Effervescence Unleashed Cocktail of the Month for March 2025: Mardi Gras Old Cuban

Effervescence Unleashed Cocktail of the Month for March: Mardi Gras Old Cuban

Capstone Vineyards Sparkling Chardonnay
Wildcat Brothers Distilling Noire Rum

Recipe:

• 6 whole mint leaves
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 3/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 1/2 ounces aged rum
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 ounces sparkling wine, chilled
• Garnish: mint sprig

1. Muddle the mint leaves with the simple syrup and lime juice in a shaker.
2. Add the rum and bitters and ice and shake until well-chilled.
3. Double-strain into a coupe glass.
4. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a mint sprig.
   
   

Capstone Vineyards is a family-owned winery located on the slopes of Blue Mountain in Linden, Virginia. The vineyard produces some of the best fruit in Virginia, resulting in handcrafted wines that are expressive of the land and the people behind them. Visitors can enjoy a unique wine-tasting experience surrounded by breathtaking views and a warm, intimate atmosphere. The 2021 method champenoise sparkling wine is dry, crisp, refreshing.

Wildcat Brothers Distilling is located in Lafayette, Louisiana and uses local sugarcane to produce smooth and unique French-style rums. According to the distillery, "Bourbon enthusiasts will appreciate the full-bodied flavor that our maturation journey produces."

Outer Banks Distilling - Kill Devil’s Honey Pecan Rum

The Outer Banks is the home of North Carolina's oldest micro-brewery in the Weeping Radish Farm Brewery and last year saw the establishment of the islands' first distillery: Outer Banks Distilling. Located in Manteo on historic Roanoke Island, the distillery currently produces two versions of rum, the Kill Devil Silver Rum and Kill Devil’s Honey Pecan Rum. The offshore shoals known as “The Graveyard of the Atlantic” has led to over
 1,000 wrecks with some of this wreckage containing barrels of rum. According to the distillery, "the town of Kill Devil Hills is believed to have been named for either barrels of rum of the brand name Kill Devil or for a rum that was 'strong enough to kill the devil'”. Kill Devil Hills is also the site of the Wright Brothers first flights and ironically their father, Bishop Milton Wright, was a leader in the Temperance Movement.

This week I picked up a bottle of the Kill Devil’s Honey Pecan Rum ($30).  The honey and pecans are locally sourced from within 15 miles of the distillery, with the spent rum soaked pecans sent to local bakers. The rum is rather rich and tasty, the honey and pecans provide a mild nutty sweetness, with the finish so smooth. Go for it neat or on the rocks.