Rum

Rum Day DC at Hank’s Cocktail Bar

categories: EVENTS
The rum selection used in the competition

Yes, Yes, I’m sure you know by now how much I love a good spirit-themed holiday!  And it’s not because I like to drink but mainly because I enjoy seeing the competition and tasting the unique cocktails that each bartender creates with the ingredients they are given.  I had so much fun at last year at the Margarita Standoff at Quarter & Glory that I decided to attend “DaiqOff,” another event hosted by the US Bartender’s Guild DC Chapter.  DaiqOff (such a clever name) was the title given to the official Rum Day DC event at Hank’s Cocktail Bar.

My friend and I arrived at Hank’s a bit early because we wanted to grab a bite to eat and check out the bar before the competition, turns out it was burger night…sweet! We ordered a 1/2 priced “Hanks’s Burger” with swiss cheese and bacon and that came with homemade chips.  We also ordered the loaded sweet potatoes, my first time having a loaded sweet potato and I really liked them.  We also both ordered the 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney which was made with Glenladough Gin, Honeydew Agua Fresca & Lime.

After we ate, we headed to the rear of the restaurant and onto the outdoor patio where the competition was set to take place. It was a perfect summer evening to sit outside, I’m glad it wasn’t too hot or raining. The competition included seven rums each assigned to a different bartender.  The bartenders were timed and had to create a cocktail some complete with garnishes.  The six judges sat at the bar while the bartenders made their cocktails and were given the first drinks to sample. After the judges tasted the cocktail the attendees were given samples to try.

Patio before the crowd
Patio with the crowd
@Kapri.Possible
@FrenchNotScotty

Garnish Game on Point!! That’s a banana btw.

The cocktail sampling tray was passed around at least 10 times, some cocktails we got to taste twice. Also, I received a free cocktail as a bonus for registering for the event early.  Hank’s Cocktail bar was kind enough to create four signature cocktails for the event and $2.00 from each cocktail purchased went to the US Bartender’s Guild DC.

I chose the Tea Time cocktail pictured below, it was made of Cruzan Rum, Hibiscus, Chamomile and Lime.

“Tea Time” cocktail

And did I mention that Hank’s Cocktail Bar is located on a quaint residentail block that also includes a Taqueria and pizza restaurant.

I enjoyed another fun event hosted by the USBGDC! Follow them on social media and keep up with their future events.

And always follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on social media …  

  

Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar

categories: Happy Hour, RESTAURANTS

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The happy hour is from 4-7pm daily at the bar and bar-area seating only. We visited on a Friday around 5:30pm and happy hour was well under way.  All the seats were filled around the bar so we stood around for a bit and stalked a few tables. Once we were seated, we went right in and immediately ordered cocktails.  The Mojitos, Margaritas and Sangria are only $5.00 and they were delicious. The drinks were strong and flavorful exactly what I’d expect from a cocktail bar. Sometimes inexpensive happy hour drinks are watered down, but these were not.  We ordered a second round of drinks a Mojito and Margarita again but this time we switched so whoever got the mojito the first time got the margarita the second time and vice versa.

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Mojito and Strawberry Margarita
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Shrimp Guacamole served with Fried Plantain and various chips

 

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Blackened Fish Tacos (Top) and Yucca Fries (Bottom)
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Blackened Fish Tacos
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El Cubano Sandwich

The El Cubano sandwich was huge, larger than we expected and enough for two people to share.  The Yucca fries were interesting, I’ve never had yucca before it’s like a potato but flaky and it was also filling. It came with three dipping sauces which is always fun and adds flavor variety.  The Fish tacos were light and included coleslaw and pickled onions. We kept the selections light because afterwards we’d planned on going to another location in Annapolis, maybe another bar/restaurant.  We asked our waiter for suggestions on local places to visit and he was very helpful, he stood at the table and talked to us for about five minutes and wrote down a few locations on a napkin.

We mentioned that it was my friend’s birthday (because I wanted that free dessert) and he “surprised” us with a slice of Coconut Caramel Flan with coconut custard and caramel sauce.

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Coconut Caramel Flan

And finally, what’s a rum bar without rum? We both ordered a rum flight from an extensive rum menu.  We ordered the “Aged” rum flight, this one jumped out at us because we both like El Dorado Rum and decided to give the other two rums a try.

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Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar also has a late night happy hour Sunday-Thursday and the restaurant is located in Annapolis Towne Center and features free valet parking… sweet!  I would definitely visit again for happy hour, but this time I’d get there a little earlier.

Always follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on social media …  

  

Celebrate National Rum Month with Blue Chair Bay Rum

categories: COCKTAILS

August is National Rum Month and Arli’s Appetite has teamed up again with Blue Chair Bay to create the perfect drink.  Blue Chair Bay offers seven rum flavors and I decided to use the Coconut Spiced Rum again because I created lots of delicious cocktails with the last bottle and I wanted to stick with what I know.

The idea behind this drink was to create a tropical oasis that was easy to make at home and nothing says “tropical vacation” like a Pina Colada. I decided to go the non-traditional route and serve it neat over ice instead of frozen.

Ingredients: 

2 oz Blue Chair Bay Coconut Spiced Rum

1 oz Pineapple Juice

1 oz Club Soda

Pineapple Garnish (Optional)

Instructions: 

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker.

Shake well.

Pour mix over ice

Add pineapple garnish

This is just one of two entries into the Blue Chair Bay Blogtender Nation.

For more information and recipes with Blue Chair Bay Premium Rum visit http://bit.ly/T8evTg  and their Facebook http://on.fb.me/1opiAw2

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