I was sipping some Rum recently, something I do less often than I once did. However when I do drink Rum in any form, the first thing I think of is my trip to Venezuela back in the spring of 2016. I spent 4 days there as a guest of Diplomatico Rum. During that time, I toured, sugarcane fields, their production facilities, took a dip in the stunning blue waters, ate from a food boat, and rolled with my own bartender at all times. Along the way there were many opportunities to sample their entire lineup of rums in every manner possible. I’m a fan of the entire lineup, but their Diplomatico Planas AKA white rum is consistently impressive. I find many white rums to fall into a generic category. Sure, they’ll get the job done in a cocktail, bringing booze to the party, however they bring nothing special to the table.
That’s where Diplomatico Planas comes in. It’s blended from light rums that were aged in barrels that once contained whiskey and bourbon. It’s then filtered to look clear. There are precious few white rums I would sip on their own, Diplomatico Planas is an exception. It brings far more complexity to the table than the vast majority of its competitors do. So, when it comes to whipping up a rum based cocktail, it’s the first bottle that comes to mind.
With that in mind I decided to prepare my own take on a Daiquiri to celebrate the nominal end of summer weekend that’s upon us. I went with frozen mango for a few reasons. One, if there’s ripe, fresh mango on the counter, well it’s gone, because I already ate it. And two, it’s already frozen and blends super easily. I’ve been in love with Penzeys Spices lately, for as they say, all the reasons. A new to me blend of theirs, Pico Fruta goes really well with fresh fruit and I thought it would work well here, and I was right. It added just a little kick and enough umami to keep people guessing. Many cocktails call for some variation on simple syrups, plain or flavored. When I can avoid those and opt for the sweeteners I prefer, raw honey or pure maple syrup, I do. I went with maple syrup here. I used Pappy & Company Bourbon Barrel aged Maple Syrup, but any pure maple syrup will get the job done.
The Dirty Jersey Mango Daiquiri
2 ounces Diplomatico Planas
1-ounce fresh lime juice
½ cup frozen mango
1 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
¼ teaspoons Penzeys Pico Fruta + more for dusting
Drop all the ingredients in a blended. Blend until fully pureed. Pour into a chilled martini or couple glass. Garnish with a dusting of Pico Fruta.
This fruity, somewhat sweet Daiquiri with a tiny kick, is delicious on it’ own but it’ll pair well with spicy foods in particular. Peri Peri Chicken comes to mind. Cheers!