Do you mix?

[kbuzbee]

So, I'm pretty new to Rum but one of the things I notice as a contrast to Bourbon and Scotch is people seem to talk about mixing a lot. I've read the word Coke here more times in 4 days than I have in the rest of my life.

Now to me, the point of a spirit is the spirit and I need to enjoy it on it's own or it has little appeal. Not to say that when out and about I might not order a Margarita or something but, at home, if I am going to drink it, it's almost always neat (or at most, on ice).

So I'm curious as to the Rum community... What say you?

Ken

[Tiare]

I both mix and sip neat.

I think rum mixes wonderfully in cocktails and i also think that if you don`t mix cocktails with rum you will miss out, there are so many nice rum cocktails!

But i also drink rum neat, and especially the better rums.

So as i see it i enjoy the good of 2 worlds and i wouldn`t want to be without any of them.

Its also a question of what mood i`m in. I can find myself one evening only sipping a few rums and another only drink cocktails.But i also must say, i don`t only enjoy rum, i enjoy all spirits except one - vodka.

What is also important and which is very interesting is to walk the way of experimentation and learn which rums goes best with which cocktails and which rums blends together.

Like for instance, many tiki drinks, they are made up of more than one rum which has been carefully selected because they together creates a flavour profile you wouldn`t find with just one rum.

The masters of this rum pairings for tikidrinks was Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic.

[leisure master]

Primarily a mixer here, but I loves me some spirits neat too.

Not limited to rum either - I have been on a serious sazerac kick lately and will sip on bourbon, rum, scotch or what have you.

All things being equal I will just about always mix a cocktail. I will usually have rum or any spirit neat when I first buy it, and then generally only later at night when just relaxing or with a cigar, etc.

good thread

[Jerry]

I like all sorts of spirits, but drink primarily rum, (if I'm not in the mood for beer or wine). I do order cocktails when I'm out, but at home its either neat, on the rocks, or with tonic.

[Edward Hamilton]

The last time I had a rum and coke I was in Central America and my host poured sugar cane sweetened coke, not the hfcs stuff found at most places in the US. That was more than a year ago, and it was good. Not that that I drank more than one or two of those, but it was profoundly different from the cola found outside the tropics. There are other discussions about this on other threads.

This forum is frequently by many people who are new to rum and believe it or not, many are graduating from rum and cola to other better drinks.

I drink most rum neat or with a cube or two of ice. If I can't or wouldn't want to drink it neat, I probably don't want to be drinking much of it, but there are exceptions, noted elsewhere in other posts.

[Edge]

For me, it depends on many factors.

Home or at a bar?
Good rum vs mixing rum?
Relaxing or out with friends having a good time?
My mood

I prefer to sip good rums neat, but I equally enjoy a spiced rum and coke.

[Perkeo]

For me it depends on the Rum. I would NEVER mix a good Rum but I have no problem mixing Rums like the Captain.

[spotter57]

Having had many a fine scotch in my day, I would have to say the appeal of rum to me is the vast varieties of rum ( like scotch) and what each one has to offer. Not that I"ve ever turned down many spiced rum and cokes, but I fall on the side of neat rather than mixed.

[Dave in the basement]

Until I find (and can afford!) some good sipping rums that I like, I'll be a full-time mixer. I am not sure that I'll be able to find an ideal sipping rum for myself, though, since I really like sweet drinks.

I have fun finding cool new mixed drinks to try, so I am not complaining by any means.

Fun thread.

Dave

[Edoc]

Most of the time, I drink rum over ice with a small wedge of lime. For complex rums, I'll drink it neat, like a port wine.

Mixed rum drinks are fun, but many recipes call for ingredients that aren't easy to find (certain bitters, falernum, etc.). Nonetheless, mixed rum drinks are a big hit with my wife and our friends, and they give me a chance to sample many lower-to-mid-priced rums.