White Rum Cocktails

Chef Jose Enrique’s family comes from Cuba, where they were famous for their pineapple soda—it was once the country’s most popular soft drink after Coke. Enrique makes a mojito version of it, using a rich brown sugar–pineapple syrup, rum, mint and club soda.

In his 2001 book Straight Up or On the Rocks, William Grimes claims that Ernest Hemingway "often worked his way through about a dozen of these lime slurpees, sometimes ordering doubles, which became known as Papa Dobles."

This recipe is easy to multiply for crowds. To ensure that a large batch stays chilled without becoming watery, serve it in a punch bowl set in a larger bowl of crushed ice.

The "Rum Daisy" appeared in a 1930s book from the famed bar La Florida in Havana. The original recipe called for Bacardi rum, but Jeff Berry recommends Cruzan Aged Light Rum from the Virgin Islands, Flor de Caña Extra Dry from Nicaragua or Mount Gay Special Reserve from Barbados.

Mixologist Richard Boccato dubbed this tropical drink after the ancestral name for St. Lucia, where his parents run a B&B. He prefers making the cocktail with Chairman's Reserve Silver (a.k.a. white) rum because it's one of the best he's ever tasted—and it's made on St. Lucia.

The oldest-known recipe for the mojito appeared as the Mojo de Ron in a 1929 Cuban guide called Libro de Cocktail (The Cocktail Book).

The Sandía ("watermelon" in Spanish) was created with summer in mind; it pairs well with fish, especially salmon.

The mojito may be Cuba’s national cocktail. The drink gets its name from the African word mojo, which means "to cast a spell." Making mojitos in a pitcher doesn't work—it’s impossible to distribute the lime and mint evenly, plus the club soda tends to turn flat. Instead, muddle a large batch of mint, limes and sugar, then pour the mixture into glasses and top with ice, rum and club soda.

Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo and their friend Travis Kauffman concocted this terrifically refreshing cooler one hot summer night with ingredients from Falcinelli's rooftop garden.

A salute to the flavors of New Orleans, this cocktail spices up Napoleon House’s Pimm’s Cup (Pimm’s No. 1, lemonade and 7-Up) with a splash of Tabasco and a generous dose of rum or vodka.

The Coquito, a Latin take on eggnog, is so good you might be tempted to serve the drink year-round, not just during the holidays.