Thomas Tew Rum is distilled and aged in Rhode Island from blackstrap molasses. Named for the infamous Rhode Island Pirate, this rum is created in small batches and is tough to find outside of Rhode Island itself.

Thomas Tew Rum has the scent of molasses and maple syrup, but has a very dry finish. While Tew is a good sipping rum because of that clean sweet/dry combo, I found it is a particularly good rum for making mixed drinks. Here’s one of my favorite cocktails with dark rum: rich, sour, and sweet all at the same time:

XYZ

• 1 oz dark rum (I used Thomas Tew)
• 1 oz triple sec (I used Giffard Premium)
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass
• lemon wedge garnish