With the month of August in full swing, it’s time to take a step back, regroup and conquer the final dog days of summer. For those who don’t know the meaning of the dog days of summer and just think it’s a Florence and the Machine song, the dog days of summer are considered the hottest part of the summer season – basically when the heat comes on full steam and you can’t go outside for more than a minute without breaking a sweat.
So, there’s only one thing left to do. Make rum drinks and pretend you’re on an island with a cool breeze. Now, rum has been steeped in romanticism thanks, in part, to its association with pirates in the Caribbean (Not Pirates of the Caribbean though Captain Jack Sparrow questioning where’s the rum has helped too).
History of Rum
For the time being, no one is currently sure when rum was invented. Scholars believe that it was more than likely created by the Malay people thousands of years ago as an early drink called brum. The first known distillation of rum took place during the 17th century on various sugarcane plantations located in the Caribbean. According to many oral traditions of the Caribbean, it is stated that the first rums were created in Barbados – though new evidence has emerged that suggests Brazil and Sweden both had their own versions of rum.
Popular Drinks
Enough of the history lesson. Let’s get to some drinks that you can make with rum.
Mai Tai
Perhaps one of the more known of the Tiki cocktails, the Mai Tai was created as a way to showcase the flavors of a good-quality rum. Your creation shouldn’t be neon-colored or overly sweet. If made properly, it should have a deep amber hue and allow for the rum to shine through the complimenting ingredients.
To make this drink, you need to add the ingredients below to a shaker filled with crushed ice. Shake vigorously until the shaker is well-chilled and frosty on the outside. Pour (unstrained) into a double Old-Fashioned glass.
Ingredients
¾ oz. Fresh Lime Juice
¼ oz. Rock Candy Syrup (2-parts sugar, 1-part water)
¼ oz. Orgeat Almond Syrup
½ oz. Orange Curacao
2 oz. Premium Aged Rum
Garnish – 1 lime rind and a fresh mint sprig
Pina Colada
This sweet cocktail made with rum, coconut cream or milk, and pineapple juice, is usually served either blended or shaken with ice. Two bartenders from Puerto Rico lay claims to creating the drink but either way, Puerto Rico’s national drink tastes wonderful.
To make this drink, Pour coconut cream, pineapple juice, and white rum into a blender or shaker with crushed ice, and blend or shake very well until smooth. Pour into chilled glass, garnish with pineapple wedge and/or a maraschino cherry.
Ingredients
4 oz. spiced rum
4 oz. coconut milk
1/3 cup fresh pineapple chunks
splash of pineapple juice (at your discretion)
1 cup of ice
2 maraschino cherries
Garnish – Maraschino cherries and a slice of pineapple
Daiquiri
The granddaddy of all rum drinks, the Daiquiri has gone from the pride of Havana to an unloved extra on the back of some Senor Frog’s table menu. The reason being – people associate it with adult slushies, spring breakers, and god-awful hangovers. Which is a shame, because a daiquiri is a simple, delicate blend of rum’s sweetness with a raw taste of sugar and lime juice. It’s a balancing act of flavors that most get wrong – queue the adult slushy.
To make this perfectly, add all the ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a coupe and garnish with a lime twist.
Ingredients
2 oz. light rum
¾ oz. fresh lime juice
¾ oz. demerara sugar syrup
Garnish – Lime twist
Come on in
Be sure to stop by any of our locations to stock up on your favorite rums. Remember, drink responsibly. Always have a driver available if you’re going anywhere, and be safe.
America’s birthday is just around the corner and though 2018 decided to land it mid-week, that shouldn’t stop you from celebrating in the name of freedom. Even though most prefer their silver bullets or other canned-variety alcoholic beverages, the five cocktails below can introduce a truly memorable variety to your freedom-filled get together.
Cherry Bomb Mimosa
This drink is meant to get your day started. Couple this with a hearty breakfast or brunch if that’s your style.
Ingredients
1 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. maraschino cherry juice (from the jar of cherries)
1 bottle champagne
Orange slices, for garnish
Directions
In champagne flutes, combine pineapple juice and maraschino cherry juice. Top off with champagne and garnish with an orange slice.
Blue Crush Margaritas
Margaritas are a staple celebratory drink. Make a few of these and get all fired up on freedom (aka, tequila).
Ingredients
2 limes sliced into wedges
Coarse salt, for rimming glasses
1/4 c. Blue Curacao
3 oz. tequila
3 oz. triple sec
1/3 c. lime juice
1 can seltzer
2 c. ice
Directions
Rim two tall glasses with lime and salt.
Combine Curacao, tequila, triple sec and lime juice into the glasses and stir to combine.
Top with a splash of seltzer and as much ice as desired. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve.
Red, White & Boozy Shakes
Ingredients
6 scoops vanilla ice cream
6 tbsp. Milk, Divided
1 oz. Curaçao
1 oz. vodka
3 scoops raspberry sorbet
1 oz. raspberry vodka
Red, white and blue sprinkles, for garnish
Directions
In a blender, combine 3 scoops vanilla ice cream, 2 tablespoons milk, and 1-ounce Curaçao. Blend until creamy and pour into two glasses. Freeze 15 to 20 minutes.
Rinse blender and add 3 scoops vanilla ice cream, 2 tablespoons milk, and 1-ounce vodka. Blend until combined, then pour into glasses on top of blue layer and freeze 15 to 20 minutes.
Rinse blender and add 3 scoops raspberry sorbet, 2 tablespoons milk, and 1-ounce raspberry vodka. Blend until combined, then pour onto white layer.
Top each shake with whipped cream and garnish with sprinkles.
Blueberry Lemonade Sangria
Ingredients
1 750-ml bottle dry white wine
1 c. Simply Lemonade with Blueberry
1/4 c. tequila
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 c. cold seltzer
Directions
In a pitcher, combine wine, lemonade, and tequila and stir until combined.
Add fruit and top off with seltzer and serve.
Spiked Sweets Jell-O Shots
Finally, Jell-O shots. No booze-filled get together would be complete without one person whipping out a Jell-O shot here or there. Fill yours full of freedom with this festive recipe.
Ingredients
1 c. water
1 pkg. of red Jell-O
1 pkg. of blue Jell-O
1 pkg. of unflavored gelatin
14 oz. can of condensed milk
vodka
Directions
Boil 1 c. water and dissolve 1 package of red Jell-O completely. Add 1 c. vodka. Fill up shot glasses a third of the way with the red mixture. Let set 1 to 2 hours in refrigerator.
Boil 1 c. water and dissolve 1 package of unflavored gelatin completely. Add a 14-oz. can of condensed milk and stir, mixing well. Let cool a few minutes. Fill up shot glasses another third of the way on top of the red mixture. Let set 1 to 2 hours in refrigerator.
Boil 1 c. water and dissolve 1 package of blue Jell-O completely. Add 1 c. vodka. Fill up shot glasses a third of the way with the red mixture. Let set 1 to 2 hours in refrigerator.
Makes 20 to 30 shots depending on the size of your shot glasses.
Be sure to stop in to one of our many locations to stock up on supplies to keep the celebration going well into the weekend, because freedom.
Let your New Year’s Eve be full of laughter and champagne, as it should be! Champagne, Bubbly, Sparkling Wine, whatever you want to call it has been the drink of celebration dating back to the 16th century! Champagne visually and symbolically represents the overflow of abundance and joy.
So, is New Year’s even a thing if you aren’t drinking a glass of bubbly?? Payless Liquors says no. Whether you’re spending the whole night out at the bars, having a house party, or a quiet night with a couple people, champagne cocktails are the ideal way to ring in a new year.
Here are two quick and easy champagne cocktail recipes that will entrance all your co-partiers.
Classic Champagne Cocktail:
The classic champagne cocktail has been raved about. It’s a solid choice if you’re worried about making something that everyone likes.
- Place ¾ teaspoon sugar into the bottom of a champagne flute
- Top with about 8 shakes of Angostura bitters.
- Add Champagne until full
- garnish with a lemon peel
Unicorn Mimosa
The Unicorn Mimosa is the route you want to go if you’re looking for something more fun. This cocktail radiates New Years with its Sparkling Rim.
- Dip Champagne flute into water
- Rim glass with edible glitter.
- Add three scoops sherbet
- Add 1 ½ ounces vodka
- 1 ½ ounces champagne
- garnish with rock candy
If you don’t know what champagne you want to use in your Bubbly New Year’s Cocktail, here’s a quick guide on how to pick out the best bubbly.
Every year at the start of fall, there is one thing you can count on; pumpkin spice everything coming out of the wood works. You either love it because you’re “basic” or hate it because you’re a rebel. Even though we know everyone secretly loves it. There is nothing to not love about the pumpkin spice flavor. Now, the Starbuck’s pumpkin spice latte is not for everyone, but a mixed drink sure is! What could get you in the Autumn mood better than a bonfire and that perfect pumpkin spice beverage? We want to share our favorite fall recipes with you!
Spiced, Pumpkin Cocktail –
- 2 parts Pinnacle pumpkin pie vodka
- 1 part Irish cream liqueur
- ½ part half and half
- Whipped cream topping
- Ice
- Nutmeg and granulated sugar mixture for rimming glass and topping
- Rim the glass with nutmeg and sugar
- In a shaker with ice, vigorously shake vodka, Irish cream, and half and half.
- Top with whipped cream
- Sprinkle with nutmeg and sugar
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Apple, Pumpkin Beer Cocktail –
- 8 ounces good quality bourbon
- 9 ounces apple cider
- 2 ½ ounces of lemon juice
- 12 ounces pumpkin ale
- Ice
- Cinnamon sticks and cranberries for garnish
- Shake the bourbon, apple cider and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker.
- Pour into 4 glasses with ice
- Pour the pumpkin ale evenly into each glass
- Garnish with cinnamon sticks and cranberries
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Now don’t roll your eyes to these pumpkin spice cocktails until you given them a try! Make a pitcher, invite your friends over and add a little spice to your night. Cheers!
Nothing says summertime like kickin’ it with a rum cocktail that will bring flavor and fun. You could go with the typical rum and coke or you could be bold with one of these island-inspired rum cocktails.
It’s only proper that some of the best and most well-known rum cocktails come from the islands that produce the rum as well. Here are some of our favorite rum cocktails featuring Admiral Nelson Premium Spiced Rum. 
First off, the legendary rum punch. You can pretty much combine any rums with any juices that go well together and you have it! Here’s a take a typical island recipe:
- 1.5 oz Admiral Nelson’s Black Patch: Premium Black Spiced Rum
- 1.5 oz Admiral Nelson’s Premium Spiced Rum
- 3 oz. Pineapple Juice
- 3 oz. Orange Juice
- 2 oz. Guava Juice (A common tropical fruit!)
- A Little Grenadine
- Pineapple or Orange slice for garnish
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, pitcher or punch bowl. Chill and serve on ice and garnish with an orange or pineapple slice. Maybe add an umbrella if you’re feeling extra fancy!
If you’ve ever traveled to the Caribbean then odds are you’ve heard of a painkiller. And no, I’m not talking about pills. I’m talking a delicious explosion of coconut, OJ & pineapple. If you can’t physically be at the Soggy Dollar in the British Virgin Islands where the drink became famous, you can make it pretty easily from home. It’s a pretty simple drink to make and you’ll look like an islander when you show it off at your next get together with friends! Here’s what you need:
- Admiral Nelson’s Black Patch: Premium Black Spiced Rum
- 4 oz. Pineapple Juice
- 1 oz. Orange Juice
- 1 oz. Cream of Coconut
- Nutmeg
Mix all ingredients, except for the nutmeg, together in a shaker. Pour over ice and top with nutmeg. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry if you please!
So kick your feet up this summertime, relax & enjoy the many flavorful rum cocktails you can create with Admiral Nelson Rum. And as Alan Jackson says, “it’s five o’clock somewhere.” Cheers!
Imagine this – it’s 75 degrees on a perfect, sunny day. Your toes are in the sand and all you hear is the crashing of the waves against the beach. You got a nice cold Key Lime Colada in your hand to quench your thirst. Life is good.
With Blue Chair Bay’s newest flavor, Key Lime Rum Cream, you’ll forget that you’re wherever you are and feel like you’re in a tropical oasis of paradise and delicious drinks.
Inspired by the owner and creator of Blue Chair Bay, Key Lime Rum Cream wants to take you to island life. This tropical rum is best used in cocktails such as a Key Lime Colada. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 oz. Blue Chair Bay Key Lime Rum Cream
- .5 oz. Blue Chair Bay Coconut Rum
- 1 oz. pineapple juice
- 1 oz. orange juice
- 1 oz. cream of coconut
- 1 cup of ice
Blend all the ingredients together, and pour into a cup rimmed with coconut flakes. Garnish with a lime wheel and cherry.
In the mood for a deliciously sweet shot? Try the Keys with a Cherry on Top.
- .5 oz. Blue Chair Bay Key Lime Rum Cream
- .5 oz. amaretto
- .5 oz. grenadine
Chill the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a shot glass, and enjoy!
If you want to try it in other drinks, here’s a quick flavor profile for you. First, the nose. You can expect bright, fresh, and citrus aromas. The body is rich, buttery, yet well-rounded, as you would expect from a rum cream. On the palette, you can expect similar flavors to a key lime pie: fresh and tart. The Key Lime Rum Cream is balanced with a creamy meringue sweetness with hints of cinnamon, almond, and amaretto. On the finish, you can expect a rich graham cracker crust.
Interested in trying Blue Chair Bay’s Key Lime Rum Cream? Reserve your bottle at Payless Liquors!
Every year on March 17th, the Irish and Irish at heart come together to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. What originally started as a Roman Catholic feast day to honor the patron saint of Ireland has become an international festival celebrating the Irish culture. People from all over the world unite with parades, dancing, drinking, and of course, green!
Whether you plan on visiting your local Irish pub or staying at home, green and Irish traditional drinks are a must! From Guinness to Irish Whiskey and cocktails, there are plenty of options for even the choosiest of drinkers. One of our favorites is a classic Irish Martini.
It’s a simple version of a martini, with the perfect St. Paddy’s Day twist. Start with these ingredients:
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
- 1/2 ounce Irish whiskey
- Lemon twist for garnish
First, pour the Irish whiskey into a chilled cocktail glass. Swirl the whiskey around the glass to coat the inside then dump the excess whiskey. You don’t want any other flavors in your glass affecting the taste of your cocktail! Pour the vodka and dry vermouth into a cocktail shaker half-filled with cracked ice, then shake well. Strain the liquid into the rinsed glass and garnish with a lemon.
When making a drink as naked as this, it is important to use premium cocktails. The lack of juices and heavily flavored ingredients would not mask the poor quality taste of cheap liquor. Lucky for you, Payless has you covered!
We have hot deals on premium liquor through March 18th, just in time for St. Paddy’s Day! Check out these hot deals:
- John Jameson 750mL -$23.99
- John Jameson 1.75L -$45.99
- Jameson Caskmates 750mL -$27.99
- Jameson Black Barrel 750mL – $34.99
- Absolut 80 Proof 1.75L – $25.99
- Grey Goose 1.75L – $39.99
Stop by your local Payless Liquors to pick up your premium spirits, or reserve yours online today. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Cheers!
