CELEBRATE NATIONAL RUM DAY WITH RON BARCELÓ

Last night, Ron Barceló celebrated National Rum Day with an exclusive paired dinner at Strand Bistro alongside an intimate group of spirits connoisseurs.

Showcasing its variants and new seasonal cocktails, Ron Barceló partnered with Dominican Chef Kelvin Fernandez, winner of Beat Bobby Flay, to present an authentic Dominican four course experience.

A marriage of food and spirits, the evening started off with Chef's famed Crispy Arepas as an amuse, followed by the spring cocktail Aye Caliente, made with Barceló Añejo, passion fruit puree, lime juice, cinnamon and Fresno chili, paired with the Yellow Fin Tuna Sashimi in a coconut with Asian pears, cilantro and chili oil; a Surf 'n Turf combination of Scallops and Porkbelly with plantain mash and drunken Añejo onions washed down by summer signature cocktail Just the Two of Us, which combines Barceló Imperial, mango puree, lime juice and smoked paprika syrup; a New Zealand Rack of Lamb marinated in a Gran Añejo sauce atop purple mashed potatoes and colored baby carrots, enhanced by The Zing Ting's flavors of Barceló Gran Añejo, apple cider, fresh lemon juice, honey syrup and fresh ginger juice; and a sweet night cap with Barceló's National Rum Day cocktail Bright Lights, Big City, which blends Barceló Platinum lime juice, pineapple, simple syrup and passion fruit purée, to complement the Imperial Barceló infused dessert, the Chocolate Bread Pudding with Imperial Raisins, ice cream and bruleed bananas.

Check out some of the tasty recipes for you to try at home today.

Just the Two of Us

Ingredients

2 ounces Imperial Barceló

1 ounce mango purée or juice

1 ounce lime juice

1 ounce smoked paprika syrup

Method:

For smoked paprika syrup

Combine 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon smoked paprika powde r to 2 cups boiling water

Stir let cool

Shake strain over ice into rocks glass over crushed ice

Garnish with lime wheel and mango slice

Bright Lights Big City

Ingredients

1.5 ounces Platinum Barceló

.75lime juice

.25 pineapple

.5 simple

.25 passion fruit purée

Pinch salt

4 ripped mint leaves

Method:

Rocks glass

Line glass with half-moon pine slice add ice

Shake and strain over and ice

Garnish:  mint sprig

The Zing Ting

Ingredients

1.75 ounces Gran Añejo Barceló

1 ounce fresh lemon juice

1 ounce apple juice (cider)

1 ounce honey syrup (25% water to 75%honey)

.25 ounces fresh ginger juice (or muddled ginger)

Method:

Shake and strain over ice into rocks glass

Garnish with lemon zest wrapped around luxardo cherry

Aye Caliente

Ingredients:

1oz Añejo Barceló

1oz Passion Fruit Puree

.5 oz Lime Juice

.5 oz Cinnamon

2 pieces of Peruvian Pepper (if there is a Dominican

pepper we can swap this for, that would be

great!)

Method: Combine all ingredients in a shaker, Muddle Pe pper lightly. Add ice and shake vigorously, Strain into a Snifter then top with crushed ice.

Garnish: Copper Straw and Fresno Chili