Rum Ham
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Smoky Ham Whiskey and Sweet Pineapple Rum come together along with Allspice Dram in this delightfully whimsical tiki inspired cocktail.
Ham and Pineapple may be a controversial pizza topping, but its undeniable that this flavor combination goes well together. The salty savory ham and the sweet and tart pineapple are delicious. I wanted to see if it was possible to incorporate them both into a cocktail. I had a couple ideas on how to marry these two flavors and settled on a split base of Pineapple Rum, further infused with charred pineapple and Tennessee Whiskey, which I’ll infuse with some charred ham. I’ll be rounding these two flavors out with a bit of my homemade allspice dram.
You’ll need the following equipment:
Ingredients:
Pineapple
Ham
Gentleman Jack Whiskey
Plantation Pineapple Rum
Allspice Dram
First I will start with the pineapple. Theres no need to core the pineapple or cut it into small pieces. I left mine in planks. Make sure to save the pineapple skins to make some tepache for a zero waste recipe.
Instead of using the fruit as is, I’m going to give it a little color on the cast iron pan. A grill would work great for this too. The heat will caramelize the sugars on the pineapple and bring out more of the pineapple’s sweetness. I’m not going to let this get too dark, I just want it to take on a bit of color.
Once they’ve got a nice golden color, I’ll place them into a bowl and cover them with 1 cup of Pineapple rum.
For the ham, I’m going to treat it the same as the pineapple, give it some color and then chop it into cubes. I’ll use about 1/3 of the ham and add it to a bowl and cover it with about 4oz of Gentleman Jack whiskey. I didn’t want to make too much of this ham whiskey in case it was really gross.
I let both of these sit for about 8 hours.
You will certainly want to save that pineapple! It makes a great compote for desserts, though its quite boozy so I’d recommend cooking it till it reaches a jam-like consistency.
Next I’m straining the ham. I did taste this along the way to monitor the salt content, and while it does have some saltiness, its not overly salty. It actually turned out really nice- a similar flavor to the bacon infused whiskey from a benton’s old fashioned, though much milder.
This pineapple rum is to die for! It’s almost dangerous how good it is, the pineapple really comes through, masking any alcohol taste from the rum. I highly recommend trying this out, i know i will definitely be making more of it.
NThis is going to be a stirred cocktail, I like the idea of this being a sipper who’s flavors develop as you drink it.
First I’ll add 1 and 1/2 oz of the pineapple infused rum. Next I’m adding 1 oz of the ham whiskey, and lastly just over a 1/4 oz of allspice dram. I’ll add the ice and stir for 30 seconds. Then I’ll strain into into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. For garnish, I’m using some pineapple fronds and a pineapple wedge.
This cocktail was pretty interesting- in the best way possible. At first you really get the allspice and some pineapple, but the smokiness and salinity from the ham really lifts this whole drink and rounds it out. I kind of wish I made more ham whiskey. As the ice melts, more caramel flavors from the pineapple come through. I think this would be great as a smoked cocktail too. If you’re not a huge fan of tiki drinks, but like some tropical flavors, and boozy stirred cocktails, I definitely recommend trying this one out.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Charred Pineapple Infused Rum
1 oz Ham Infused Whiskey
1/4 oz Allspice Dram
Garnish: Pineapple Wedge and Pineapple Fronds
Method:
Cook the ham and pineapple until they develop some browning. remove from heat and let cool. Add 1/3 of cubed ham to 4oz whiskey. Add 1 cup of charred pineapple to 1 cup of pineapple rum. Let both infuse for 8 hours.
add 1/4 oz Allspice Dram, 1 1/2 oz Pineapple infused Pineapple Rum, and 1 oz Ham infused Whiskey to a mixing glass. Add ice and sir for 30 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with pineapple wedge and two pineapple fronds.
