In 1671, the real Captain Morgan’s ship, The Satisfaction, sunk after raiding the Spanish in Panama. The folks at Captain Morgan rum have created the 1671 Commemorative Blend Spiced Rum as their best estimate of what rum aboard The Satisfaction would have tasted like, and even put it in a bottle reminiscent of those old bottles with the loop for easy carrying or tossing back a shot.

They suggest this spiced rum is one for sipping on the rocks, but I find it still with one too many edges for me to drink it straight–but we all know I like my spirits balanced with a mixer of some sort. The aroma (or nose) is just wonderful: rich, a little smoky, a little sweet, and some dried fruits like apricots and raisins.

Rum always reminds me of growing up on Ponchatoula, Lousiana. First, because my aunt would mix pina coladas at my grandparents wet bar in the evenings (she’s pour out a little of the blended mixture for me before adding the rum) and then because of the frozen strawberry daiquiris they’d serve up at the annual Strawberry Festival. And at the holidays, instead of the Bourbon balls everyone else seems to be familiar with, my family made Rum Balls and I’d sneak into the pantry to grab more than my fair share back in the day.

With those early memories in mind, I created a lighter twist on them both in honor of hot summer days and cool frozen drinks.

Summer Satisfaction

1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
1 1/2 cups hulled and halved strawberries
2/3 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup spiced rum (like Captain Morgan 1671)

Combine everything in the blender and process until nice and smooth. Garnish with a whole strawberry and, if you’re feeling fancy, replace the stem with a small sprig of mint. Make 3 cups–you decide how many servings that amounts to.

I don’t like using ice in my frozen drinks since all it manages to do is dilute everything and make a mess by the time you’re halfway through. Using frozen fruit for all or part of your blended drinks saves you from this travesty, and the frozen pineapple mixes well with the strawberries and coconut milk instead of taking them over. And speaking of the coconut milk, I went with it over the pina colada-standard coconut cream because I didn’t want the heavy, cloying sweetness to take over the drink. Instead, the coconut milk give you a hint of the pina colada without going overboard.

For non-beverage uses, I can see this rum being a lovely addition to your homemade (or even doctored store-bought) barbecue sauces and baked beans over the summer. Use some to marinate your next batch of ribs or brisket and see if it doesn’t just turn the dial on the flavor up a notch or two. This Commemorative Blend is a limited edition, though, so if you’re wanting to rum up your summer with it, you might want to get some sooner rather than later!

***I was provided a sample of Captain Morgan 1671 Commemorative Blend Spiced Rum for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own.***