Corn and Oil

The Corn and Oil cocktail has rapidly become a favourite tipple of mine over the past few months. This simply made cocktail boasts a complex depth of flavour and when made with the right rum is an absolute delight. The drink calls for a rum with a strong molasses base and the falernum gives the extra punch. It is certainly not a beginners drink but if a Rum Old Fashion or an El Presidente are your choice of cocktails then this will definitely be a drink for you. I must admit the first time that I tried a Corn and Oil I was not that impressed, perhaps the first sip does not do it justice but as the drink goes on you will fall in love with it.

Traditionally the rum used in this cocktail is a dark rum. Havana 7 year old is acceptable but an even darker rum would be desirable. A friend of mine just sourced a rum from New Orleans called “Old New Orleans Rum.” In 1999 the first production of their white rum was released on the market. By the millennium they had added an Amber Rum (winner of 2007 American Distilling Institute Gold Medal for Aged Rum) and Cajun Spiced Rum. It was the spiced rum that my friend had sourced from New Orleans which I instantly thought would work perfectly in a Corn and Oil. Made from Black Strap Molasses its depth in character is unique as a spiced rum. On the nose it has a strong butterscotch and caramel smell. The combination of cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves creates a beautifully spiced flavour. It is certainly not over sweetened which I personally feel too many spice rums suffer from.

The choice of falernum is also vital when making a Corn and Oil. I seriously encourage you to attempt to make your own for the best results. Not only will it taste better and fresher you will have a feeling of satisfaction in your own creation. It also gives you creative freedom on how exactly you want it to taste. If however you want to use pre-bottled falernum John D. Taylor Falernum from Barbados would be ideal but this might be difficult to source in the U.K. You are looking for a well spiced version.

So this is the recipe that I would use for my Old New Orleans Cajun Spice Rum Corn and Oil. You can serve it straight up in a long steamed cocktail glass or follow the more traditional option of serving it over ice.


Corn and Oil

50ml Old New Orleans Cajun Spiced Rum
15ml Falernum
3-4 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Stirred and served over ice or straight up.

Check out http://www.neworleansrum.com/ for my information on Old New Orleans Rum