Harp Mann of @Mix.Mann is back; this time he’s taking us through a drink created
for our recent World Rum Day Instagram post. The drink showcases our Pipa Rum
De Goa with an Indian twist on the classic rum cocktail, a Daiquiri!
It was a rather hot day when I created this cocktail with Pipa Rum De Goa. It felt
reminiscent of the temperatures in Goa where the spiced rum originates from, maybe
even hotter that day in the UK!
I’m not sure it was clever to venture to my local pick-your-own farm in the direct sun,
but I just had to snap up some ripe strawberries - you can’t beat the flavour of fresh
fruit picked at its peak! It made such a difference in the daiquiri recipe, a drink that
originates from Cuba, another very warm country that produces sugar cane and rum!
Whilst on the subject of Cuba, did you know that the species of sugar cane that they
and many of the Caribbean rum producers use can trace its roots back to India! It
was India that first boiled sugarcane juice into sugar in crystal form too. Long story
short (maybe for another day as people write books on this stuff!), if it weren’t for a
little thing called colonisation, India might have 100’s of rums today instead of
whisky!
So it’s thanks to India that we have rum. But they are fast catching up with 3 types of
rum being made in India today. The vast majority of rums in the world are made from
the by-product of sugar production, molasses, roughly 90%. The rest is made up of
rum made from sugar cane juice, with around 1% made from unrefined sugar cane,
aka Jaggery, or I know it as Gur!
Jaggery is sugar cane juice boiled down until it becomes a solid block, super-rich in
minerals and funky flavours! A staple in Indian cooking, drinks and desserts, I mean
the best tasting ladoos must have Gur in them!
That brings me to Pipa Rum De Goa, produced by Nao Spirits (known for Greater
Than and Hapusa Gin), a rum launched in 2024, distilled in Goa from locally
produced jaggery!
Pipa means cask or barrel in Portuguese, and as a nod to their 450 years shared
history they age the rum for a year in ex-Ruby Port casks imported from Portugal. 1
year of ageing in Goan climate supercharges the aging process by 3 to 5 times that
of UK, imparting rich oak and berry notes through that barrel interaction.
They spice it up by adding Goan black pepper, cinnamon and cloves, the spices that
Portuguese traders valued highly, especially as highly sought-after black pepper was
known as black gold. The result is a rich flavour of dates, raisins, cocoa, and a warm
pepper / clove-spiced finish.
It can be enjoyed neat or on the rocks to explore those flavours, they also suggest it
in a hot chocolate or toddy, I enjoyed it with some coke before I decided on my
spiced-up daiquiri creation!
I combined fresh fruity strawberries with a homemade fennel-infused jaggery syrup
to amp up the rich rum flavours. The fennel adds fresher herbal notes to cut through jaggery sweetness together with mint leaves. So my desi daiquiri gets a fitting name,
I give you the Strawberry Jagquiri!
It’s a delightful way to enjoy this rum, not just for World Rum Day, but every day!
STRAWBERRY JAGQUIRI
- 50ml Pipa Rum de Goa
- 3 Fresh large, ripe strawberries (hulled & chopped)
- 30ml fresh lime juice
- 20ml Fennel jaggery syrup*
- 5 mint leaves
- Ms Betters Bitters Pineapple Star Anise
- Garnish: Fresh strawberry & fennel flowers
1) Muddle (mash up) strawberries till they are pureed in a mixing glass or
shaker.
2) Add mint leaves and gently muddle some more
3) Add remaining ingredients and stir well to combine
4) Shake with ice for 20 secs, then double-strain into a chilled coupe glass.
---------
* Fennel & Jaggery Syrup Recipe:
100g Jaggery (unrefined sugar cane or palm sugar)
100ml Water
1 tablespoon Whole roasted fennel seeds
-
Toast: Dry-toast the fennel seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat for 1–2
minutes. Lightly bruise them with the back of a spoon. -
Dissolve: Add the water and chopped jaggery, bring to a gentle simmer, and stir until
the jaggery dissolves. -
Steep: Remove from heat, cover, leave fennel to infuse for min 30 mins, longer for
more intensity. -
Strain & Cool: Pass the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer, once cool store in fridge
in airtight bottle / jar.
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