rum

As a bartender, one of the many pleasures of the trade is to surprise a guest with something that is similar, but unexpected, and likely a lot more interesting than their original request, should they put their trust in you. The Queens Park Swizzle is one of those home-run drinks that couldn't be any simpler and is always a crowd pleaser. 

If you’re the type of drinker who is brand loyal, rarely deviating from your Maker’s or your Grey Goose, listen up. There are secrets your favorite brand might be keeping from you. Lucky for you, we tapped Mark Spivak, author of the forthcoming book Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating Story, to help us uncover some of the fun (and scandalous) facts about the world’s best-known tipples. Here are eight you should probably know...

Developed at Brennan’s Restaurant for a favored customer, Mr. Foster, fresh bananas sautéed in butter and brown sugar, gently spiced with cinnamon, doused with rum and flamed dramatically, and served with vanilla ice cream is a classic dessert from New Orleans. Since ice cream is part of the program already, I figured it was just one blender away from a shake.