Brass Rail

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (166 ratings)

Serve in a Coupe glass

Ingredients:
1 23 oz Caribbean blended rum aged 6-10 years
12 oz Bénédictine D.O.M. liqueur
12 oz Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
13 oz Monin Pure Cane Syrup (65.0°brix, equivalent to 2:1 rich syrup)
13 oz Egg white (pasteurised) or Aquafaba (chickpea water) or 3 dashes Fee Brothers Fee Foam cocktail foamer
1 dash Orange Bitters by Angostura
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

  1. Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
  2. Prepare garnish of Prepare garnish of orange zest twist (flamed) and ground cinnamon.
  3. SHAKE all ingredients with ice and strain back into shaker.
  4. DRY SHAKE (without ice).
  5. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
  6. EXPRESS flamed orange zest twist over cocktail then discard.
  7. Garnish with a light dusting of ground cinnamon over surface of cocktail.

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

  • Egg white (pasteurised) - Eggs

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 6/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 7/10

Review:

The cinnamon dusting which crowns this cocktail adds light spice to what is a mellow Aged Rum Daiquiri with subtle herbal complexity.

View readers' comments

History:

Adapted from a recipe by Tony Abou-Ganim who was inspired by his late cousin Helen David's penchant for a nightcap after a special occasion; her favourite was Bénédictine. Appropriately, Tony named this drink after Helen's bar, the Brass Rail in Port Huron, Michigan, USA. Helen's memory is also commemorated by the Helen David Spirit Award recognising lifetime achievements at the annual Tales of the Cocktail festival.

Nutrition:

One serving of Brass Rail contains 230 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.4 standard drinks
  • 19.12% alc./vol. (19.12° proof)
  • 19.2 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Stephen C’s Avatar Stephen C
18th April at 02:12
First two-three sips I didn't like but then it started to mellow nicely. Would revisit.
Justin Aniello’s Avatar Justin Aniello
6th January at 00:29
Made with half the lemon per my usual recipe edit, very nice. Gives a holiday lemon martini feel. I used Plantation rum, the heavy vanilla from that played very well with the Benedictine.
Shannon Burns’ Avatar Shannon Burns
18th March 2024 at 00:28
I'm such a huge fan of the Cable Car, that cocktails in the same category are at a very unfair advantage. While the Brass Rail is delish, it's not better than. the CC which boasts a little more cinnamon (sue to the rimmer), and uses a Spiced rum, which to my very unsophisticated palate is edgier. That being said, the only blend I had on hand was only five years old; could that explain it?!?
John Hinojos’ Avatar John Hinojos
26th March 2023 at 03:56
This was wonderful. Used Denizen Merchant Reserve 8 year Jamaican rum. It added a little of the Jamaican funk that I love in my rum. The cocktail had hints of spices, citrus, and a great mouthfeel with the egg white. Stunning evening cocktail.
Vera Lycaon’s Avatar Vera Lycaon
11th February 2023 at 06:58
Made this with Abuelo 7 Años - an absolutely *delightful* take on a rum sour. A buttery smooth base, with spices, bitters and liqueur coming together to really elevate it; definitely making these more often.
John Tovey’s Avatar John Tovey
22nd December 2022 at 20:22
On a rum odyssey at the moment and here I find myself, dashed on the rocks of one HELL of a beverage. Greater than the sum of its parts by some distance but with a respectful nod to each. Christmas on the beach. English Harbour 5 y/o rum for me.
Ignacy Szczupal’s Avatar Ignacy Szczupal
15th October 2022 at 22:36
The garniah gives all the meaning to this cocktail. A brilliant idea!
I personally (while loving the cocktail as it is) find that the lemon dominates a little too much and that a simple spiced rum such as Havana spiced or Bacardi spiced would enhance the whole.
Florian Ruf’s Avatar Florian Ruf
13th August 2022 at 17:51
Great cocktail, the orange zest twist (flamed or not) and the cinnamon give the egg white foam a nice smell. According to the personal taste it could be possible to cut back the syrup.
dan huff’s Avatar dan huff
27th January 2022 at 04:02
My favorite rum cocktail.
I must confess, however, the flamed orange zest eludes me.
Simon can you make a video showing how this done?
Thanks
2nd September 2024 at 14:15
I cannot provide a link here, but there's a very good "How to Flame a Peel" video by 'The Educated Barfly' on YouTube: how to select your orange, how to best cut the peel to make it effective, and why you should use a match and not a lighter..
22nd September 2021 at 02:39
Delicious. I substituted aquafaba for the egg white. The dusting of cinnamon is a nice touch.