Skip to main content

Ring in the new year with these timeless classic rum cocktails

The iconic rum drinks are suited to any celebration

rum cocktails nye diplomatico manhattan
Diplomatico Rum

With December already in full swing, there’s always a ton to do at this time of year. From decorating the house to preparing for hosting or cooking duties, the festive season can have a lot going on. So while there are still several weeks until New Year’s Eve, it’s worth thinking about getting ready for a party if you’re planning on hosting.

While Christmas and Hanukkah come with their own flavors and traditions, New Year is a celebration that’s a bit freer — you can celebrate in whatever way feels right for you. And that might be a quiet night at home on the sofa, or it might be a flamboyant party. Either way, though, it’s a great time to enjoy some well crafted cocktails.

Recommended Videos

If you’re looking for something different from the typical Champagne, but you still want to stick to drinks which are classy and classic, then there are beloved traditional cocktails which have stood the test of time thanks to their broad appeal. We’ve got a selection of classic rum cocktails featuring Diplomatico Rum which are perfect for ringing in the new year.

Mai Tai

Diplomatico Rum

Ingredients:

  • 1 Part Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva
  • 1 Part Diplomático Mantuano
  • 0.75 Part Orange Curacao
  • 1 Part Fresh Lime Juice
  • 0.5 Part Orgeat
  • 2 dashes Aromatic bitters
  • Orchid, pineapple frond & lime

Method:

Add all ingredients to shaker with crushed ice for a bit of dilution. Shake and serve over ice. Garnish with fresh mint and pineapple leaf.

Rum Manhattan

Diplomatico Rum

Ingredients:

  • 2 Parts Diplomático Mantuano
  • 1 Part Sweet Vermouth
  • 1 Part Dash Orange Bitters

Method:

Add the ingredients to a mixing glass along with plenty of ice and stir well until fully chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an expressed orange peel.

Old Cuban

Diplomatico Rum

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 Parts Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva
  • 1 Part Sugar syrup
  • 0.75 Part Fresh lime juice
  • Small handful of Mint leaves
  • 2 dashes Aromatic Bitters
  • 1 Part Champagne (to be added later)
  • Mint sprig

Method:

Muddle mint leaves and lime juice in a shaker. Add simple, bitters and rum and fill with ice. Shake and strain into a coupe glass straight up. Top with sparkling wine.

Georgina Torbet
Georgina Torbet is a cocktail enthusiast based in Berlin, with an ever-growing gin collection and a love for trying out new…
This carrot-based signature cocktail is blowing my mind
I've been searching for a carrot cocktail for years
carrot signature cocktail harbour club a riva orange julius 1

Like any good home bar enthusiast I have my top-shelf liquors proudly on display, and my regular go-to well spirits tucked under the bar but close at hand, the mixers in a box below that. And then I have the mysterious graveyard which I like to call the realm of the mystery booze. Leftovers of home-made experimental infusions, tiny samples of spirits with labels too faded to read, strange bottles that never had a label in the first place -- you know the stuff. The kind of thing you dig out to make your friends drink on a dare at a certain point in a lively evening.

Among this baffling collection is a small bottle with a smudged label declaring it to be karottenbrand, a German carrot-based spirit which tastes like someone waved a carrot over a vat of paint stripper. Is it good? It is certainly not. And yet, it has fascinated me for years, with the beguiling possibility of what it might be like if it were good. The concept of a carrot spirit is so intriguing to me -- the sweet-savory flavor, the fit in a Bloody Mary or a Dirty Martini or even as an additive to a savory G&T. I can imagine so many uses for it, if only it were not awful.

Read more
Chattanooga Whiskey is releasing a new expression in its Experimental Single Batch Series
Chattanooga Whiskey new expression in its Experimental Single Batch Series
Chattanooga Whiskey

If you're a fan of innovative, exciting whiskey releases, you're probably already a fan of Chattanooga Whiskey. If not, it's time to get on this award-winning whiskey brand's proverbial bandwagon. That's because it recently announced the release of one of its most intriguing, unique whiskeys to date.
Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Single Batch Series – Batch 041: Persimmon Infused

To say that the name is a real mouthful is an understatement. It's called Experimental Single Batch Series – Batch 041: Persimmon Infused. It starts with a blend of five different bourbon mash bills. Each bourbon included was matured for at least three years in toasted and charred oak barrels. It's then infused with more than 140 pounds of dried persimmons. But that's not all. It's also infused with dates, fenugreek seeds, gentian, vanilla, cinnamon, orange peel,  cardamom, and cane sugar.

Read more
We think these forgotten gin cocktails deserve a comeback
These gin cocktails aren't the most well known but they deserve to be tried
limmers-punch

Gin is the basis of so many classic cocktails, from the ubiquitous Gin & Tonic to the simple and delicious Gimlet to the cocktail enthusiast's darling The Last Word -- not to mention the iconic Martini. But over the centuries there have been a huge range of gin cocktails created, many of which have faded into obscurity. And some of these deserve to be brought back to the mainstream and enjoyed once again.

We've got three gin cocktails from Fords Gin to resurrect, including one easy to make punch that isn't too boozy but is still fresh and delicious, making it an ideal choice for when you're throwing a party.

Read more