Well, it's finally here. Treaty Oak Platinum Rum has started popping up on liquor store shelves in Austin in the last week, after months of anticipation. We tasted it first at the beginning of the summer when we met Bruce Graham, one half of the Graham Barnes Distilling partnership, at a celebration hosted by Paula of Paula's Texas Orange fame. We were impressed at how supple and smooth the rum was, for being a non-aged product.
Then we waited.
Every once in a while we would hear a rumor that it was coming out, and we would rush to the liqour store, only to be disappointed that we had been misinformed. Then to cope with the ensuing depression we would make frivolous purchases.
Finally, I asked my friend Mitch Mooney of Twin Liqour to just call me and let me know when it was out; on Friday I got the call.

In honor of the arrival of Treaty Oak Rum, a nice bouquet of zinnias and some tired limes

We began mixing tonight with the Treaty Oak. The boys who created it suggested that it can be sipped straight or mixed, and at $30 for a 750 they are aiming high. Perhaps they will find that small portion of the drinking market who drink premium spirits neat or on the rocks. I for one don't spend much time sipping spirits unless it is a good whiskey or scotch, or aged tequila. With rum I like to mix, and so tonight we made a classic Papa Doble, the Hemingway Daiquiri supposedly made the way the man himself ordered it at his beloved Floridita Bar in Havana, except he liked it frozen and we made it shaken and strained into a chilled cocktail glass. The Papa Doble is like a traditional daiquiri with the addition of a bit of grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur.

This is not the usual color of a papa doble, not that you can tell the color in my crappy photo. It is yellowish because instead of simple syrup we usted Steen's 100% Pure Cane Syrup, which has a light molassesy color and flavor. We knew it would affect the flavor of the drink, and we thought it did so pleasantly. Actually I thought the drink tasted interestingly like apple cider.