If you travel to the Dominican Republic, amongst the beautiful beaches, the views, and the people – You will find an ever-present bottle of Brugal rum. From clubs, to bars, to beaches – The ubiquitous bottle of Brugal is one you cannot miss.
You just can’t. It’s there, everywhere – Like Dominican slang, merengue, and the plucking guitar sounds of bachata.
Brugal rum has developed a rep among Dominicans; a rep which probably dates as far back as the rum’s inception in 1888. You either love it or hate it with a passion. There is no middle ground. When you love it, it’s your jam for life, but when you hate it – Sure enough – it’s gotten you in trouble.
Deep, deep trouble.
Dominicans have a saying, translated from spanish about Brugal:
Brugal… When you drink it – You either f*** or fight.
I believe the phrase “Drink Responsibly” was created with Brugal rum in mind.
So where do I fit in?
I’m not at liberty to discuss such details. I am a lady, hot dammit! Rest assured, regardless of my rough patches with this delicious amber liquid, Brugal remains my jam.
We’re tight, Brugal and me. When a recipe calls for dark rum, Brugal is the bottle I reach for; the bottle with a distinctive net.
Flow with me…. I’ve got something to show you, and Brugal rum is all up in it.
I’ve been thinking about agua frescas.
A lot.
What is an Agua Fresca?
Glad you asked.
Agua frescas are a combination of fruits, cereals, or flowers blended with sugar and water to create a light beverage. They’re popular in Mexico and Central America, among other countries and are highly refreshing.
You see… I wanted to make you something along those lines – Light and refreshing, but with a VERY HEALTHY shot of rum.
You start this jammy by making a watermelon agua fresca, the jumping point of this slammin’ cocktail. I mean, what goes down easier and is more refreshing than watermelon juice? The recipe for this agua fresca is super simple – Just blend the watermelon with water and strain the pulp. Add some sugar– And there you have it – Agua fresca. This recipe makes about half a gallon of agua fresca, which means you can make cocktails like a mofo.
For your mofos.
I went the individual cocktail route – ‘cause I want to be all fancy and shit, serving individuals like a voluptuous June Cleaver; a June Cleaver who wants to see you drunk. It’s just how I do.
Feel free to dump the agua fresca in a punch bowl with mint leaves, limes, watermelon chunks, and a VERY HEALTHY dose of rum. And when I say a healthy dose, I really mean a bottle of very cold dark rum, preferably Brugal. Stick a ladle in that piece; let that be your party conversation starter. Or the reason your party IS the conversation 3 weeks later.
Now, I would be remiss if I don’t mention – Or warn – This cocktail goes down SMOOTH. Its a ninja stealth “LEVEL EXPERT” situation cocktail; meaning it looks harmless and goes down smooth like an agua – Then POW! Next thing you know, there’s the ninja star of bad decisions on your forehead and you’re knocked on your ass.
Just sayin’, homies…
Just sayin’…
[purerecipe]
Watermelon Agua Fresca Rum Cocktail
Ingredients
Watermelon Agua Fresca
- 12-14 cups seeded watermelon cubed
- 3 cups cold water
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Watermelon Agua Fresca Rum cocktail
- 1 slice lime
- 4 fresh mint leaves
- A few cubes of watermelon
- Ice
- Watermelon agua fresca
- Rum
Instructions
Make the watermelon agua fresca:
- Add the watermelon to a blender and puree until mostly smooth. Add water and puree until incorporated and smooth. Strain of its pulp into a sealable jar. Add sugar and give it a shake until the sugar is incorporated. Taste and adjust the sugar as needed.
- This makes about half a gallon of agua fresca.
Make the cocktail:
- To an 8oz glass add the lime, mint, and cubed watermelon. Crush with a cocktail muddler or a wooden spoon until the juices of the lime and watermelon are released. Fill the glass with ice; pour agua fresca till about ¾ of the way, then top with rum. Or you can go half on it – Half a glass of agua fresca, followed by half a glass of rum. It’s your cocktail, homeslice.
- Agua fresca makes about 8-10 cocktails.