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Allspice dram is a liqueur made with rum and allspice berries! It adds a bold, sweet and spicy undertone to cocktails.
It’s mysterious, bold, spicy sweet, and transforms cocktails in an instant: it’s Allspice Dram! This dark brown liqueur is a historic cocktail bar ingredient, and brings an intense allspice and clove finish to any drink. Used in cocktails of the 1930’s, it had all but vanished by the 1980’s. Today it’s enjoying a new renaissance in the cocktail revival, and it’s an ingredient in many modern bars. Here’s more about allspice dram and how to get your hands on this magic elixir.
What is allspice dram?
Allspice dram is a liqueur made with rum and allspice berries that originated in Jamaica. Allspice berries are the berries of the pimento tree, so it’s also called “pimento dram.” Its flavor is bold and spicy, with an intense spiced clove finish.
Allspice dram was first bottled by the Jamaican rum company Wray & Nephew. It started to be used in 1930’s cocktails, like the popular Lion’s Tail and a few other drinks in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail book. In the 1950’s, it became popular in the Tiki drink scene as an addition to Rum Punch and other drinks.
How to find allspice dram: purchased or DIY
In the 1980s, importation of allspice dram to the US stopped and it was almost impossible to find. Bartenders started to make their own DIY versions of the liqueur. Today with the revived interest in classic cocktails, several manufacturers produce the dram, though it still can be hard to find.
We were able to find a bottle of St Elizabeth Allspice Dram at our local liquor store. It can be tough to find, so you can also make it at home! Scroll down to our DIY dram recipe. You’ll need 10 days to marinate the flavors, so plan accordingly!
Allspice dram cocktails
Here’s the fun part: how to make allspice dram cocktails! There are lots of ideas for ways to use a bit of this powerful liqueur, whether it’s wintery drinks like a hot toddy or classic drinks like a Martini (we took inspiration from some of these classic cocktail ideas).
Keep in mind: A little bit goes a long way! In each of the cocktails below, start with about ½ ounce dram per serving to add a spicy kick (taste and adjust as necessary). It’s powerful stuff! Here are some cocktail ideas:
The Lion’s Tail is the most famous allspice dram cocktail. This 1930’s drink features the unique mix of bourbon, allspice liqueur and lime.
Allspice dram is perfect to accentuate the flavors in a classic glass of Rum Punch, also known as planter's punch.
Add allspice dram to mulled wine to intensify the spiced flavor!
The perfect use for allspice dram? Add a drizzle to a cozy hot toddy to add a finish of allspice and cloves.
Add a hint of dram to mulled cider or plain apple cider for an even more intense spiced nuance.
Add a hint to a classic martini for an intriguing spiced finish.
A Bloody Mary with allspice? Don't knock it until you try it.
Make the Old Fashioned even cozier with a hint of allspice dram on the finish.
Allspice dram pairs well with rum and whiskey, so it's only natural to try in a sweet whiskey sour.
The classic Screwdriver is infinitely more interesting with a hint of allspice on the finish.
Transform the White Russian into a cozy-spiced version of itself with allspice dram.
More DIY cocktail essentials
Want to build up a DIY library of cocktail ingredients? Here are some of our favorite elements that just taste better homemade:
- Make your own Simple Syrup: it takes just 5 minutes!
- This DIY Grenadine Syrup is the best tasting pomegranate-flavored cocktail syrup around
- Try Raspberry Syrup for a Raspberry Martini or Clover Club
- Making your own Clear Ice is a home bartender essential
Allspice Dram
- Prep Time: 10 days
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 240 hours 2 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
Description
Allspice dram is a liqueur made with rum and allspice berries! It adds a bold, sweet and spicy undertone to cocktails.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Jamaican rum
- ⅓ cup allspice berries, roughly crushed in a mortar and pestle
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken in mortar and pestle
- 1 star anise pod
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Prepare the rum and spices: Crush the allspice berries and cinnamon stick in a mortar and pestle. Add the rum, allspice berries, cinnamon sticks and star anise to a mason jar and cover it with a lid.
- Allow to steep for 10 days: Place the jar in a dark pantry. Shake the jar once a day for 10 days.
- Make the allspice dram: After 10 days, add the brown sugar and water to saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved (don’t simmer) for 1 to 2 minutes. Strain the rum and spices into a bottle using a fine mesh strainer, then add the brown sugar mixture. Store refrigerated for up to 3 months (or more).
- Category: Essentials
- Method: Infused
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
I also wondering is the 10 days absolutely necessary as I really wanted to make this for Christmas however that won’t be 10 its more like a week would that be OK if not is there a way I could make it work like pre seeping the pimento and cinnamon in heated alcohol thx.
Let us know if you have any questions!