Recipe: Swizzle Drinks

Story originally appeared on FoodCary.

Cary, NC – Every summer needs its own drink, that signature cocktail that defines a period in time. This summer, I’m mixing up a big batch of Swizzle drinks.

What’s a Swizzle Drink?

A Swizzle is a cocktail that is mixed with a swizzle stick.

I’m not talking about the tiny plastic straw people put in cocktails nowadays. A proper swizzle stick has a small paddle at the bottom.

Traditionally, swizzle sticks were made from small tree branches.

How to Swizzle

To swizzle a drink, you hold the top of the stick between your palms and, rubbing them rapidly together, rotate the paddle at the bottom to mix the drink.

Recipe: Rum Swizzle

Simple, easy and eminently refreshing on a summer day, the Rum Swizzle is the unofficial national cocktail of Bermuda.

Ingredients

• 2 oz of dark rum
• 1 tsp  sweetener –  falernum, grenadine or simple syrup
• 4 oz of fruit juice – pineapple, orange, lime
• 1 dash Angostura bitters  – optional
• Orange or lime slice, pineapple wedge or a maraschino cherry as a garnish – optional

Directions

Fill a tall glass with crushed ice. Pour in the rum, sweetener and fruit juices.

Swizzle the drink from the bottom of the glass. Continue swizzling until the glass frosts up on the outside.

Add a dash of bitters. Garnish with a fruit slice and serve.

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Story by Hal Goodtree.