Why Your Tropical Cocktails Need At Least 2 Types Of Rum

When it comes to rum, more is more. At least, more is more when it comes to enriching your next tropical rum cocktail. The best (and easiest) way to enhance the flavor of tropical cocktails is to use two or more kinds of rum within the drink. "Twist my arm!" you may say, but there's more benefit here than just upping the alcohol content. In fact, you don't even have to increase the alcohol content in your tropical cocktail to mix multiple rums. Just add half a shot of each (or whatever amount your tropical rum cocktail recipe calls for).

Why add more than one type of rum, you ask? Rums are naturally symbiotic with one another, enhancing your cocktail's depth of flavor when combined. There are many types of rum you can mix in your tropical cocktails, each offering unique and complex flavors. Our guide to 13 types of rum includes popular varieties like gold, white, dark, and spiced rum. Slightly different tasting notes offer nuance between the spirits. For example, gold rum tends to be more citrusy and vanilla-forward, while dark rum has a taste more akin to toffee and dark brown sugar. White rum is a mild spirit, and spiced rum tends to be infused with spices like cinnamon and allspice. 

Adding at least two types of rum works with almost all rum cocktails. However, some are primed for it more readily than others. Often called Bermuda's national drink, the Bermuda rum swizzle is a classic example and features a mixture of black and gold rums with orange, pineapple, and fruity garnish. Another classic two-rum cocktail is the hurricane, the ever-popular New Orleans sipper. Our daiquiri-style hurricane offers an easy intro to this mixed rum cocktail, incorporating white and dark spiced varieties.

You can also customize your single-rum cocktails to add a little depth of flavor to the alcohol within. A piña colada is famously sweet and typically uses white rum for its inoffensive character. But a float or mix of spiced rum could add a new dimension to its sweet, tropical goodness. Rum punch is the perfect place for experimentation as well, as its base welcomes white, spiced, and even flavored rums like Malibu with open arms. Even a classic rum and Coke gets a personality boost from dual rums mixed in. But sometimes simplicity has the final word: Try upgrading this four-ingredient daiquiri cocktail recipe by adding two kinds of rum to add a new dimension to an old favorite.