Cockspur Rum and Mixologist Marcos Tello at Lani Kai

I was invited to join Cockspur Rum and Mixologist/Bartender, Marcos Tello at the Lani Kai for delicious cocktail sampling. I must note that I was already familiar with the famous rum from Barbados; I grew up in a home where my grandfather, his friends, my uncles, cousins, et al, laughed, told stories, celebrated life, etc while sipping a glass or two of this beautifully rich and dark amber-colored rum. I had the pleasure of relishing in those memories as I enjoyed specialty cocktails made with Cockspur 5 Star Rum and Cockspur 12 Rum.

Here’s a bit about Marcos. “He is an accomplished bartender who is passionately committed to launching and sustaining a classic “cocktail culture”. Marcos has successfully helped install classically inspired cocktail programs throughout the Los Angeles area, such as Seven Grand Whiskey Bar, Killer Shrimp in Marina Del Rey, The Edison, 1886 in Pasadena (a recent recipient of Food & Wine’s Best New Bar’s of 2011), and Tom Bergin’s Old Horseshoe Tavern. He is also founder and chairman of the craft-guild called The Sporting Life, which hosts monthly meetings to bring together bartenders and enthusiasts alike.”

Quite a few cocktails were made with this smooth dark rum but I only sampled three (the drinks were strong and warming (good thing since the temperature was in the very low 40’s). By my second cocktail, my balance was….iffy, so I had to pace myself. Below are just a few of what I enjoyed (and sipped) and what you’ll need to create them:

Bathsheba Daiquiri
Cockspur 12 Rum
Lime Juice
Passion Fruit Syrup
Don’s Spices #4

Huntington Special
Cockspur 5 Star Rum
Cognac
Lime Juice
Pineapple Juice
Demerara Syrup
Creme Yvette

Meihana
Cockspur 12 Rum
Coconut Rum
Dark Overproof Rum
Lime
Orange Juice
Pineapple Juice
Grand Marnier

Other noteworthy cocktails (this is the point where it started getting dangerous and I had to share with a friend, only indulging in one or two sips)

Planter’s Punch
Cockspur 5 Star Rum
Dark Jamaican Coruba
4yr Haitian R(h)ums
Lime Juice
Grapefruit Juice
Acacia Honey Syrup
Grenadine
Angostura Bitters

Macarthur Park Swizzle
Cockspur 12 Rum
Martinique Ambre Rhum
Lime Juice
Marcos’s Mix (alas, this might be a state secret)
Allspice Dram
Numeg

For more information on Cockspur Rum (and trust me you do want more), visit and “Like” their Facebook page here – COCKSPUR RUM US and follow them on twitter – https://twitter.com/#!/Cockspur_Rum