Colin Joliat
Pumpkin spice is everywhere. At this point it’s become so prevalent that it’s not even fun to mock anymore. And if you can’t beat ’em, drink ’em. That’s what we’re doing with this pumpkin spice cocktail.
Captain Morgan has been looking for a way into the world dominated by Fireball for the last few years. They released Cannon Blast in 2015 and Loconut this year. One’s shaped like a cannon ball and the other is a coconut. You can probably guess which is which sans picture. But you know what else is round? Pumpkins!
Last fall Captain Morgan Jack-O Blast hit the shelves. There was solid fanfare in the greater public, but my bottle sat nearly full for an entire year. Just recently though it was broken out, poured in a shaker with ice, and the shots began to flow. How could it be that I had overlooked such a stellar shot?
Sure it’s pumpkin spice, but when you’re standing around at home just looking to take a couple shots before heading to the bar, do you really need a hardcore whiskey? No, save that for the bar where you’re overpaying. Jack-O Blast tastes good, and if nothing else, is a unique. Not many people are shooting rum these days. Plus, your friends will be highly amused by its pumpkin-shaped bottle.
I jump onto the Steve Dahl Show on WLS just after 5pm nearly every week with a new Wet Wednesday cocktail, and a pumpkin spice cocktail seemed like the perfect choice for a segment. It’s seasonal, unique, and you’ve probably have never had it. To really double down on the theme I also pulled out a Nitro Pumpkin Spice Latte, a coffee stout from Breckenridge Brewery.
Pumpkin Spice Cocktail
- 1.5 oz Captain Morgan Jack-O Blast
- 1.5 oz simple syrup
- .5 oz fresh lime juice
- 6 oz Breckenridge Brewery Pumpkin Spice Latte
Add rum, simple syrup, and lime juice to shaker. Fill with ice and shake until cold. Strain into glass with half-filled with ice. Add beer and garnish with a mini-pumpkin from Trader Joes (or a lime I guess).
Of course if cocktails and rum aren’t your thing, you can still get into season with Breckenridge Brewery’s Nitro Pumpkin Spice Latte. The beauty is that it isn’t a PSL kick to the gourds; it’s just enough to give you the coffee stout a little bump in festive flavor.
