It should come as no surprise to my readers that I love rum. Burbons I hate; tequila makes me loco; vodka reminds me too much of college hangovers; gin can be refreshing; but rum— ah, rum!— the primero choice of scuba divers and pirates alike.

As I’ve mentioned before, The Kraken is my new favorite rum (at least since I can’t get my hands on the nectar that is Flor de Caña in Hawaii). I love a nice glass of this delicious dark spiced rum on the rocks, but  my liver does object to consuming such a stout drink on a routine basis. As such, I’ve tried blending The Kraken with a variety of diluents with mixed results.

Kraken and Coke

Definitely tasty, but the rum and Coca Cola thing has been so overdone for me that this was nothing special. I actually prefer the taste of Sailor Jerry’s and Coke, which gives the drink a taste similar to Dr. Pepper.

Kraken and Pineapple

Rum and pineapple is my absolute favorite mixed drink, and The Kraken doesn’t disappoint. Extremely drinkable even mixed at intensities as high a 2:1 rum-to-juice ratios. Admittedly, I prefer the taste of Flor de Caña and pineapple juice (the beloved ron y piña), but The Kraken is a close second.

Kraken and Mango

All I’ve been able to find on Hawaii is mango nectar, which needs to be diluted slightly with water to become drinkable. That said, once stirred in with some of The Kraken, this a very nice drink that works best at a 3:1 rum-to-juice ratio.

Kraken and Sprite

Not a fan. In my opinion, Sprite is better suited for gin drinks. I’d rather have The Kraken on the rocks.

Kraken and Lemonade

JACKPOT! This is the way to mix The Kraken. The alcohol is barely noticeable up to levels of 4:1 rum-to-juice. At higher concentrations (even up to 1:1) the drink tastes similar to a Long Island Ice Tea and is therefore extremely potent. I highly recommend making this drink with real lemonade and not some sugary imitation.

Kraken Mojitos

Yeah, I know mojitos are supposed to be made with a light rum, but the spiced base of The Kraken makes mojitos with this liquor a real treat. Use liberal amounts of mint to offset the darkness of The Kraken.

Still left to try…

• Kraken and Orange Juice
• Kraken Mai Tai
• Kraken Punch
• Kraken Daiquiri
• Kraken Piña Colada
• Others to be discovered…

One caveat: bear in mind that I genuinely enjoy the taste of rum and therefore mix my drinks fairly strong. If the aforementioned ratios are a bit much for you, consider diluting The Kraken a bit more (though doing so is such a shame…).

INGREDIENTS:

2oz rum
4oz pineapple juice
1 lime slice

DIRECTIONS:

Pour rum over ice in highball glass. Stir in pineapple juice and add lime slice.

COMMENTS:

The drink of choice on Roatan, Ron y Piña (rum and pineapple) is an deliciously refreshing way to toast the sunset. The mildly sweet, fairly acidic flavor of pineapple juice smooths out the rum’s bite while not overpowering the drink with sweetness. The drink can be made more tart by apply small squeezes of juice from the lime slice.

Best with amber  or spiced rums, especially with Flor de Caña Gold 4 Year, an amazing “bottom-shelf” rum served in most Roatan bars.