Dark’s Carnival

Often referred to as silver or white, these rums are actually lightly aged (1-3 years), but have had any color filtered out. They are typically molasses based (as opposed to the cane juice-based rhum agricole, clairin, or cachaça). Flavors range from light (Bacardi, Caña Brava, Plantation 3 Star, El Dorado 3) to more flavorful blended options (Probitas, Ten-To-One).

A sweet dessert sherry made by adding a sweetener to Oloroso sherry or by blending Oloroso with Pedro Ximénez.

Crème de Cacao White is a clear liqueur with a milk chocolate flavor, underpinned by faint vanilla and apricot tones.

Produced at the traditional sugarcane farms and distilleries of Jamaica, these molasses-based rums are beloved for their funky notes of tropical fruit. These can be bottled as a blend of pot and column-still rums (e.g., Appleton Signature) or as 100% pot still (e.g., Smith & Cross). Many recipes specifically call for Smith & Cross, which is elevated in both ABV and funky flavors. These rums are usually aged between 5 and 12 years, often in the tropical climate of Jamaica.

The second most common juice used in cocktails. This citrus juice is about 6% acid; 4% from citric and 2% from malic, with small amounts of succinic acid (this is what gives it a little bloody taste). Lime juice should be used the day it is squeezed, some like it freshly squeezed and others like it a few hours old.

A tropical fruit, used in many tropical cocktails for its sweet flavor and yellow color. You can either juice a real pineapple, buy pineapple canned in juice (not syrup) or buy pineapple juice in a container.

Made by Bitter End, with a blend of nutmeg, allspice, and habanero.

Small, round, green citrus fruits. Commonly used in many cocktails for its rind or its acidic taste (6% acid total; 4% citric, 2% malic, some succinic acid).