Corn 'n' Oil

A Barbadian rum staple of unfussy elegance, the Corn 'n' Oil leans almost entirely on dark, molasses-rich rum sweetened and spiced by Velvet Falernum, with several dashes of aromatic bitters lending depth over the citrus. Built over crushed ice and stirred, it reads like a Dark 'n' Stormy without the ginger snap. First recorded in 1911 as "Corning Oil," it lingered as a local specialty until bartender Murray Stenson revived it at Seattle's Zig Zag Café, where his bitters-forward take became the modern standard.

TropicalClassicSpirit-Forward

Ingredients

  • 2 ozDark Rum
  • 0.5 ozFalernum
  • 3 dashAngostura Bitters
  • 0.33 ozLime Juiceoptional

Garnish: Lime Wedge

Preparation

Stirred · Rocks · Crushed

  1. 1.

    build

    Fill a rocks glass with crushed ice.

  2. 2.

    add

    Add the dark rum, falernum, and Angostura aromatic bitters (plus the lime juice, if using the modern build).

  3. 3.

    stir

    Stir briefly to combine and chill.

  4. 4.

    garnish

    Garnish with a lime wedge.

Flavor Profile

spiced
40%
body
38%
sweet
36%
dilution
31%
viscosity
27%
fruity
26%