DemiMonde Drinks

As a recovering alcoholic, these are off the menu for me, so I have no idea how they taste. Try at your own risk.

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The Classic Black Scallywag

Ingredients

60 ml dark rum (navy strength if available; otherwise something unapologetically heavy)

1 barspoon molasses (blackstrap if you mean business)

Absinthe (for the rinse)

1 strip orange peel (fresh, wide, intact)

Method

1. Absinthe rinse Rinse a chilled rocks glass with absinthe. Discard the excess without ceremony.

2. Add the dark rum to a mixing glass.

3. Add the molasses.

4. Stir deliberately with ice until properly integrated. The molasses should dissolve, not disappear.

5. Strain Strain into the prepared glass over one large cube, or serve up if you’re feeling doctrinaire.

6. Burnt orange Flame the orange peel over the glass, expressing the oils into the drink.

7. Rub the rim lightly.

8. Discard the peel, or drop it in if the night has already gone wrong.

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Noncey Pete’s Daquiri

Ingredients

50 ml rum (Pete says white. Pete often lies. Use something light-bodied but not innocent.)

20 ml fresh lime juice 10 ml simple syrup (less than you think; Pete distrusts sweetness)

15 ml Italian aperitif (red, bitter, and absolutely not traditional)

1 maraschino cherry

Method

1. Shake

2. Add rum, lime juice, simple syrup, and Italian aperitif to a shaker with ice.

3. Shake harder than necessary.

4. Strain Double strain into a chilled coupe. Ignore anyone who looks concerned.

5. Garnish Drop the maraschino cherry straight in. No skewer. No apology.

• • •

Rambunctious Phalange’s Rum – Just Rum!

Ingredients

Rum (no qualifier; the rum will know whether it belongs)

One block of ice (clear, heavy, optional but necessary)

Method

1. The pause

Place the glass down.

Wait. Long enough that someone thinks you’ve forgotten what you were doing.

2. The pour

Pour the rum.

Do not measure.

Stop when it feels like enough has already happened.

3. The ice

Add the single block of ice after the pour.

Never before.

4. The acknowledgement

Brief eye contact with no one in particular.

A nod may occur.