Happy National Rum Day! Celebrate with these tasty cocktails

Three cheers for National Rum Day! The annual party falls on Sunday, August 16, and there is no better way to celebrate than to whip up a cocktail using the beloved spirit. To help you mark this special day, Us weekly has compiled a roundup of eight rum-based drinks you must try – and most of them contain four ingredients or less.

“Rum is extremely versatile, whether sipped neat or on the rocks, to more complex cocktails like mojitos, daiquiris and white rum piña coladas,” said Elayne Duff and Julie Reiner, Copalli Global Ambassadors Rum Us weekly.

Speaking of white rum cocktails, Reiner, co-owner of New York bars Clover Club and Leyenda, shared his recipe for rainforest daiquiri with We and noted that the drink features bold, zesty notes as well as more delicate vegetal flavors.

With rum, the food pairings really depend on the cocktail, but the duo came up with a few meal suggestions to accompany a few of the drinks they’ve crafted. “We love the Copalli White Rum Daiquiri by the pool with a shrimp cocktail, barbecue or a nice Cobb salad,” they said. “In the evening, we turn to the Copalli barrel rested with negroni rum accompanied by a steak and shrimp, salmon, or even spicy fish tacos combo.

For Sébastien Derbomez, head of brand promotion for Scottish distiller William Grant & Sons, rum goes best with Caribbean dishes. “When I think of food pairings, I will naturally associate rum with Caribbean dishes because of its history,” he said. We “Ingredients such as pineapple, plantain, coconut and chicken will do wonders.”

And since rum is such a versatile spirit, it’s no surprise that it also acts as a great base for more dessert drinks such as Monkey Wrench, which is made with two different types of rum, a banana and a chocolate syrup.

No matter what you put in your rum drink, fresh, high quality ingredients are essential. “To make a good rum cocktail, you need a well-made rum like Copalli, fresh ingredients, the right balance of flavors, excellent ice cream and attention to detail, from the glass to the preparation and to the garnish”, Said Reiner and Duff We.

Scroll down for more cocktails perfect for National Rum Day!