The Florida Keys are an iconic Florida destination. It has a little bit of everything. Boating, fishing, seafood, and that laid back old Florida culture are all there in spades. If you want the tourist capital of the Keys, though, you’re talking Key West. The never-ending party which is Duval Street even rivals New Orleans’s Bourbon Street for its wild charms.
One of the famous bars on Duval is Hog’s Breath Saloon where you will find one of my favorite drinks, lovingly called Hogwash; a delicious, refreshing libation that I absolutely adore. It captures the essence of everything I love about South Florida, and I present to you my ultimate version.
Flavor Profile: Sweet and Sour with a little Funk
Ingredients and Preparation:
- 1 1/2 oz Mango Rum (I use Wicked Dolphin)
- 1/2 oz Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum
- 1 oz Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
- 1 oz House Made Sour Mix*
- Splash of Sprite
*Sour Mix: Equal parts fresh lime juice, fresh lemon juice, and simple cane syrup
Garnish: Lime Wedge
Preparation:
Add all ingredients except for the Sprite into a Boston Shaker filled with crushed ice. Shake vigorously for ten seconds. Open pour into a 12-ounce plastic Solo cup. Add a splash of Sprite.
My Take:
I realize that a plastic cup is not very fancy, but Key West is not about being fancy. It’s about a laid-back lifestyle that is sadly missing in most of our daily lives. The basic Hogwash forgoes overproof rum, but I found that by adding the funky Jamaican Wray and Nephew white rum gives Hogwash a complexity that just makes the drink better. And stronger. But better, too, I swear! Usually, flavored rums are a big no-go for me due to the added sugar and artificial flavor, but my local rum distillery, Wicked Dolphin, makes a great rum using over-ripened mangoes. The differences in quality between this mango rum and those cheap $10.00 bottles are not small, in my opinion, and worth the extra cost. Short of making your own it doesn’t get any better. The use of fresh juices is de rigueur, but please do make your own sour mix. It’s so easy and so much better than store bought, artificial garbage that you will never look back.
