Ingredients
The drink
- 60 mldark Barbadian rum
- 20 mlfalernum
- juice of half a lime
- 3dashes Angostura bitters
- crushed ice
To garnish
- a lime wedge
- a slice of lime
Equipment
- a short heavy glass
- a bar spoon
Directions
- Adjust the quantity depending which you have. The rum should be able to stand up to the falernum. Add cloves, ginger and allspice. Leave it for a day or two to steep. Strain it and add sugar syrup.
- Add fresh lime juice at the end. It keeps a month refrigerated. Use a short heavy tumbler glass. Fill it right up with crushed ice. Chill the glass first if you have time. Building the drink takes a moment.
- Pour the rum over the crushed ice. Add the falernum to the glass. Squeeze in the juice of the lime. Use fresh lime and never bottled juice.
- Add the dashes of Angostura bitters. Stirring it needs a light hand. Stir it well with a bar spoon.
- Lift from the bottom rather than swirling. Give it about ten full seconds. Add more lime if it tastes flat. Add more falernum if it is too sharp.
- Adjust for whether your falernum is syrup or liqueur. Finishing it off takes a moment. Top up with a little more crushed ice.
- Drop a lime wedge into the glass. Serving it is done immediately while cold. Keep water on the table alongside.
Technique
- Falernum is a Barbadian syrup or low-alcohol liqueur flavoured with lime, almond, clove and ginger, and comes in both forms, so the quantity needs adjusting to which you have.
- The name is usually explained by the drink’s dark slick appearance in the glass, but that is a traditional account rather than a documented origin.
- Barbados is one of the oldest rum-producing islands, with distilling there dating from the seventeenth century.
Substitutions
- Any good dark aged rum works, though a Barbadian one is the natural choice.
- Homemade falernum, steeped from lime zest, almonds and spices, is far better than most bottled kinds.
Variations
- Some bars serve it tall over ice with soda water.
- A version with more bitters is made by some drinkers.
- Falernum also goes into the rum punch drunk across the Caribbean.
History
Barbados’s own rum-shop mix, joining island rum with local falernum; the name is thought to describe the drink’s dark, slick look.
Frequently asked questions
What is Corn and oil?
Corn and oil is a cocktail from Barbados: dark rum stirred with falernum, lime and bitters over ice. Barbados’s own rum-shop mix, joining island rum with local falernum; the name is thought to describe the drink’s dark, slick look.
How long does Corn and oil take to make?
Corn and oil takes 5 minutes of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 1 drink. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Corn and oil?
Yes, within limits. Any good dark aged rum works, though a Barbadian one is the natural choice. Homemade falernum, steeped from lime zest, almonds and spices, is far better than most bottled kinds.
What is the most important thing to get right in Corn and oil?
Pour the rum over the crushed ice. Add the falernum to the glass. Squeeze in the juice of the lime. Use fresh lime and never bottled juice.
