royal bermuda yacht club

1 1/2 oz Berkshire Mountain Distillers' Ragged Mountain Rum
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Housemade Falernum (*)
1/4 oz Cointreau

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lime twist.
(*) My guess is that ICOB uses a falernum recipe similar to what bar manager Bobby McCoy published in the current issue of Imbibe magazines (July/August).

Two Saturdays ago, Joe and Nicole Desmond, who I met at a rum tasting after Tales last year, were in town and I met up with them at Island Creek Oyster Bar. For a cocktail, I asked bartender Vikram Hegde for the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. I was able to track the recipe as far back as the Crosby Gaige's 1941 Cocktail Guide & Ladies' Companion, and it became more standardized by 1947 Trader Vic, and ICOB's recipe only varies slightly from the latter (Trader Vic's is 1/4 oz falernum and a dash of Cointreau and lacks a twist). Interesting that none of these recipes used rum from Bermuda; Gaige and Trader Vic called for Barbados rum and bartender Vic made the menu item with rum produced here in Massachusetts.
The twist's lime oils joined the orange liqueur in providing a delightfully citrus-filled aroma. The citrus continued on in the sweet sip that was spiced by the housemade falernum's ginger notes. Finally, the swallow contained the aged rum and the falernum's clove flavors. Overall, this classic reminded me of a more intensely flavored version of the Exhibition Swizzle that I had a few weeks ago.