Aku Aku Lapu

The most common fruit juice used in cocktails. This citrus juice is about 6% acid; pure citric acid. Lemon juice should be used the day it is squeezed, some like it freshly squeezed and others like it a few hours old.

A tropical fruit, used in many tropical cocktails for its sweet flavor and yellow color. You can either juice a real pineapple, buy pineapple canned in juice (not syrup) or buy pineapple juice in a container.

A juice used in some cocktails for its tart and acidic properties. Grapefruit juice can be pre-squeezed and kept fresh for many days like orange juice, unlike lemon and lime juice.

A citrus juice used in many cocktails, both for its sweet and tart taste and its color. Orange juice, unlike lemon and lime, can be kept fresh for days. In a blind taste test, most people liked day-old orange juice.

The general term for the Carribean-based nonalcoholic syrup. Falernum is a sweet syrup commonly used in tropical drinks and usually flavored with almond, ginger, cloves, vanilla, allspice and lime. You can make it yourself, it takes a few days. Combine 1/3 cup toasted almonds with 1/2 cup for light rum. Seal and let sit for 2 days. Add the zest of 8 limes (no pith) and 30 whole cloves, stir and let sit for another day. Juice 4 limes and strain the juice into a sauce pot. Add 2/3 cups water and 1/2 cup sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Let the syrup cool then combine it with the almond/rum infusion. Stir to combine then strain all through a cheesecloth or coffee filter. Add alcohol as a preservative and turn it into Velvet Falernum.

Also called amber rums, gold rums are medium-bodied rums that get their coloring from added sugars like molasses or caramel. These rums can either be left un-aged or slightly aged in charred oak barrels.

A subset of aged (dark) rums that specifically come from Jamaica. These rums are highly regarded for their unusual pot-still funk, necessary for certain classic cocktails.

A high proof (>57.5 ABV) dark/black rum, that may be specifically from one origin or a blend from many. Common examples are Plantation OFTD and Lemon Hart 151.