The Perfect Storm

For the better part of the last decade I have been a bartender to pay the bills. As anyone who has bartended for this long knows, this also means I am also a certified therapist, relationship counselor and official late night "booty call", because who else is just getting off work at 4am? What it also means is over the course of that time, I've learned a thing or two about the art of cocktail making. When I wasn't busy explaining the difference between a Vodka and Gin Martini (or my preference for stirring no matter what James Bond may think) or trying to get one of my regulars laid, I was messing around with all those fancy bottles behind the bar. With this knowledge gained and now in collaboration with Taylor Magazine we will be presenting a weekly cocktail, to get help power you through your week. Many of these will be my own personal concoctions, and some will simply be slight twists on old classics. Regardless, start taking screen shots and bringing these with you to your swankiest cocktails bars in town, and bask in the glow of the bartender finally asking you, "Wait, what's in that?"

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK: 2ND EDITION

Sometimes you just need to channel your inner pirate, and when that day comes there's really only one drink that will do... RUM! In this second installment of Taylor-Made Cocktails, we will be exploring a small twist on a old favorite, the Dark and Stormy. For those of you that have never experienced this delicious cocktail, just know from the start you are in for a treat. There are many impersonators, but any real bartender will tell you, there's nothing quite like a real Dark and Stormy. So with that in mind we will explore this old classic, but give it a little extra punch up.

TAYLOR-MADE: THE PERFECT STORM

Rum drinks are great, because they always make you feel like you're at the beach, even if you're in the middle of the mountains. There's a reason rum was the drink of choice for writing great Ernest Hemminway, a good rum cocktail, especially one like this, warms the soul, and gets the creative juices flowing. So let's explore the art of classic Tiki cocktails and channel our inner Jack Sparrow with a drink that will sure to make you exclaim, "Where's all the Rum Gone?!" Here's what you'll need:

- Gosling's Black Seal Rum (80 proof)

- Gosling's Black Seal Rum (151 proof)

- A few cans of Gosling's Ginger Beer

- A few stalks of fresh Lemon Grass

- One fresh chunk of ginger

- Lots of fresh limes (for juicing and cutting)

- Gumme (Plain Sugar Syrup)

- Tiki Mugs (or some nice High Ball Glasses)

Preparation: 

- Firstly, get all your ingredients laid out (you'll probably want a juicer for this)

- You will also need some basic cocktail making equipment for this drink (shakers, strainers, muddler, jiggers, etc.)

- Depending on the size of your shaker, you can make up to two drinks at a time, but there's no shame in enjoying a couple of these bad boys by yourself

- Get all of your juice ready, you'll need an ounce of lime juice per drink, so juice accordingly

- Make a lime boat for your 151 floater. To do this cut a lime horizontally and use the knife to cut out the pulp inside the skin. You want to make sure there's as little pulp remaining as possible.

- Let's get started

MIXING: for one person at a time

- Cut about 2 cm of the lemon grass stalk and about the same size portion of the fresh ginger

- Muddle these two in the shaker, until they are pulvarized and you can see the juice from the ginger

- Add the following:

1. 2 ounces Gosling's Black Seal (80 proof)

2. 1 ounce fresh lime juice

3. 1/2 ounce Sugar Syrup

4. Fill up the rest of the shaker with ice

- Shake for about 30 seconds and double strain over ice into Tiki or High ball glass

- Top with Gosling's Ginger Beer

- Throw your lime boat on top and add another 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce of Gosling's Black Seal (151 proof)

- Light the rum in the lime boat on fire, post picture to instagram, and enjoy (make sure you blow out the fire before you add your float).

Aside from looking awesome, this classic cocktail has everything you want from a rum drink, spice, sweetness, and a beautiful extra kick. You'll be sure to impress all your friends with your new bartending skills, and you'll definitely love this amped up version of an old classic. Just don't be suprised when you find out how easy these bad boys go down, and how much rum you'll go through before you even realize it. Cheers!