It’s the Summer of Rum
Django is a 25-year-old capuchin monkey.
Photographer: Will Anderson for Bloomberg Businessweek; prop styling and set design: Sophie Leng; food styling: Diana Yen; talent: the Monkey Man Jerry Brown and Django
Rum & Cola
Blacktail, New York, $16
Bar manager Jesse Vida’s elevated Cuba libre (aka rum and Coke) includes house-made cola syrup and Bacardi Facundo Neo, a mild blend of rums aged as long as eight years. Bitters and Fernet-Branca add herbaceousness; Champagne provides the bubbles. “Champagne brings a brightness,” Vida says, “but the drink still has the nostalgic flavor profile.”
Yuzu Gone Coconuts
Restaurant August, New Orleans, $13
This riff on the piña colada, served at chef John Besh’s storied restaurant, ditches the coconut cream and swaps in tangy, floral yuzu juice for pineapple. Besh prefers Bacardi White and adds a touch of the house’s own basil syrup to give the drink a Thai twist.
Nantucketer
Greydon House, Nantucket, Mass., $13
The Nantucketer is a tweak on a little-known libation called the Commodore, which combines rum, lemon juice, grenadine, and raspberry liqueur. This delicate version blends lemon juice, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, and a silver rum made by Privateer, a Massachusetts distillery. “It’s a lighter, prettier, more floral version of a daiquiri,” says cocktail consultant Jackson Cannon, who created the Greydon House drink list.