Today, August 16th, is International Rum Day!

Today is going to be a great day! Not only is it Twisted Tuesday, but today also happens to be International Rum Day! What could possibly be better than two excuses to get "Pirate Drunk and get some booty"?

So, to help facilitate that process pick up a bottle of rum and try something new. If you want to be fancy, get yourself a top-shelf bottle of Appleton rum or maybe one of those high dollar specialty bottles of Bacardi. If you're looking to just get s__t house hammered, go pick up a bottle of Sailor Jerry 92 proof rum. Either way, here are some great cocktails you can mix up today:

Bitter Pill

1 1/2 oz. aged rum (12 years for best results)
1/2 oz. Fernet-Branca
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. demerara sugar syrup (1:1)
1/2 oz. fresh egg white (pasteurized if you like)
Ice cubes
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: lowball
Garnish: orange twist
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass. Garnish by twisting the orange peel over the finished drink.

Pineapple Trainwreck

1 1/2 oz. aged rum

1 1/2 oz. fresh pineapple juice

3/4 oz. spicy ginger syrup (see below)

1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice

1 dash each Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters

Ice cubes

Tools: shaker, strainer

Glass: Old Fashioned

Garnish: skewered sour cherry and a pineapple leaf (optional)

Combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Strain over fresh ice cubes into an Old Fashioned glass and garnish.

For the ginger syrup: In a large sealable container, add 3 1/2 oz. of granulated sugar to 4 oz. of fresh ginger juice. Stir until sugar dissolves, add a small splash of vodka (optional, it acts as a preservative), seal, and keep refrigerated.

Cradle of Life

3/4 oz. aged rum
3/4 oz. spiced rum
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. fresh orange juice
1/2 oz. orgeat
Two dashes of Angostura bitters
Crushed ice
Tools: shaker, strainer, matches
Glass: double rocks
Garnish: spent lime shell reserved from squeezing, 1/2 oz. of green Chartreuse

Dry shake all ingredients and strain into a chilled double rocks glass. Add crushed ice until it reaches the rim of the glass. Invert the spent lime shell so that the peel faces in, and pour green Chartreuse into shell. Set Chartreuse ablaze with a match, and serve. Let burn for 30 seconds to warm the oils in the lime skin, then blow out and tip into the drink.