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Falernum

Caribbean syrup used in drinks

Summary

Caribbean syrup used in drinks

Field	Value
name	Falernum
image	Falernum.jpg
caption	Falernum and ice
type	Syrup liqueur or nonalcoholic syrup
abv	11% (syrup liqueur), varies for nonalcoholic syrup
flavor	Ginger, lime, almond, cloves or allspice
related	Orgeat syrup
color	White to light amber, clear or translucent
origin	Caribbean
region	Barbados and Caribbean

Falernum (pronounced ) is either a syrup liqueur or a nonalcoholic syrup from the Caribbean. It is best known for its use in tropical drinks. It contains flavors of ginger, lime, and almond, and frequently cloves or allspice. It may be thought of as a spicier version of orgeat syrup.

The form can be alcoholic (syrup liqueur) or nonalcoholic (syrup). Versions with alcohol are generally lower in proof (≈15% ABV), adding rum and emphasizing the clove, ginger, or allspice flavoring aspects for use in mixing cocktails, typically tropical or tiki drinks. It is also enjoyed on the rocks.

Depending on sugar content, the consistency is often thick and is therefore sometimes referred to as "velvet falernum" because of the feeling it leaves on one's tongue. Brands vary. The color can be white to light amber, and it may be clear or translucent.

History

Falernum may date back to the 18th century, when it was made as a punch in the areas around Barbados. Some disagreement exists over the origin of the name, and whether the earliest versions would have included the steeping of almonds. The same references also assert that earlier versions contained bitters such as wormwood. The inclusion of bitters historically would seem to be corroborated by a 1982 article appearing in The New York Times.

In the literary magazine All the Year Round, owned by Charles Dickens Jr. at the time, an unnamed author wrote of falernum in 1892, describing it as "a curious liqueur composed from rum and lime-juice".

The earliest known reference in bar manuals seems to be the 1930s. One producer claims his recipe dates to 1890, winning awards as early as 1923.

Use in cocktails

Drinks using falernum include:

Better and Better
Captain's Blood Cocktail
Chartreuse swizzle
Corn 'n Oil (Barbados)
Frosty Dawn
Key Cocktail
Mai Tai (not Trader Vic's){{citation|surname1=Arnold Bitner, Phoebe Beach|title=Hawaii Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine by Don the Beachcomber|publisher=Mutual Pub Co|isbn=978-1566474917|date=2001|language=de
Port Antonio Cocktail
Puka Punch
Royal Bermuda Cocktail
Rum Collins (some variations)
Bermuda Rum Swizzle
Saturn Cocktail{{cite web |access-date=15 September 2020}}
White Lion
Zombie (Don the Beachcomber's)
Test Pilot (including the Jet Pilot variant)
Trader Sam's Uh-Oa!
Tourist n’ Sugar
Three Dots and a Dash

References

(30 January 2017). "Falernum liqueur moves beyond".
(2003). "A–Z of Barbados Heritage". Macmillan Caribbean.
"Falernum: The Elusive Cocktail Syrup".
(14 April 1982). "IN THE LORE OF BARBADOS". The New York Times.
(1892). "All the Year Round". Chapman and Hall.
(2003). "A–Z of Barbados Heritage". Macmillan Caribbean.
"Better and Better Cocktail".
"Corn 'n Oil".
(21 July 2017). "Puka Punch".
"Three Dots And A Dash Cocktail Recipe".

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

sugar-substitutes liqueurs barbadian-cuisine caribbean-drinks syrup drink-mixers almonds

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