Of all of the marketing-designated holidays which have come and gone over the years, few have had the staying power National Rum Day (August 16) has managed to muster. Aside from a few other special days (the Super Bowl and St. Patty’s come to mind), our inbox rarely gets this full of suggestions from PR firms. Here are a few we’ve tested and give our stamp of approval.

Sugar Island Hurricane
2 parts Sugar Island Coconut Rum
2 parts Sugar Island Spiced Rum
2 parts passion fruit juice
1 part orange juice
Juice of half a lime
½ part Crown Medium Amber Maple Syrup
½ part grenadine
Orange slice and cherry for garnish

Combine all ingredients garnish with orange slice and cherry.

Old Cuban
(now featured at Eleven Madison Park, NYC)
1 1/2 oz Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva
3/4 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
3/4 oz simple syrup
6 mint leaves
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Top with champagne

Add all ingredients, except Champagne, to a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain in to glass, top with Champagne.

Flor de Violette
1 1/2 oz Bacardi Gran Reserva Maestro de Ron
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz St. Germain
1 dash Crème de Violette
1 dash simple syrup

Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Hemingway Daiquiri
2 oz Caliche Rum
1/2 oz maraschino liqueur
1/2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
3/4 oz lime juice

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a rocks glass.

Knuckle Dragger
1 oz. Shellback Silver Rum
1 oz. American whiskey
2 oz. pineapple juice
2 oz. ginger ale
Lime wedge (for garnish)

Build in a lowball glass, stir, add ice. The recipe didn’t specify which American whiskey to use, so we went with some Corsair Triple Smoke to add some heft to the drink.

Summer Rum Punch
1 bottle Afrohead Aged Dark Rum
1 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup simple syrup
1/2 cup Aperol
1 cup soda water

Add thin slices of orange, grapefruit, lemons, and some fresh tarragon for punch garnish.