Molasses, clove, vanilla, lime
This drink smells like pure vanilla and tastes like a psychedelic Cuba Libre—it’s exquisite with barbecue. We love to serve this spicy sipper around the holidays.
From Barbados, this gold dark elixir was spirited into the American craft cocktail scene thanks to Seattle bartender Murray Stenson of the Zig Zag Café. Imbibers turned it into a cult classic so that it shot around the country, appearing on drink menus everywhere. In Barbados, a Corn ’n’ Oil allegedly uses aged local rum, falernum, lime, and bitters. Stenson chose blackstrap rum with heavy molasses flavor from the Caribbean, which achieves the effect of making this drink look like it’s made from crude oil. Tradition suggests a rum from Barbados, which allows the spice notes to shine through. You can build this drink in the glass or shake and strain. We prefer the latter.
2 ounces (60 ml) black rum (Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black Rum or Cruzan Blackstrap)
½ ounce (15 ml) falernum
½ ounce (15 ml) fresh lime juice
2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters
Lime wheel, for garnish
Shake and strain into a rocks glass over a single large cube of ice. Garnish with a lime wheel on the edge of the glass.