Ranglum

Categories

About

The Ranglum is a Berlin-born tribute to a Jamaican guitar legend, and it tastes the way great ska sounds: bright, punchy and full of swing. Built on a generous pour of black rum, sharpened with fresh lime and falernum, and given a kick by a small measure of overproof white Jamaican rum, it is essentially a Corn 'n' Oil that has been turned up to eleven. If you already love the Corn 'n' Oil or the Dark and Stormy, the Ranglum is the next bottle-of-black-rum drink to learn.

What Is a Ranglum?

The Ranglum is a shaken, spirit-forward rum sour served over ice in an old-fashioned glass. The base is about an ounce and two-thirds of black or blackstrap rum, supported by half an ounce each of falernum and lime, a third of an ounce of overproof unaged Jamaican rum, and a small touch of rich sugar syrup. The falernum brings clove, ginger and lime-zest spice, the overproof rum brings estery, banana-and-funk aromatics, and the lime keeps the whole thing lifted. Difford's Guide describes it as estery rum with zesty lime and sweet clove spice, suited to a full-on sunny afternoon or to lifting a dull winter's day.

Origin and History

The drink was created in 2006 by Gonçalo de Sousa Monteiro at Victoria Bar in Berlin, one of the city's most influential cocktail bars. The name fuses the surname of Ernest Ranglin, the Jamaican guitarist whose playing shaped ska and reggae, with falernum, the Bajan spice liqueur at the heart of the recipe. It is a fitting tribute: Ranglin's music blends Caribbean rhythm with jazz sophistication, and the Ranglum blends a rustic island drink with the precision of a European cocktail bar. It has since become a modern classic among rum enthusiasts and a favorite example of how a small change, in this case the overproof float, can transform a familiar formula.

Flavor Profile and What to Expect

The Ranglum leads with lime and funk. The overproof Jamaican rum, even at a third of an ounce, dominates the aroma with overripe banana, pineapple and a hint of solvent-like intensity that rum lovers call hogo. Beneath it the black rum brings molasses and toffee, the falernum adds warm baking spice, and the syrup smooths the acidity. It is strong, around 22 percent alcohol in the glass, and it leans sour rather than sweet. Think of it as sitting between a Corn 'n' Oil and a funky Daiquiri, with more spice than either.

Choosing the Rums

For the black rum, Cruzan Black Strap or Gosling's Black Seal give the molasses backbone the drink needs. For the overproof, Wray & Nephew White Overproof is the classic choice and the one that delivers the signature Jamaican funk; Rum Fire is a good alternative. Do not skip the overproof or substitute a neutral white rum, because that small pour is what makes the drink a Ranglum rather than a Corn 'n' Oil. Our rum cocktail guide explains the Jamaican style in more detail.

About Falernum

Falernum is the ginger, clove and lime liqueur from Barbados that shows up in tiki drinks like the Zombie and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. Velvet Falernum is the standard bottle. If you use a homemade falernum syrup, you can drop the extra sugar syrup entirely.

Popular Variations

Drop the overproof rum and the syrup and you are back to a shaken Corn 'n' Oil. Add a dash of Angostura bitters for a drier finish. Swap the lime for grapefruit and add a splash of soda for a longer, lighter version in the spirit of the Rum Swizzle. Increase the overproof to a full ounce and cut the black rum back for a drink that leans closer to a Jamaican-style Jungle Bird without the Campari. Some bartenders also serve it over crushed ice with a mint sprig, which turns the aroma toward a swizzle. PUNCH's collection of blackstrap rum cocktails has several more ideas built on the same base.

How to Serve It

Shake hard and strain over fresh ice in a chilled old-fashioned glass. A single large cube keeps dilution slow, which suits a drink this strong; see our ice guide for why. Garnish with a lime wedge and let guests squeeze it in to taste.

When to Drink It

The Ranglum is a sunny-afternoon drink that also works as a bracing winter pick-me-up, exactly as Difford's suggests. It pairs with jerk pork, grilled pineapple, spicy curries and salty plantain chips. Put on some Ernest Ranglin while you make it. For more rum sours and spiced drinks, browse our drink categories.

Why People Love It

The Ranglum is bold, aromatic and unmistakably Caribbean, yet it comes from a Berlin bar, which says something about how far good rum drinks travel. It rewards a well-stocked bar without demanding a long ingredient list, and it shows black rum in its most exciting light: funky, spiced, citrusy and strong.