Four Cocktails from the bounties of Sugarlandia

When it comes to tropical flavours, the Philippines’ cup runneth over. Mix in the country’s first-single island rum, and you’ll have some winning cocktails, too

Published: Wednesday 19th July 2023

Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is one of the most biodiverse hotspots in the world, and home to exotic and resplendent flora and fauna.

We’ve curated three cocktails for you to try, each incorporating a famed Filipino ingredient – cacao, ube, and pineapple.

Ube, also known as purple yam is famed for its violet colour and earthy-vanilla notes. Philippine cacao, meanwhile, has been winning multiple awards in recent years for its rich, complex profile and a distinct emphasis on the ethics of cacao farming. And the Philippines is also one of the biggest global producers of pineapples – they even play a role in the local textile industry. The fruit is a symbol of hospitality and a universal nod to the tropics.

And the main ingredient bringing all these cocktails together? Don Papa Rum – the first single-island rum from the Philippines. Launched in 2012 and now available in more than 30 countries worldwide, it’s a Filipino success story.

Available in Tesco and Sainsbury’s. For more information, visit donpaparum.com.

Birds of a feather

Serves 1

Preparation time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 45ml Don Papa Rum
  • 45ml Pineapple juice
  • 25ml Lemon juice
  • 15ml Aperol
  • 10ml Triple Sec

Method

  1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, fill with ice.
  2. Shake hard for 15 seconds until tin is frosty.
  3. Strain into ice-filled hurricane glass.
  4. Garnish with a pineapple front and wedge, add a straw and serve.

Cacao old fashioned

Serves 1

Preparation time 5

Ingredients

  • 60ml cacao-infused Don Papa Rum
  • 10ml simple syrup
  • 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Method

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice.

Stir for ten seconds to chill the liquid.

Strain into a rocks glass with a single large ice cube.

Garnish with orange twist and serve.

Ube daiquiri

Serves 1

Preparation time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 45ml Don Papa Rum
  • 25ml Lime Juice 20ml
  • Ube Coconut Syrup (combine equal parts coconut water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stir until sugar is dissolved. Add drops of ube essence until a rich violet colour has developed)

Method

  1. Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker, fill with ice.
  2. Shake hard for 15 seconds until tin is frosty.
  3. Strain into chilled coupe glass and serve.
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