Velvet Falernum is a common addition to tiki and tropical drinks. This rum infusion of spices, citrus, and almonds originated in Barbados. Many consider John D Taylor's the original Falernum, but if you can't find it, you can make it at home. I devised this recipe from a few others I found, which means you can riff off this one as well.
Ingredients:
-8 oz white or lightly aged rum (Diplomatico Planas)
-1/2 cup almonds
-3 full lime peels
-2 full key lime peels
-1/2 orange peel
-1/2 grapefruit peel
-10 allspice berries (crushed)
-10 cloves (crushed)
-1 cinnamon stick (crushed)
-1 oz fresh ginger (chopped)
-4 oz/110g of water
-110 g turbinado sugar
-1/4 tsp orange blossom water
-1/8 tsp almond extract
-2 oz fresh lime juice
-1/2 oz key lime juice
-Preheat your oven to 275 degrees. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast for 25 minutes.
-Roughly chop the almond and place them in a mason jar that can hold at least 16 ounces.
-Add the rum and seal it. Let it steep for 24 hours.
-Add the ingredients from the lime peels to the ginger. Let it steep for 24 hours. Leave the almonds in the mixture.
-When the second round of steeping is almost done, warm the water and whisk the sugar until it’s dissolved. Don’t let the water boil.
-Strain the steeped rum with a fine mesh strainer. Add in the simple syrup you made, and the remaining ingredients.
-Stir together and store in the fridge.
Drinks: