Let’s start with an apology of sorts.

I discovered something about last week’s switchel a few days after I posted the recipe. When I made it, I thought it tasted pretty good, and I swear it did. I mixed the batch, tasted it, poured some into a nice-looking glass for the photo, then drank that as I wrote the article. It was only after I let it chill in the staff refrigerator over the weekend that I realized the flavor (a) continues to develop and (b) the apple cider vinegar forcefully takes the wheel of that double-decker bus. I ended up buying some rum to see if it helped improve the flavor because it was commonly added to switchel and some stories I read discussed how farm hands would sometime overindulge. Rum certainly helped. Sort of.

Sorry if you ended up trying switchel and discovered, like I did, that apple cider vinegar would weirdly become the dominant flavor if not consumed immediately.

As you’d expect, I have some rum left over from that little experiment and wanted to find some use for it. Luckily, my copy of the University of Wyoming’s “Black Tie and Cowboy Boots: Timeless Traditions from the New West” had me covered.

Jamaican Buckaroo

With summer in full swing, it seems appropriate to enjoy some cool drinks to beat the heat. This one certainly fits the bill – especially if you enjoy ruby red grapefruit juice. Mind you, grapefruit juice is a very tart drink on its own and while the mint and rum do add some additional flavors, you’re still getting a heavy dose of the grapefruit flavor up front. You can add a teaspoon of sugar to reduce the punchy citrus taste or consider using something like pink lemonade as a replacement for the grapefruit juice.

What you’ll need:

• Crushed ice
• 2-3 fresh mint leaves
• 1 1/2 ounces of rum 
• Ruby red grapefruit juice
• 1 teaspoon of sugar (optional)

Fill half a tall glass with crushed ice, then crush 1 or 2 mint leaves and add to the glass. Add the rum, then fill with grapefruit juice and add the teaspoon of sugar and stir. Garnish with a mint leaf if you’re feeling fancy.