Casablanca … Recite with me: “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine … and orders a rum drink.” 

Eggs and rum have an interesting relationship, rather like Rick and Ilsa in the classic film. During the winter holiday season, eggs take the lead in their nogs, but in hot weather rum takes the lead, all the time. And hooray for that!

This is one of my very favorite rum cocktails, featuring the complexity and texture of Foursquare’s Probitas rum combined with the additional texture of egg white. It’s citrusy and refreshing, with balanced sweet and sour if you stick to these proportions. 

Don’t be afraid of the egg white, because it’s safe and worth the effort. This is not a beginner cocktail technique, but it’s easily accessible; see my previous post about doing egg-white cocktails. If you’re uncomfortable with raw egg white, pasteurized egg white should be readily available and affordable from your favorite grocery store. My view is that raw egg white produces a better froth, but I totally understand if the thought of raw egg white makes anyone else a little skittish.

See that garnish? Easy to do with a good channel knife and almost no practice.

CASABLANCA NO. 1
2 oz Light rum (can’t beat Foursquare’s Probitas!)
¾ oz Triple Sec (40% – I prefer Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
¾ oz Fresh lime juice
½ oz Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
½ oz Pasteurized egg white or one fresh egg white 

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine-strain into chilled Martini glass. Garnish with orange zest twist.