Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Rum Cocktails

Bermuda Rum Swizzle

bermuda rum swizzle cocktail on blue surface next to green plant

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

The Rum Swizzle is the national drink of Bermuda. It’s enjoyed in bars across the island nation and has become a staple on Tiki bar menus across the world. Swizzles have taken different forms over the centuries, with references to the drink dating back to the 18th century, but the Swizzle Inn, which houses Bermuda’s oldest pub, is associated with the modern version of the cocktail.

Rum Swizzle recipes vary, but most have three ingredients in common: rum, fruit juice and a sweetener like grenadine or falernum. It’s common for swizzles to contain multiple rums and juices, adding flavor and complexity to the drink. That convention is what you’ll find in the Bermuda Rum Swizzle; it calls for two different expressions of Gosling’s rum, a locally made brand that’s a popular choice in cocktails and a must-have when making the Dark ’n Stormy.

To prepare a Rum Swizzle, it’s traditional to use an authentic swizzle stick. Real swizzle sticks are long stems snapped off a tree native to the Caribbean and feature multiple prongs that protrude horizontally. While authentic swizzle sticks may be preferred, versions made from a different type of wood or from metal or plastic are much more commonly found. When spun rapidly between your hands inside a cold cocktail, the stick will create a thick layer of frost on the outside of a glass—the sign of a perfect swizzle.

This recipe is made in a pitcher and serves four people, but you can easily scale the ingredients up or down to accommodate more or fewer servings. If you’re making one cocktail, simply cut the proportions into quarters and swizzle in your glass or shake everything with ice and strain the contents into a rocks glass over fresh ice. While it’s always fun to drink with friends, companions are not required to enjoy the Bermuda Rum Swizzle.

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces Gosling’s Black Seal rum

  • 4 ounces Gosling’s Gold Seal rum

  • 8 ounces orange juice, freshly squeezed

  • 8 ounces pineapple juice

  • 3/4 ounce grenadine

  • 6 dashes Angostura bitters

  • Garnish: cherry

  • Garnish: orange slice

  • Garnish: pineapple wedge

Steps

Serves 4.

  1. Fill a pitcher a third of the way with crushed ice, then add the two rums, orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine and bitters.

  2. Churn vigorously with a swizzle stick (or bar spoon) until frothing.

  3. Fill four rocks glasses with fresh ice, and divide the contents of the pitcher between the glasses.

  4. Garnish each drink with a cherry, orange slice and pineapple wedge.