Lilikoi Daiquiri

 lilikoi, or yellow passion fruit

This one is so simple that it's barely a cocktail, but sometimes the best cocktail is the one you have. I'm currently visiting home in Hawaii and the place I'm staying is pretty limited in the bar department. I'm not about to go broke stocking this place, so I'm making due with what's here.

This has turned out surprisingly well. I picked up a bottle of Koloa white rum (my favorite white) for about $25. This usually costs me about $35 and a couple of hours of driving, so that's pretty awesome.

I just ran out of limes and was looking for something to use instead when I found some lilikoi growing on a vine in the yard. I cut one open and looked around the kitchen for something to juice it with--no tools into this place, either. If you aren't familiar with a lilikoi, they are full of seeds. In fact, all the juice/flesh is on the seeds. Finally, thirsty and tired and digging through the kitchen for a juicing/straining solution, I juices scooped the whole mess into my glass, filled it with ice, and poured my rum in. A thorough stir and I was in business.

• 2-3 ounces Hawaiian white rum
• juice, flesh, and seeds of a whole lilikoi

The result was delightful. The lilikoi is sweet and sour at the same time, and tastes excellent with rum without requiring a sweetener for balance. As a bonus, th ice kept all the seeds at the bottom and out of the way. There weren't many ripe lilikoi on the tree outside, but through some lazy experimentation I discovered that adding only ice and rum to my glass kept most of the flavor going without needing additional fruit.

What do you do if you don't have these growing in your yard? I don't know, you figure it out.

Rum Coco

The holidays are over, so I guess it's about time for another recipe. This one is very simple, but very refreshing and delicious. Perfect for a hot day at the beach, or if you don't live where I do, pretending it's a hot day at the beach.
If you really want to caveman it up, I'd recommend climbing a tree and cracking open a fresh young coconut yourself. For most of you, this isn't really an option. You can still grab a whole coconut from the grocery store and break out your machete, but the easiest option is to find some coconut water in a can. There are plenty of options, but usually use Amy and Brian's since it's easy to find (near me) and is just coconut water with no added sugar. One note about this: I've found that canned coconut water is still sweeter than the stuff you get straight from a coconut, so you might want to use less.
Use a tasty white rum (I like Koloa) or a light-bodied gold rum so you don't overpower the coconut water.

• 2 ounces white or light gold rum
• 2 to 4 ounces coconut water
• Squeeze of lime juice, if desired

I like a little lime juice in mine, but it's not necessary. Watching Night of the Iguana while you drink it is purely optional.

Paleo Eggnog

Ah, the holidays. Time for gingerbread lattes, family dinners, and my new favorite, eggnog. I'd never even had it until last year, when a buddy of mine made some on a whim. His recipe called for "a few ounces" of bourbon, for which I subbed in a half bottle of Zaya rum. This year, I'm making a paleo version.
Originating in England, it's said that the name eggnog was shortened from "egg 'n' grog." Grog being a common Colonial term used for a drink made with rum. Since brandy and wine were heavily taxed in the colonies across the Atlantic, rum from the Caribbean was a cost-effective substitute. The inexpensive spirit, coupled with plentiful dairy products, made the drink a favorite in America.

Now we're going to make it a favorite of cavemen.

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup, and one tablespoon coconut sugar
• 1 pint coconut milk
• 1 cup heavy cream (raw, if you like)
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 egg whites
• 6 to 8 ounces of rum (I prefer half a bottle, but you can use less if you prefer)

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks, gradually adding the coconut sugar until it's dissolved. Stir in the coconut milk, heavy cream, rum, and nutmeg.
Separately, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the last tablespoon of sugar while beating until you get stiff peaks. Whisk this into the rest of the mixture and chill before serving.
Serve in a glass of your choice and garnish with a dash of nutmeg.

Don't use a rum that's spiced or too sweet. Mount Gay Eclipse works nicely. Cheers!

Hot Buttered Rum

I don’t know where you live, but around here it’s starting to get a little chilly—and by chilly, I mean anything less than 70 degrees. That means it’s time for something warm to drink. Something you can curl up with in front of the fireplace, or in my case, your HD TV with a video of a fireplace.
Hot buttered rum is an easy choice, especially since you don’t have to change much to fit it into your paleo lifestyle. Use coconut sugar for sweetener, and I recommend Kerrygold grass-fed butter (from grass-fed cows, they don’t actually feed the butter).

• 2 oz aged Jamaican rum
• hot water
• 1 or 2 tsp coconut sugar, depending how sweet you like it
• 1 slice of butter
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp allspice dash cinnamon /cinnamon stick / orange peel

Warm a glass mug with some hot water and then empty it out. Add the sugar and stir in an ounce or so of your hot water until it’s dissolved. Add the rum, cloves, allspice, and top off the mug with hot water. Stir in the butter until it’s melted, then garnish with your cinnamon stick and/or orange peel.

I prefer to make these in the glass one at a time, but you can easily pre-batch the butter and spices into a batter and store it in the fridge for quicker drinks. Just throw a slice of the batter into your mug of rum, add hot water, and go. Well, don’t actually go anywhere. Just sit down and relax.