Let’s Make a “Hurricane Cocktail” with Louisiana Rum

What a surprise to find that there is a craft rum distillery right in the heart of downtown Baton Rouge. The distillery and bar have only been open to the public since 2017, so I don’t feel too bad about not knowing that Three Roll Estate Brewery existed. We went on a tour of the distillery and sampled their six varieties of rum. Yum! That got me thinking about mixed drinks which are made using rum. I immediately thought of “Hurricane Cocktails.” These cocktails are made with both light and dark rum and a lots of tropical fruit juices. The drinks are very tasty; they can be both strong and addictive. I decided to make my own “Hurricane Cocktails” and patterned them after the ones served at the iconic French Quarter bar — Pat O’Brien’s — in New Orleans. And since the peak hurricane activity is in September, my “Hurricane Cocktails” are right on time.

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Persimmon Rum Pound Cake

This week I’m making a delicious “Persimmon Rum Pound Cake” using some of the Hachiya persimmons growing on my backyard persimmon tree. This type of persimmon tree grows very well in Louisiana, mine was loaded with fruit this fall — I counted over 100 persimmons! While the persimmons grow during the summer, they are firm and astringent — almost impossible to eat. When they ripen in autumn, the fruit becomes very soft and translucent. The persimmons become sweet, gelatinous and lose their pungency.

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