rum ramsey

1 1/2 oz Puerto Rican Rum (Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva)
1 tsp Bourbon (Booker's)
Juice 1/4 Lime (1/4 oz)
1/2 tsp Sugar (1/8 oz Gomme Syrup)
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

At the Appleton event last week, we spoke with Todd Maul from Clio and he recommended that we try the Rum Ramsey from Trader Vic. I found the recipe in both the 1948 and the 1972 editions and decided to give it a go on Tuesday night. While the recipe specifies Puerto Rican rum, Todd recommended that we try it with Diplomático or Appleton rums. Since the Bourbon was only a teaspoon, we selected Booker's which is one of our spiciest and most flavorful in our collection.
The Rum Ramsey was rather crisp and boozy and was a less lime-flavored Daiquiri variant. Moreover, the bitters and Bourbon added a good deal of spice on the swallow that definitely took the drink in a different direction from the classic recipe. The Peychaud's paired splendidly with the Booker's and perhaps the aged rum as well.

The next night, it was Andrea's birthday, so after our dinner at Myers and Chang, we made our way over to Clio for birthday cocktails. While waiting for seats at the bar to open up, Todd Maul greeted us with a pair of Rum Ramseys! His version was a bit sweeter and better balanced than our crisp version; however, the Elmer T. Lee Bourbon he used was less spicy and less distinctive in the flavor profile. Todd seemed to approve of our use of Booker's the night before and might start using our suggestion as his go-to whiskey.