Planter’s Rum Punch

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 juice used in some cocktails for its tart and acidic properties. Grapefruit juice can be pre-squeezed and kept fresh for many days like orange juice, unlike lemon and lime juice.

Although a nebulous term, gold rum most often refers to molasses-based rums influenced by moderate aging (3-8 years). Flavor profiles vary. Unless noted otherwise, recipes usually call for something on the lighter end of the spectrum so that other ingredients can shine through.

These rich rums get their dark color from added caramel, not necessarily aging. Flavors are caramel and brown-sugar forward. Common examples are Meyers's and Coruba (Jamaican) or Gosling's Black Seal (Bermuda). A key ingredient in many classic tiki-era cocktails.

Otherwise known as rhum agricole vieux. Made from fresh cane juice (rather than molasses) and aged in charred oak barrels, lending a rich smoky flavor. Rhum agricole originated in the French Caribbean islands. Widely available options include Clément Rhum J.M.

A syrup produced by bees (apis). Pure honey is 82% sugar and very viscous, if you add 64g water to every 100g honey you can make a thinner honey syrup that will substitute (with respect to sweetness) for simple syrup in any recipe, equivalent to 1.1:1 honey to water by volume. We try to always use 1:1 syrups by mass. However, most sources measure honey syrups by volume, this tends to make comparing recipes across sources that use honey syrups complicated, we tried to state what the original source uses in the recipe text. If no extra information is given, assume the syrup to be 1:1 by volume (eq ~1.4:1 by mass). Proteins in natural honey provide structure to bubbles in shaken drinks.

A commonly used syrup made from pomegranate juice, characterized by a flavour that is both tart and sweet, and by a deep red colour. Coming from the French spelling of pomegranate, 'grenade.' To make it yourself (don't buy it premade) combine 100% pomegranate juice (like the Pom Wonderful brand) with equal parts sugar by mass. We always use 1:1 syrup unless otherwise noted in the recipe itself.

A concentrated aromatic bitters made in Trinidad from water, ethanol, gentian and other herbs and spices; used in many classic cocktails like the Manhattan.

A tropical plant with a tart yellow fruit. Most often used in tiki cocktails and fizzes.

In cocktails, cherries are sweetened in a brine, like maraschino cherries (marr-ə-SKEE-noh) or in brandy, like brandied cherries. They are usually used as a garnish, muddled into the cocktail, or used simple for their sweetened brine.