16 August

August 16th is National Rum Day in the United States so for the rest of us it's International Rum Day - because, let's face it, there's never a bad day to celebrate years of enjoying Daiquiris, holidaying with Piña Coladas and the collective groan of bartenders worldwide when someone orders a round of 15 Mojitos.

One of those spirits that has come a long, long way from its original incarnation, rum appeared on the scene as a hooch sold as "rumbullion" or "kill-devil" around the sugar-growing colonies of the West Indies. So, in honour of a spirit drunk by pirates, slave-traders and of course the British Navy, we've compiled ten cocktails, without a doubt some of the finest invented with rum, to mark the occasion.

Ten of the best rum drinks

1. The Daiquiri

Surely the ultimate rum cocktail and a sure way to test a bartender's skills in balancing drinks. We prefer ours straight up and natural with fresh, fresh lime. For this you can follow our 10:3:2 Daiquiri formula or the popular 6:2:1 Daiquiri formula. Or you may prefer a Daiquiri On-The-Rocks or on hot summer days a blended Frozen Daiquiri.

2. El Presidente

A drink with several versions, we've tried them all and come up with our own El Presidente recipe.

3. Rum Old-Fashioned

Created in 2009 by Goncalo de Sousa Monteiro in Berlin, the
Rum Old-Fashioned is a contemporary riff on a classic cocktail that takes on a new dimension with aged rum replacing of whisky.

4. Hemingway Special

Created by Constantino (Constante) Ribalaigua Vert, the legendary head bartender of La Floridita, Havana, Cuba for Ernest Hemingway, after the great man wandered into the bar to use the toilet. When Hemingway tried the Floridita's standard frozen Daiquiri, he is quoted as saying, "That's good but I prefer it without sugar and with double rum" - so the Hemingway Special was born.

5. Rum Punch

The classic proportions of a Rum Punch are "one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak."

6. Grog

An old navy drink using rum and lime, we like to make our Grogs with muscovado sugar but some prefer Grogs with honey while others seek to warm their cockles with a Hot Grog.

7. Nacional

The Hotel Nacional Special is an apricot twist on a Daiquiri, named after the Hotel Nacional in Havana, Cuba, where it was created.

8. Mojito

One of the best-known drinks of our day, and when well-made, one of the most refreshing. There are several versions way ways to make this cocktail. We like our Mojito but not as much as a Champagne Mojito.

9. Dark 'N' Stormy

The Dark 'n' Stormy is the national drink of Bermuda, where both ginger beer and dark rum are produced.

10. Brass Rail

A popular choice in America, the Brass Rail was invented by Tony Abou-Ganim and named after his cousin, Helen David's bar the Brass Rail in Port Huron.