No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Corn 'n' Oil
Measurements in:
Serves:
| 2 fl oz | Caribbean blended rum aged 6-10 years |
| 1/2 fl oz | Difford's Falernum liqueur |
| 3 dash | Angostura Aromatic Bitters |
| 1/3 fl oz | Dark/black/blackstrap rum (optional) |
How to make
Glass
Photographed in an UB Tin Can Tumbler
Prepare
- Select and pre-chill an OLD-FASHIONED GLASS.
- Prepare garnish of lime wedge.
Method
- STIR first 3 ingredients with ice.
- STRAIN into glass filled with crushed ice.
- (Optionally: FLOAT dark rum on cocktail's surface.)
Garnish
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Flavour Profile
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Health & Nutrition
Nutrition:
One serving of Corn 'n' Oil contains 240 calories
Alcohol content:
- 1.8 standard drinks
- 28.51% alc./vol. (57.03° proof)
- 24.6 grams of pure alcohol
History
The Corn 'n' Oil is a traditional Barbadian planters' drink which, over the course of the twentieth century, morphed into the cocktail we know today.
The 'Corn and Oil' name is said to have derived from the Book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Christian Old Testament. Chapters 1–30 are of sermons delivered to the Israelites by Moses on the plains of Moab, shortly before they enter the Promised Land. The salient verse being, "That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil."
This cocktail's notoriety was helped by its appearing on the back label of John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum, the best-selling brand of falernum:
Corn 'N Oil
1/2oz Velvet Falernum
2 oz R.L. Seale's 10 year or Doorly's XO Barbados Rum
Stir in an old-fashioned glass filled with ice cubes.
Garnish with a lime slice.
Review
Rum, slightly sweetened and flavoured with the lime and clove flavours of falernum.
There is much debate over the Corn 'N' Oil, particularly the type of rum used, or even if a proportion of the base spirit should be brandy. The style of dark "black strap" rum is now often floated to give this cocktail an oil slick-like dark top, but this is not traditional in Barbados; this cocktails' home, but it does aid its appearance.
To be authentic to its origin, you should use a Bajan rum and forego the oil slick. There does seem to be a consensus that whatever rum or combination of rums (and brandy) are used, the base spirit is usually a 60ml (2oz) measure mixed with 15ml (½oz) falernum. Once you decide on the base spirit, you have a choice of whether to add "red bitters" (aromatic bitters such as Angostura) or "green bitters" (absinthe) and how many dashes. Finally, you have a choice between cubed or crushed ice.
As with all cocktails, I advise making your Corn 'N' Oils to suit your tastes or your guests'.
AKA: Corning Oil
Cocktail of the day:
29th January 2026 is National Corn Chip Day
Variations/similar cocktails
Served over cubed ice.
Gallery
A rye whiskey and maple syrup sour served short and straight-up. You'd perhaps have expected this cocktail to be more drawn out.
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Rich, flavoursome honey replaces sugar syrup in this delicious Daiquiri. The fuller your honey, the more flavoursome your rum should be.
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A cocktail that dates from the early 20th century, when it was made without egg white and served straight-up. However, this more contemporary...
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Fruity, yet spirit-forward. Looking at the ingredients, this cocktail should be very sweet. It is rich, but it is surprising how the dilution from...
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Comments & Discussion
I made the one I'm drinking now with both "red" (as I'm used to) and "green" bitters, 2 dashes Ango and a spray of absinthe. Never had it with the absinthe before - but as someone used to drinking Donn Beach recipes, it's right at home here with rum and falernum. I made this corn 'n' oil with Planteray Barbados, so there's a wee bit more sweetness than you'd get from a completely undosed rum, but I'm happy with it. This will probably be the corn 'n' oil recipe I use going forward.
PS: Citizens of Barbados are called Bajans* (Bajan Rum/Food etc.) instead of Barbadians*
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