Notting Hill Carnival is just around the corner and set to be one of the biggest parties of the Bank Holiday weekend. The sun, steel drums and sound systems are going to be blazing as London turns up the heat, so what better way to cool down than with some fantastic Carnival themed cocktails that pay homage to fiery Caribbean culture.

It’s time to mix, shake, and stir your way to the spirit of Notting Hill, and nothing says Carnival quite like rum. We’ve selected some of the best to help you bring the heat to your home bar.

Equiano Rum

Equiano Rum is the result of a collaboration between Barbados’ Foursquare and Gray’s Distillery of Mauritius. Equiano blends the best from both, with two hemispheres meeting in one bottle. The rum from Foursquare is aged in American white oak, while the liquid from Gray’s is aged in French limousin oak and Cognac casks. It’s then married in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at Foursquare, weighing in at 43% ABV.  Rich in chocolate and oak, backed by butterscotch and stem ginger, plus juicy raspberry and caraway and a hint of marmalade on the nose, this is a real explosion of flavour.

It’s named after freedom fighter Olaudah Equiano, who played a pivotal part in the abolition movement and Equiano Rum donates 5% of the annual profits to ground level equality projects each year. A rum that brings together big bold flavours and also nods to a rich social history – perfect for Carnival!

Rum expert Ian Burrell suggests a punch is the way to go with Equiano. Quick, fruity, drinkable and a definite crowd-pleaser – great for quenching a thirst after you’ve worked up a sweat dancing. Make in bulk to get the party started.

“The Cool Waters cocktail is a great carnival drink as it’s refreshing, easy to make and drink, and contains coconut water.  Some people drink coconut water for its electrolytes. These are charged minerals that help you stay hydrated, this Equiano cocktail is perfect for ‘the road’.” – Ian Burrell 

Cool Waters

To make a 5 litre punch for several people:

• 1 bottle of Equiano Light
• 4 litres of Coconut water
• 200ml Pineapple Infused Syrup
• 42 dashes of Angostura Cocoa Bitters
• 100ml Fresh Lime Juice

Lost Years

Looking for a spirit that also has a social conscience? Named after the years infant sea turtles spend between hatching and maturity, British couple Lee & Trudy Smith hit on the idea of ‘great rum doing good’ over dinner one night. Lee had toured one of the famous rum distilleries on the island that day, while Trudy and the children visited one of the local nesting beaches and heard about the threats facing sea turtles. They wanted to create an incredible rum that also gave back to Jamaican conservation efforts. Together, they spent years sourcing incredible rums from some of the region’s most revered distilleries and partnering with non-profit SEE Turtles to ensure every penny raised makes a difference. The brand was finally launched during the height of lockdown, in November 2020, and has been thriving ever since.

Bring those island vibes to London with a daiquiri made with their bold, flavour-packed Gold Spiced Rum with Queen Pineapple. The waves of flavour from this sophisticated spiced rum – pineapples, oranges, limes and coconut – combine beautifully with the sharpness of the fresh lime juice and sweet sugar syrup to create an epic daiquiri with a difference. 

Gold Spiced Pineapple Daiquiri

Ingredients

• 50ml Lost Years Gold Spiced Rum with Queen Pineapple
• 25ml fresh lime juice
• 15ml sugar syrup

Method

• Shake all the ingredients hard for 8-10 seconds
• Double strain into a coupe
• Garnish with a lime wheel

Fr’um

One of our newest additions, we’re very excited to bring Fr’um to the DrinksOne fold, just in time to kick off Carnival. This epitomises those sweet, spicy, smokey and smooth flavours that immediately make you think of Jamaica. Inspired by his childhood there, it’s the brainchild of Hand and Flowers Bar Manager Anthony Peart, and combines dark muscovado, pineapple and smoky scotch bonnet chillies for the ultimate spiced rum kick.

Anthony suggests the below serve for a provocative, punchy little cocktail that tantalises the tastebuds. 

Fr’um The Darkside

Ingredients 

• 50ml Fr’um
• 15ml Orgeat
• 25ml Pineapple Juice
• Juice of half a lime
• 4 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Method

• Chill a rocks glass by filling it with ice water and setting it aside.
• In a cocktail shaker, combine the Fr’um, pineapple juice, lime juice, orgeat syrup, and Angostura bitters.
• Fill the shaker with ice cubes, then seal and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds.
• Empty the ice water from the rocks glass. Strain the cocktail mixture into the glass over fresh ice.
• Slap some mint to release the fragrant oils and add to the glass.

House of Rum

House of Rum’s Founder David couldn’t get enough of the Caribbean, drawn back over and over again by its incredible food and drink culture, and it was rum that really embodied its essence. Over three decades, David sought out the very best, immersing himself in the island life and House of Rum is the culmination of that passion. A premium expression with vintage statement, their rums are the product of a single vintage and a single cask, and are bottled in their purest form: undiluted at cask strength, no sugar for sweetness, no caramel for colour, and absolutely no additives.The true, purest essence of rum. 

The ‘little devil’ on each bottle is a nod to the high temperatures experienced in the tropical climates know for great rum which increases the amount of liquid evaporated during maturation. Known as the Angel’s share across Europe, it is called the Devil’s share in the Tropics, probably because such strong evaporation, about 8 or 9% per year, is very expensive for producers.  A rum of exceptional quality, this is one for the luxury lovers.

House of Rum Trinidad 2012 Cask Strength

House of Rum Dominican Republic 2000 Cask Strength

House of Rum Barbados 2010 Cask Strength

So good, they should be served it straight and savoured!