The Legend of the Rum Swizzle, Bermuda’s National Treasure

I’m at the kind of place that makes you want to pinch yourself.

 

Look at that beach! Its lapping waves present water as blue as the sky up above. Take a gander at that outside deck! It boasts an outdoor bar with an infinity pool perched over a ledge that ends where the ocean begins. Breathe in that breezy air as you gaze at the building itself; a modern beach house where many rooms have views of the mighty Atlantic and are outfitted with everything your heart desires. Ah, yes. This is life at Bermuda’s Loren Hotel at Pink Beach. Open since 2017, it’s become one of the island nation’s top destinations thanks to an extreme attention to detail from the property itself to the employees. And my entire stay had a sweet start: with a Rum Swizzle, of course.

You see, when I first arrived for my two-night stay, I’m greeted by Quay Tucker, the Assistant Front Office Manager here at the hotel. Flying in the face of its extreme chicness where employees at similar properties may have attitudes of merely being annoyed by any interaction, Tucker was so kind and accommodating it was almost as if she was more a long lost friend and then an ordinary majordomo. Aside from her welcoming demeanor, only a friend would offer you a drink when you arrive as Quay did. So, rolling my bag in, she asked if I wanted a Rum Swizzle and, in no position to turn down a drink on vacation no less, I happily obliged. I could have hugged her if that didn’t seem so weird. My sips constituted a delicious introduction to a scrumptious stay.

 

 

Little did I know when I was planning my trip to Bermuda, which sits at the top of the supposed Bermuda triangle and is a quick two-hour flight from the Northeast, Rum Swizzles are to Bermuda what Aperol Spritzes are to Italy and Manhattans are to, well, Manhattan. It’s one of their proudest exports, and every restaurant, bar, hotel proudly boasts them on their menu, including here at The Loren.

In fact, rum in general is one of Bermuda’s claims to fame, considering it’s the headquarters for Gosling Brothers, a two-century old rum company that’s the go-to brand here for both Swizzles and the Dark and Stormy, their other national cocktail. With The Loren’s Swizzle swirling in my mind, I went straight to the source to find out more about the libation.

“Bermudians take pride in their Rum Swizzle,” said Andrew Holmes, the Bermuda Brand Director for Gosling’s and a native of the country. He’s such a Swizzle-stan, Holmes regularly made them in 5-gallon containers for his friends while attending college up in decidedly chillier Canada.

 

 

“There are many ways to build the cocktail,” he explains, with the classic concoction made up of orange, pineapple, lemon and lime juices. (Full recipe below).

 

“The name Swizzle refers to the Swizzle stick, used to stir the cocktail in a pitcher over crushed ice until it gets frothy and chilled.” Swizzles are so important, locals batch them in advance by the gallon in advance of public holidays, such as May’s Bermuda Day. “This allows the flavors to marry and get to know each other,” said Holmes

 

Back at The Loren, I’m having dinner at their restaurant The Pink Beach Club, dubbed after the eponymous sand down below us. An airy space that overlooks the ocean which offers a semi-regular guest chef series throughout the summer, the Beach Club’s menus include plates like lobster hash in the morning and strawberry gazpacho and grilled rockfish at night. The choices are abundant. But when I glance at their cocktail menu, I know exactly what I’m going to get.

 

Rum Swizzle

(Courtesy Goslings)

Ingredients:

• 4 oz Dark Rum
• 4 oz Light Rum
• 5 oz Pineapple Juice
• 5 oz Orange Juice
• ¾ oz Grenadine or 2 oz Bermuda Falernum
• 6 Dashes of Angostura bitters

Preparation: Into a pitcher ⅓ full of crushed ice add dark rum and gold rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, Grenadine or Bermuda Falernum and Angostura bitters. Churn vigorously until a frothing appears or mix in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a martini glass.