Did you know mangos have two seasons? The first peaks as spring turns to summer and the second as fall gives way to winter, overlapping to provide an almost year-round season for delicious, juicy mangos! I was completely unaware of this delightful fact when searching the interwebs for inspiration regarding two lonely mangos past their prime in the back of my fridge. As soon as I realized mangos weren’t just for summer poolside rum-soaked applications, I couldn’t wait to create a more fall-inspired cocktail.
With Thanksgiving just next week (!!), I also thought it’d be wise to batch this festive cocktail out for all your group drinking needs. Below are recipes for both one drink and ten. Note: the recipes have slight variations in order to make the batched version more hostess-friendly. As I alluded to in Tuesday’s post, I’ve been on the hunt for high-quality mixers for You & Yours‘ debut cocktail program and am #obsessed with East Imperial Mombasa Ginger Beer at the moment. You can buy a 24-pack here (they will not go to waste, trust me!), but feel free to use your favorite ginger beer.
Recipe for 1 drink.
Ingredients:
- 1. 5 oz aged or spiced rum
- 2 oz. mango juice, puree or nectar (this can be store bought; *recipe for homemade to follow)
- 1 oz. lemon juice
- 1/2 oz. brown sugar simple syrup, *recipe to follow
- ginger beer to top
- 2 T coconut or raw cane sugar for sugar rim, optional
- mango (fresh, dried or candied!) chunk or slice for garnish, optional
Directions:
- Pour brown sugar into a small shallow bowl and use a lemon wedge to wet the rim of a collins/highball glass or other tumbler. Gently dip the rim of the glass in the sugar and fill with fresh ice. Set aside.
- Combine rum, mango puree, lemon juice and syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake for 10 seconds and strain into sugar rimmed glass. Top with ginger beer.
- Garnish as desired and enjoy!
Recipe for homemade mango puree: In a blender combine 1 peeled, chopped mango (or 1 cup frozen mango, thawed) and a splash or two of water. Blend on high until completely smooth, 1 minute or more. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and refrigerate until ready to use, up to one day.
Recipe for brown sugar simple syrup: In a small sauce pan, combine one cup each brown sugar and water and simmer over medium-low heat until completely dissolved. Let cool and store any leftovers in a sealed jar or container for up to one month.
Recipe & Directions for batched version (10-12 drinks).
In a large drink dispenser or punch bowl, combine 1 750 mL bottle dark or spiced rum, 1 quart (32 oz) mango nectar, 1 cup (16 oz) brown sugar simple syrup, 1 cup lemon juice and 2 cups ginger beer. Give it a good stir and adjust the sugar syrup and lemon juice to taste if needed. Pro tip: If using a punch bowl, freeze lemon slices in water in a bundt pan and use as one giant ice cube! When the ice melts and the lemon slices float it will be beautiful.
Shopping list for batched version:
- One 750 mL bottle of your favorite aged or spiced rum; San Diegans – check out Malahat or Liberty Call
- One quart mango juice, nectar or puree; a mango juice blend or mango lemonade would also work just fine!
- 6-8 lemons or 8 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
- One quart of your favorite ginger beer (be sure to use ginger beer, as ginger ale will likely make the drink too sweet)
pantry items: brown sugar, raw sugar or coconut sugar
{ Photos by Caroline Potter }
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