Top Rum Cocktails In Philadelphia
Cocktail bars have been popping up all over the place the past few years, and a great drink is not hard to find in Philadelphia. Here are some of the best rum cocktails in the city.
Distrito
3945 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 222-1657
www.philadelphia.distritorestaurant.com
Iron Chef Jose Garces' Distrito in West Philly serves authentic Mexico City street food and tapas from a place known to locals as "Distrito Federal." The bar may be stocked high with tequila, but two cocktails on the menu – Andale and Joey G's Beachcomber – are made with rum. Andale's base is tequila, but when you add in orange juice, cherry and coconut rum, you have one delicious drink. You also can't go wrong with Joey G's Beachcomber, a drink made with light and dark rum, pineapple, cinnamon and bitters.
The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co.
112 S. 18th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(267) 467-3277
www.thefranklinbar.com
The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. is one of the best-known places to grab a cocktail in the Rittenhouse Square area. The menu, which is organized into categories such as "Easy Going" and "I Asked Her For Water, She Brought Me Gasoline," is full of rum cocktails and punches. Ask the bartender for a Three-Rum Old Fashioned – a drink created by The Franklin's head bartender Mike Treffehn. The bar mixes together Appleton Estate Reserve, Ron Zacapa 23 and Smith and Cross rum along with bitters and rich Demerara syrup.
Hop Sing Laundromat
1029 Race St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
www.hopsinglaundromat.com
The Henry "Box" Brown at Hop Sing Laundromat is named after the Virginia slave who escaped to freedom in 1849 by mailing himself in a wooden crate to abolitionists in Philadelphia. This cocktail is as brilliant and simple as Brown's escape plan. With only two ingredients (fresh-squeezed red grape juice and El Dorado Rum), the Henry "Box" Brown is a favorite in Philadelphia and at this hard-to-find speakeasy in Chinatown. Make sure you polish your shoes and turn off your phone before entering Hop Sing – this bar has a strict dress code and a no cell phone policy.
Related: Top Spots For Rum In Philadelphia
Sutton's Parlor
40 S. 19th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 800-1217
www.suttonsphilly.com
Sutton's Parlor opened quietly last fall in Rittenhouse Square by the owners of The Farmers' Cabinet and is run by the former Rum Bar owner, Adam Kanter. Sutton's Parlor has eight cocktails in which you can choose your own spirit, like rum. A favorite here is the "Buck," which is comprised of ginger, cane sugar and lime served over ice. The bar is named after the famous moonshiner Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton and the bar is said to resemble his old moonshine parlor. The cocktail bar is downstairs – head upstairs if you'd rather enjoy a beer.
Village Whiskey
118 S. 20th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 665-1088
www.villagewhiskey.com
Village Whiskey may have a surplus of whiskey, but it also has a great variation of Philadelphia's storied Fish House Punch. The punch, first created in 1732 at the State of the Schuylkill – a fishing club and the oldest social club in the United States – consists of rum, cognac and peach brandy. Village Whiskey substitutes the peach brandy for apricot and, along with dark rum, mixes in aromatic tea, spiced sugar and lemon. Pair your punch with one of the best burgers in town.
Related: Top Cocktail Bars In Philadelphia
Kelly Neilson is a freelance writer living and working in Philadelphia. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.
