Ingredients
The rum
- 50 mlTipo Tinto rum
- or a dark overproof rum
- see the note
The mixer
- raspberry Sparletta
- or any raspberry soda
- well chilled
- to top up
The glass
- a tall glass
- plenty of ice
- a slice of lime, optional
To serve
- immediately
- on a beach
- or anywhere
Directions
- Arrange transport before you start. Adjust it but know the strength.
- Fill a tall glass right up with ice. Fill it genuinely full of ice. Use them straight from the freezer.
- Pour the measured rum over the ice. That is how you keep proper track.
- Pour it over the ice directly. Top the glass up with cold soda. Pour it slowly down the glass side. The soda must be genuinely cold.
- Warm soda foams right up violently. Chill the soda well beforehand. Stir it once with a long spoon. Lift the spoon from the bottom once. That single stir is quite enough.
- Add a slice of lime to the glass. Some drinkers add it and some do not. Serve it immediately while cold. The fizz fades within minutes.
- Make them all up one at a time. It is drunk cold and fairly slowly. Mix each one fresh as it is needed.
Technique
- Tipo Tinto is a strong rum, often bottled well above forty per cent, and the sweet fizzy soda hides that entirely — the drink tastes like a soft drink and people drink them faster as a result, which is a genuine and documented risk. Measure the rum rather than free pouring, know your bottle’s strength, keep count, and do not drive afterwards: the strength is easy to misjudge and that misjudgement causes real harm.
- Alcohol and hot sun combine badly since both dehydrate — drink water alongside and stay in the shade, given this is drunk on beaches.
- Pour the cold soda slowly down the side of the glass rather than fast, which preserves the fizz and stops it foaming over, then stir once gently — vigorous stirring kills the carbonation.
Substitutions
- Any dark rum works and an overproof one is closer in strength, though the flavour differs noticeably; any raspberry soda stands in for Sparletta, and cream soda is used in some versions with raspberry being the standard.
- A slice of lime cuts the sweetness but is a modern addition rather than traditional; some drinkers add it and some do not.
Variations
- Fill the glass genuinely full of ice using large cubes rather than crushed, since more ice and larger cubes both slow the dilution — a half-filled glass waters down fast.
- Roughly one part rum to three of soda is a starting point; beach bars pour more generously, so adjust it but know the strength you are making.
- It began in the beach bars of Ponta do Ouro and Tofo, was carried home by South African surfers and is now drunk in both countries — a holiday drink above all, and that association is genuinely strong.
History
Born in the beach bars of Ponta do Ouro and Tofo, and carried home by South African surfers as Mozambique’s holiday drink.
Frequently asked questions
What is Rum and Raspberry?
Rum and Raspberry is a cocktail from Mozambique: tipo Tinto rum topped with raspberry Sparletta soda over ice. Born in the beach bars of Ponta do Ouro and Tofo, and carried home by South African surfers as Mozambique’s holiday drink.
How long does Rum and Raspberry take to make?
Rum and Raspberry takes 3 minutes of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1 glass. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Rum and Raspberry?
Yes, within limits. Any dark rum works and an overproof one is closer in strength, though the flavour differs noticeably; any raspberry soda stands in for Sparletta, and cream soda is used in some versions with raspberry being the standard. A slice of lime cuts the sweetness but is a modern addition rather than traditional; some drinkers add it and some do not.
What is the most important thing to get right in Rum and Raspberry?
Pour it over the ice directly. Top the glass up with cold soda. Pour it slowly down the glass side. The soda must be genuinely cold.
