Captain’s Blood: A cocktail to shiver your timbers

A new bottle of Falernum for my bar led to a search of the Cocktail Database for an untried cocktail containing (you guessed it) Falernum.  (The Cocktail Database is a great resource that lets you search by cocktail or ingredient name.)  The Captain’s Blood sounded downright piratical, but the recipe sounded a little tart.  Searching the web for recipe variations turned up quite a variety and, after considering several, tweeking the Cocktail Database’s recipe a little (less lime juice for one thing) resulted in the recipe below. 

A Captain’s Blood cocktail calls for Jamaica Rum.  Jamaica has a lot of darker and fuller-bodied rums that tend to retain a hint of molasses flavor.  We are fortunate that the Utah State Liquor Store has Appleton Estates® Rums marked down this month, so if you don’t have any Jamaica Rum around the house, this is a good time to stock your bar.  Falernum is a spicy syrup that contains flavors of almond, ginger, cloves, and lime, and perhaps vanilla or allspice, and (maybe) a little Rum.  It is a necessary ingredient in many Rum and Tiki cocktails, but is rare in Utah.  The Rum Dood has a Falernum recipe on-line that sounds pretty good (haven’t tried it), along with another recipe for this cocktail, or you can go the lazy person’s route and buy some.  (If anyone knows where to buy Falernum in Utah, help us all out and post the info in a reply.)  As always, play with the proportions a little to get just the taste you want.  Now get out your eye-patch and have at it.

Captain’s Blood

1 ½ oz Jamaica Rum

½ oz Lime juice, freshly squeezed (juice of about ½ Lime)

1 dash Angostura bitters

¼  oz Simple Syrup (or ½ tsp sugar)

¼  oz Falernum

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker two-thirds full of ice. Shake like all the pirates in the Caribbean are after you (as well they might be).  Strain into a pre-chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wheel.  This Rum cocktail may also be enjoyed on the rocks.