Give Your Rum Runner An Upgrade With Real Fruit

When temperatures rise, it's time to enjoy a fruity rum runner on the beach — the cocktail that became a signature tiki bar drink of Key West, Florida in the 1950s. Its popularity in the area followed on from its Prohibition-era smuggling roots and it remains a widespread beach bar favorite. A classic rum runner usually contains both dark and light rum plus a blend of fruit juices and is easy to make at home, but you can really up the ante at your next party by giving your rum runner an upgrade with real fruit.

We spoke to Jayson Goldstein, food and beverage director at YOTEL Boston's Vela Seaport and Deck 12, and this is his expert tip for infusing the rum runner with more real fruit flavor, as opposed to relying simply on fruity liqueurs: "We like to use organic frozen fruit and sous vide the fruit with what spirit we are infusing it with. This way it's made with true natural sugar and not all the 'natural flavoring' you find in most infused spirits." That's right, it's time to break out your sous vide machine and start using it to make upgraded cocktails as well.

Using sous-vide to make cocktails is a bar trend that's been around for some time now, with innovative bartenders all over using the method to quickly add flavor to liquids. These usually include everything from infused spirits to bitters, cordials, purees, syrups, and tinctures, which are then used to boost the flavor in creative cocktails. While infusions can typically take days or longer to make, using the sous vide method allows you to drastically cut that time down to just a few hours. 

When it comes to an upgraded rum runner, you can infuse one of the rums used with your choice of fresh or frozen fruit. Tropical fruits will work best with this beachy cocktail. You can stick with one or more of the standard fruit flavors in a classic rum runner, like banana, orange, pineapple, and blackberry, or try other variations like mango, peach, raspberry, strawberry, or watermelon. Sous vide the fruit with the alcohol at around 13 degrees Fahrenheit to 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 to 3 hours (or longer), strain the liquid if you like, then use it according to your favorite rum runner recipe. And if you don't have a sous vide machine, you can always use some freshly squeezed fruit juice in your cocktail mix or a spoonful or two of blended tropical fruits, along with fun fruity garnishes.