Homemade Pimento Dram (Allspice Dram)

Allspice dram is a simple liqueur flavored with allspice berries. It's also known as pimento dram, because allspice is a berry from the pimento tree. There's nothing like it. It's a big part of Tiki drinks, adding a dark, strong, and spicy counterpoint to rum and sweet ingredients.

Wray & Nephew's allspice dram from Jamaica was the standard in the tropical drinks at bars like Trader Vic's and Don the Beachcomber, but the company stopped exporting it to the US in the early '80s. For years, allspice dram was damn-near impossible to find in the States. A few years ago, St. Elizabeth allspice dram came along to satisfy the growing demand for this Tiki essential. Well-stocked liquor stores usually carry it at $25 to $30 for a 375-milliliter bottle.

When the commercial and DIY versions are tasted side by side, St. Elizabeth has a slight edge over homemade. But allspice dram isn't something you drink straight. Once that cocktail shaker is out, you can't really tell the difference between the two. In this case, I just don't think the commercial version is worth the giant price difference. Buying allspice dram costs about five times as much as making it, and it definitely isn't five times better.

1/4 c whole allspice
1 c light Puerto Rican rum
1/2 bottle light Puerto Rican rum
1 c water
1 lb demerara sugar

Grind allspice berries and mix with 1 c rum in a pot. Bring to a boil and stir. Immediately pour into a bottle and fill it 3/4 full with more rum. Seal and store for 2 weeks, shaking occasionally. Strain 4000 times with cheesecloth. Make the syrup with the water and demerara sugar. Mix equal parts syrup with allspice rum. Bottle, seal, and let sit for 1 – 8 months. The flavor gets more pronounced and mellower the longer you wait. Obviously sample it throughout the process.

Sippin' Safari, Jeff Berry