Bay Rum: Back to Basics

[ManicDee]

Looking good! I started mine around the same time and I'm happily using it now ... I don't actually know what the best maturing times are, but I'm taking my cue from sailors of old: the sooner (schooner? ) the better ... let's splash it on, get on land and enjoy!

I will filter it tomorrow, use it on Tuesday at choir practice see what the seniors think of it, they love there bay rum

 

[ManicDee]

Couldn't help myself, Filtered the batch #1 tonight and used it.

It has a wonderful Spicy scent of Clove, Cinnamon, Bay leaves and Cardamom all wrapped around the sweetness of Capt Morgans Rum.
I had a shave with a 1930s Gillette Vintage razor and some Valobra but I followed it by adding the Bay Rum. Absolute Dynamite.
pjgh I want to thank you for all your advice with this project and it won't be my last, I have caught the bug with this. Cheers

 

[pjgh]

Yeah! That does indeed look good! The sky is the limit ...

Gin, lime, juniper... spring splash?
Vodka, grapefruit ... summer splash?

The trigger for me was mid-winter a few years ago. I'd been given some spices for Christmas and what with all that clementine peel hanging around, I steeped a selection in a white rum, got onto eBay for a vial of Bay Rum essential oil and dropped some of that in during the steeping. It was good!

My latest experiment with "proper rum", some more earthy elements and some Chinese tea worked out really well ... I've dubbed it Ching Shih, although being very dark perhaps The Black Pearl is also a suitable moniker.

Huge fun!

 

[ManicDee]

Yeah! That does indeed look good! The sky is the limit ...

Gin, lime, juniper... spring splash?
Vodka, grapefruit ... summer splash?

The trigger for me was mid-winter a few years ago. I'd been given some spices for Christmas and what with all that clementine peel hanging around, I steeped a selection in a white rum, got onto eBay for a vial of Bay Rum essential oil and dropped some of that in during the steeping. It was good!

My latest experiment with "proper rum", some more earthy elements and some Chinese tea worked out really well ... I've dubbed it Ching Shih, although being very dark perhaps The Black Pearl is also a suitable moniker.

Huge fun!

As it is rum I would chose The Black Pearl, me hearty Because Ching Shih sounds like Jinxs

 

[pjgh]

... but it has Chinese Tea in it. Maybe Jack stole the tea from Ching Shih?

 

[DevonStan]

Absolutely loving this. Can't wait to get started.

But where to get pimena racemosa leaves from? Loads of places to get the essential oil from ... and obviously no shortage of Laurus Nobilis leaves (I had them growing in a previous house and I'm sure a local garden centre would be a source of a couple of them) bu maybe they're not the real thing?

Is there any reason I shouldn't mix some homemade stuff with the commercially available stuff that you can buy (Pinaud, PashanaAmerican) Bello etc. I only ask as I just ordered all three of the above?

 

[pjgh]

Carry on ... if you've got a decent base that you want to improve with some extra spice, carry on.

Pinaud is VERY burny! Add some clove, some vanilla and some witch hazel (up to a third). Glycerine, too. Pashana is nice enough on its own, but will make a good addition to anything.

Leaves? Never found 'em! Essential oil all the way ...

... like the professionals.

 

[DevonStan]

All rcvd. Super job.

 

[pjgh]

For folks going down the route of boosting a basic pre-made Bay Rum, look to Benjamin's ... it's literally for nowt and you just put your own additional spices in, pop the top back on and leave it.

Other fun additions are:

Lime Peel
Orange Peel
Clementine Peel
Cloves
Vanilla Pods
Cinnamon
Pepper
Star Anise
Coffee?
Tea! < I'll try some smokey Lapsang Souchong next time

... of course you can add any of these as essential oils.

 

[DevonStan]

Helpful suggestion... ta.

 

[Uncle Bertie]

For folks going down the route of boosting a basic pre-made Bay Rum, look to Benjamin's ... it's literally for nowt and you just put your own additional spices in, pop the top back on and leave it.

Other fun additions are:

Lime Peel
Orange Peel
Clementine Peel
Cloves
Vanilla Pods
Cinnamon
Pepper
Star Anise
Coffee?
Tea! < I'll try some smokey Lapsang Souchong next time

... of course you can add any of these as essential oils.

That's the boy! Mixed Peppercorns from the supermarket often contain Black, White, Green and Red ones. The red are the seeds of the real Bay, Pimento Racemosa. Add them all in and let the bay rum take their scent.

 

[Electrif]

Great thread, thanks to all, especially the OP.

 

[DevonStan]

Disclosure of members interests. Have been following Bay Rum related posts here and in another place and have posted the same thing over there.

Have taken my first steps down the home made Bay Rum road.

Have started with a screw top glass jar - capacity 300 millilitres (or half a pint or 10 fluid ounces.)

Updated ingredients are now :

3 fl. ozs Dark Rum
3 fl. ozs Vodka
3 fl. ozs Witch Hazel
20 peppercorns
20 juniper berries
4 pieces of dried star anise
15 grams fresh peeled and sliced ginger
1 cinnamon stick, broke in half
1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds
40 drops Bay EO
30 drops Lime EO
12 drops orange EO
12 drops lemon EO
12 drops clove EO
12 drops Tea Tree oil
1 teabag ( Sainsbury's Earl Grey)
zest of one orange
zest of one lemon
1 whole vanilla pod, cut into 4

It's in a cool dark cupboard and I'll shake it every day for... I don't know how long for? Two weeks?, four weeks?

I was going to add glycerin later?

If anyone wants to comment or constructively criticize I shall be all ears.

 

[pjgh]

Give it four weeks ...

Yes, you can add the glycerine later on.

When your other oils arrive, add in the drops as soon as you can to give the whole melee time to have a riot!

When you strain it, add the glycerine then (say a capful?) and top up with witch hazel.

Enjoy!

As you go, you might want more glycerine, might not ... but you can do that as you start to use your brew.

It reads well ...

Name? Captain Jack Sparra'?

 

[DevonStan]

Ah..right you are. Thats helpful. Very much anticipating arrival of the oils to add to the mix. At the moment the dominant smell is cloves.

The Pashana American BR and the Pashana Portugal and the Pinaud VIBR arived today - all very pleasant but none especially powerful or long lasting but that problem has plagued me and I guess its just me. Had thought that I might add some of the purchased stuff to the brew ... or even vice versa. I did, today, add a couple mils of Murray & Lanman Florida Water thinking the alcohol in it wouldn't do any harm but it immediately caused the mix to go cloudy... so not sure if that was a good idea. Anyway we'll try to be patient.