Our Favourite Rum Pairings

Rum is one of our favourite cocktail spirits because it’s so varied. The world of rum travels from white rum with its light flavours through to aged rum. Storing the rum in charred oak barrels to create complex mouthfeel and aroma. 

Regardless of your preferences, there will be a rum match made in heaven for you. That’s what makes it so exciting to work with.

We’ve listed some of our favourite cocktails below, and also added some rum pairings that you might not have thought about, including desserts! We've got the ideal rum pairings for you no matter the situation. So, whether you’re planning a dinner party or holding a barbecue with jerk chicken and need a pairing, we've got you covered.

Dark rums pairings

A dark rum is a rich flavour, with top notes of tropical fruit and low notes of dark chocolate. It can handle intense flavour pairings which is why it’s the perfect match for strong tastes. Flavours like ginger and pineapple that can overwhelm lighter spirits, but not dark rum.

What is Spiced Rum?

Spiced rum is a different type of rum which sits between dark rum and light or white rum. it will look darker than light rum but that doesn’t automatically make it ‘dark’. Dark rums are aged, as described above while spiced rums have a range of herbs and botanicals added. This creates a harmonious balance of flavours that doesn’t feature in the other types of rum. 

Here are a couple of our favourite dark or spiced rum pairings …

Pineapple Mule Rum Recipe

This refreshing cocktail combines the tropical flavours of pineapple with the spicy kick of ginger beer. It makes a perfect drink for warm weather.

Ingredients

• 50ml dark rum 
• Double Dutch Ginger Beer
• 70ml pineapple juice
• 15m lime juice

Method

Shake 50ml Dark or Spiced Rum with the pineapple juice, lime juice and ice. Fill a glass with ice, pour in the cocktail and top with Double Dutch Ginger Beer. Garnish with ginger and pineapple chunks on a skewer and a mint sprig.

If spiced rum is your thing, we have a couple of amazing cocktails for you to try.

Rum & G

A Rum and G cocktail uses rum and ginger ale or ginger beer, creating a refreshing drink with a hint of spice.

Ingredients

• 50ml spiced rum
• Double Dutch Ginger Ale
• Slice of orange

Method

Fill a Collins glass with ice, and add 50ml dark or spiced rum. Top with Double Dutch Ginger Ale and garnish with a slice of orange.

And, for that dinner party we mentioned, we have an amazing recipe. You can add a couple of tablespoons of rum instead of vanilla essence to any apple pie recipe. This creates a real treat for the taste buds, we’re also huge fans of this boozy apple cake recipe.

Star People

A Star People cocktail is a vibrant and colourful drink. For our recipe we’ll be using spiced rum, passion fruit syrup and lime juice to create this striking cocktail.

Ingredients

• 50ml spiced rum
• 15ml passionfruit syrup
• 10ml lime juice

Method

Shake the rum, syrup and lime with lots of ice and strained into an ice-filled Collins glass. Top with Double Dutch Ginger Beer and garnish with lime.

Dutch ’N’ Stormy

Our Dutch ’N’ Stormy cocktail uses spiced rum with ginger beer, Angostura Bitters and a lime wedge. It creates a refreshing and spicy drink.

Ingredients

• 50ml spiced rum
• Double Dutch Ginger Beer
• Angostura Bitters
• Lime wedge

Method

Pour 50ml spiced rum into an ice-filled Collins glass. Fill with Double Dutch Ginger Beer and garnish with a lime wedge and 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters.

Light Rum Cocktails

White rum also known as light rum, silver rum and carta blanca. It is a spirit that allows other flavours to shine. Even light rum has variations of flavour that range from light through to light and fruity. As well as Demerara rums that have a nutty toffee flavour. 

Pairing Light Rum

Light rum is a perfect match for many classic cocktails like the Mojito and the Daiquari as well as the Piña Colada. In addition, we’ve got some innovative cocktail recipes that use this type of rum to perfection. Like many rum pairings, coconut and other tropical fruits are perfect flavours to complement a light rum drink. 

Mojito 

This is such a classic summer cocktail it needs to be in everybody’s repertoire. It’s refreshing and easy to drink, which can lead to miscalculations about just how potent it can be! It works best with a lighter white rum. 

Mojito Ingredients

• 60ml white rum
• juice of 1 lime
• 8 mint leaves
• 10ml simple syrup
• Double Dutch Soda Water

Mojito Method

Place the lime juice, simple syrup and all but one of the mint leaves in a glass and muddle together. Pour the muddled mixture into a highball glass and add a handful of ice. Pour 60ml white rum into the glass, stirring with a long-handled spoon. Top with Double Dutch Soda Water and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Cue-Jito

For a fresh alternative on the classics Mojito, why not try our Cue-Jito? It has all the refreshing flavour of its famous cousin but offers an added fruity zing.

Ingredients

• 50ml light rum
• 2 lime wedges
• Double Dutch Cucumber & Watermelon
• Fresh mine

Method

Pour the light rum into an ice filled tall glass. Squeeze the lime wedges and drop them into the glass. Top with Double Dutch Cucumber & Watermelon.

Cranberry Breeze

Ingredients

• 50ml light rum
• Double Dutch Cranberry & Ginger Tonic
• Tropical berries
• Ginger slice

Method

Pour the 50ml light rum into an ice-filled Collins glass. top with Double Dutch Cranberry & Ginger Tonic. Garnish with tropical berries and a slice of ginger.

And if you want a light rum pudding to try, how about this simple but delicious baked pineapple?