Wine Enthusiast Magazine / Web 2011 / Bacardi Oakheart

Bacardi Oakheart

The spiced rum release makes a splash.

Despite the recent spiced-rum boom, an offering from rum giant Bacardi was decidedly missing from the back bar. But after requests from Bacardi loyalists, the brand decided to dive into the spiced-rum category. Frankly, many spiced rums derive their amber hue from added coloration, and the spirit never sees the inside of a barrel. Not so here. Dark rum is aged in charred American white oak barrels, then spiced with natural flavors like maple, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey and vanilla. The end result is a robust, velvety rum with hints of smoke and dried fruit. The Oakheart name, too, was given particular thought—it was developed in collaboration with thousands of consumers and hundreds of bartenders. More than 2,700 names were considered (and rejected) before Oakheart was selected, a process that took more than two years.

Here are some Oakheart cocktail recipes to try at home:

Oak 'n' Coke

1½ ounces Bacardi Oakheart Rum
4–5 ounces Coke

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and stir. Pour into a highball glass filled with ice and serve.

Oak and Ginger

1½ ounces Bacardi Oakheart Rum
4–5 ounces ginger ale or ginger beer
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Fresh lime, squeezed

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour into a highball glass filled with ice and add a squeeze of fresh lime.

Spiced Bat

3 cherries, pitted, plus one for garnish
½ ounce lime juice
½ ounce agave nectar
1½ ounces Bacardi Oakheart Rum
½ ounce Cherry Heering liqueur
1 ounce pineapple juice

Muddle cherries, lime and Agave nectar. Add Bacardi Oakheart Rum, Cherry Heering and ice. Shake well and double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Smoke 'n' Oak

2 ounces Bacardi Oakheart Rum
1 ounce Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth
3 dashes Bitter Truth Mole Chocolate Bitters
1 brandied cherry, for garnish

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour into wood smoke-filled jar and swirl with lid on. Pour back into ice-filled shaker glass. Stir 30 times, or until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.