milk and sometimes a slug of rum. My wife hates the taste of blackstrap molasses.
This Summer, I bought some of the Cruzan Blackstrap. Yes, that's definitely a pronounced blackstrap taste. Not subtle. Not nuanced. I liked it OK in a Corn and Oil, but it's not something you could sub for other rums, willy-nilly.
As a comparison experiment, I made a Corn and Oil with gold Puerto Rican rum and a dash of blackstrap molasses. It tasted just like the Cruzan Blackstrap drink. I decided that, in future, I'd just add my own molasses to drinks, if I wanted that flavor. You have more control over how much or little you want the molasses to stand out. You can also adjust the amount of Cruzan Blackstrap, to taste, but I'd rather not pay the premium price over the regular gold Cruzan, just to use it as a flavoring agent.

Is someone allowed to post the Blackstrap Betty recipe here?

Also, Bongo, what were the proportions of your original post? Shaken, I assume, as well?

OK... here's my recipe. I tell you, the black strap does not dominate this libation. There are far more re-discoveries than true discoveries, so let's just play along and pretend this is a new drink:

THE BLACK COCONUT
3oz. Appleton Estates V/X Rum
1 oz. Cruzan Black Strap Rum
3 oz. Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut

Fill a 12 oz. glass with ice and dump this into your shaker. Add all ingredients and shake like you really mean it for a full 30 seconds. Dump back into your 12 oz. glass (a tall highball glass is nice) or coconut shell mug. Garnish with whatever you like... a sprig of mint is always pretty.

Note:The cream of coconut works best at room temperature and be sure to stir the contents of the can before using.

[ Edited by: Bongo Bungalow 2008-10-08 14:13 ]

I experimented with Cruzan Black Strap Rum for the first time Friday night. I enjoyed the following recipe quite a bit:

HULA IN THE DARK

*Makes about 12 ounces.

2 oz Cruzan Black Strap Molasses Rum
1 ¼ oz Rhum Barbancourt
1 oz Home made Five Spice Syrup
¼ oz Orgeat Syrup
1 oz Passion Fruit Nectar
1 oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
½ oz Soda Water
4 oz Crushed Ice

Just a little something I whipped up.

Black Tai

1 oz Cruzan Blackstrap
1 oz Light Rum (Cruzan)
¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice
¾ oz TV Orgeat
¼ oz Falernum (Kaiser)

Shake well, pour over 1 ½ cups crushed ice
add mint sprig.

To paraphrase Vic
You change one ingredient or a single proportion-you have a new cocktail and you might as well give it another name.

[ Edited by: Beach Bum Scott 2009-07-26 18:47 ]

I like to use the Blackstrap as a topper, or floater, on many drinks. A dollop on top of a Rongo Bowl or a Navy Grog gives those drinks a new dimension.

Sometimes float a bit of blackstrap & a dash of 151 on a Dark & Stormy, call it a Dark & Dirty

I had a bottle of this in my Tiki bar from the very beginning.
It's half gone, and the scary part is, I don't remember using it. That's another story.
Anyway, tried it again last night, straight, and I thought it had a very interesting after taste. I would like to find out how they dis til this or what is in the mash.

Here's some info about the Blackstrap from Ed Hamilton's excellent Ministry of Rum website:

http://www.ministryofrum.com/rumdetails.php?r=753

Here's aother thread with some further discussion about it:

http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1348&highlight=blackstrap