Rum Old Fashioned
Build ∙ 2 min ∙ 34.5% ABV ∙
A rum-based riff on the whiskey classic, the Rum Old Fashioned builds Caribbean aged rum, overproof rum, falernum, cane syrup, and bitters over ice. Warm baking-spice and toasted sugar lead, the overproof rum adding a hot edge before falernum's clove-lime note settles into a long, syrupy finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Add all ingredients to the old-fashioned glass: Caribbean aged rum 50 mlWhite overproof rum 15 mlFalernum liqueur 10 mlCane syrup 5 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 1 dash
- Add ice and gently stir
- Garnish with an orange twist
Tips
- Express the orange twist over the drink before dropping it in, so its oils sit on the surface where you smell them first.
- Stir gently and briefly since the overproof rum and falernum already carry strong flavor — over-diluting mutes the spice.
History
The Rum Old Fashioned has no separately documented invention story of its own: it is a long-used variation that simply swaps rum for whiskey in the Old Fashioned, a substitution bartenders have made since the drink's earliest days, when it was mixed with whatever spirit was on hand, including rum, gin, or brandy, before American whiskey became the default base. Trader Vic's 1947 Bartender's Guide and the 1930s Bar Florida guide both include rum versions of the drink, showing the swap was established well before the modern tiki and rum-revival era popularized it further.
The Old Fashioned itself traces to the early 19th-century American idea of a "cocktail" as spirit, sugar, water, and bitters, with the name and a fixed recipe appearing in print by 1895 in George Kappeler's Modern American Drinks. A popular story credits its invention to a bartender at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky, around 1880, but newspapers were already using the phrase "old fashioned cocktail" before that club even existed, making the tale, though widely repeated, considered apocryphal by drink historians. The Rum Old Fashioned keeps the same build but replaces the whiskey with rum, giving the drink a sweeter, richer profile in place of the original's grain-spirit backbone.
FAQ
Can you make an Old Fashioned with rum?
Yes, this version swaps whiskey for a blend of Caribbean aged rum and overproof rum, with falernum standing in for the usual sugar.
What is a Rum Old Fashioned called?
It is simply called a Rum Old Fashioned, the standard name whenever rum replaces the whiskey in the classic build.
What is the best rum for a Rum Old Fashioned?
A Caribbean aged rum works best as the base, since its molasses depth and light oak notes stand in for whiskey's backbone. This build pairs it with a splash of white overproof rum to restore the proof and bite that a single moderate-strength rum would lack.
How do you make a classic Old Fashioned?
A classic Old Fashioned builds a base spirit, usually bourbon or rye whiskey, with sugar and Angostura bitters, stirred over ice in a rocks glass and finished with a citrus twist. This rum version follows the same structure, using aged and overproof rum, falernum, and cane syrup in place of the whiskey and simple syrup.
