Bermuda Rum Swizzle

By Steve Kilcullen Jump to Recipe

Frothy and refreshing, the Bermuda Rum Swizzle is a fun and fruity tropical tipple.

Tonight’s cocktail has a unique and fun history behind it. The Bermuda Rum Swizzle is not only a fun combination of words to say out loud, but it’s also a robust and refreshing elixir comprised of rum, citrus and tropical juices all topped with a few dashes of bitters. Considered the national drink of Bermuda, this mixture has origins going all the way back to the 18th century. I can’t speak for anyone else, but if something’s been around for a few centuries, I have to try it.

And what makes this, or any mixed drink, a swizzle? Turns out, there’s something all bartenders and mixologists will be familiar with, but maybe some of us armchair sauce-slingers won’t be, outside of the drink’s name. There’s a bar tool called a swizzle stick, which is a long, spiraled stick with a forked end. The original swizzle sticks were pulled off of the Quararibea turbinata tree in Bermuda, and the bitter bark from the natural stirrer added a unique and robust taste to the tropical tipple.

These days you can purchase swizzle sticks in the store, and because modern versions are made with plastic or steel, bitters are often used in the recipe to help give the drink its signature bite and frothy texture. When you stir up your cocktails with a swizzle stick, you’ve given yourself a Swizzle.

What Is The Best Rum To Use In A Bermuda Rum Swizzle?

You’ll need a robust and powerful combination of dark and gold rums to mix up a Bermuda Rum Swizzle. Both are aged spirits, with the dark rum going through a longer process, resulting in a darker hue and sweeter notes of caramel, vanilla, oak, hints of smoke and other spices. Gold rums go through a shorter aging period, and will be a more mellow experience. Even its color is lighter. You can find any number of popular brands that make both. At the moment, I have Kōloa rums from Kauaʻi, Hawaii, which can also be purchased on the mainland. A little on the pricey side, but not super expensive either, these liquors are well worth the splurge and also elevate any cocktail that is mixed with them.

FAQs & Tips

WHAT GLASSWARE AND GARNISH ARE USED?

Chill a rocks glass 15 to 30 minutes ahead of time, and once your Bermuda Rum Swizzle is poured into it, pop a cocktail umbrella on top and an orange slice on the rim. Vacation mode activated!

CAN YOU STORE THE BERMUDA RUM SWIZZLE?

If you need a large batch of this drink to serve to a big group, scale the ingredients up and combine them all together, stirring gently without ice in an airtight container. Store the mixture in your fridge for up to a few days, then swizzle individual servings over ice.

HOW MANY CALORIES ARE IN A BERMUDA RUM SWIZZLE?

Each glass will have about 215 calories on average, which can fluctuate depending on the rums and juices you use.

CAN YOU SHAKE THIS DRINK TO PREPARE IT?

I suppose you could shake this cocktail, but then it would cease to be a Swizzle, wouldn’t it?

Other Caribbean Concoctions Worth Trying

If you’ve ever been on vacation anywhere in the Caribbean, you’ve likely had your share of tropical beverages, many of them probably of the adult variety. And if you’re dreaming of the day when you can fly back to those idyllic islands and turquoise blue waters, but won’t be travelling any time soon, allow Twist & Toast to offer up a few concoctions to help bring a little of those warm climes to your home bar.

• Rum Punch – Around since the 17th century, this rum-based beverage is guaranteed to cool you down.
• Planters Punch – Get mellow with this fizzy and fruity Jamaican favorite.
• Bahama Mama – Born in Nassau in the 1950s, this cocktail classic has stood the test of time.
• Dirty Banana – Another refreshing and delicious Caribbean recipe, featuring rum, banana and coffee liqueurs.