National Rum Day is Monday, August 16th, and from mai tais to boozy rum ice cream, there are plenty of refreshing ways to celebrate this tasty holiday! San Diego has no shortage of tiki-themed bars that serve up some of the best rum cocktails you’ll find anywhere.
Here are some of our favorites around San Diego…pick one (or a few if they are stumbling distance!) and celebrate!
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Miss B’s Coconut Club
We love everything about sitting outside and enjoying fruity cocktails beachside at Miss B’s – always a favorite for a rum-soaked day by the beach!
The Smoking Gun
Cheers to National Rum Day with The Smoking Gun‘s Goodbye Island cocktail! You can’t beat the refreshing, and subtly spicy, blend of Cruzan Rum, passionfruit, lime, pineapple, and serrano chile. The Smoking Gun, on the corner of Market and Sixth, also features a $7 Happy Hour Mai Tai, available from 3PM – 7PM. Just be sure to savor your drink, as there is a limit of two per customer on the mai tais.
Mavericks Beach Club
Another great spot for a tasty Mai Tai is Mavericks Beach Club, found along Grand Avenue in Pacific Beach. Their Mavericks Mai Tai is the perfect combo of Cruzan Dark Rum, Bacardi, lime juice, pineapple juice, orgeat, and Meyers Float. Pair with their fresh Ahi Bowl, comprised of ahi tuna, white rice, wakame seaweed salad, watermelon radish, avocado, wasabi aioli, ponzu, furkake, spicy garlic, micro shiso, and wonton chips. Yum!
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The Grass Skirt
You’ll find ample rum-soaked options at this PB tiki speakeasy, including the Painkiller (perfectly named!), a combination of 7 different rums to numb anything that could possibly be bothering you!
Metl Bar and Restaurant
Some of San Diego’s best rum cocktails can be found at both Metl Bar and Restaurant, in the Gaslamp, and North Park’s Metlbar Creamery & Cafe. If you’re downtown on National Rum Day, try the TKO, which consists of Humbolt Spiced Rum, Bacardi Coconut, orgeat, cacao, coconut, and Dropkick Cold Brew Float. And for those in North Park, don’t miss out on the Pershing Punch, made with Bacardi Coconut Rum, Humbolt Spiced Rum, Select Aperitivo, pineapple, banana, and cinnamon. Metlbar Creamery & Café also sells oh-so-delicious boozy ice cream, including the Painchiller. This creamy treat is made with Bacardi Coconut Rum, dark rum, pineapple, nutmeg, and lime.
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Bali Hai
The combo of Bali Hai’s rum-based cocktails and their incredible views will have you thinking you escaped to a tropical island in no time! Caution: their Mai Tai’s come with a two-drink limit…they are STRONG!
Cloak & Petal
Cloak & Petal invites guests to come unwind beneath blossoming Japanese cherry trees and delight in the innovative list of beverages, including Born & Dayzed. This tiki-inspired cocktail that is not too sweet, but a very unique treat indeed, consists of a mix of rum from Barbados and Martinique, Velvet Falernum, passionfruit, and fresh lime juice. Cloak & Petal is known for their authentic Japanese sushi and appetizers, so be sure to try one of their house or specialty rolls, like the Saucy Boi, with panko shrimp, cream cheese, avocado, spicy tuna, jalapeño, seared spicy aioli, and sweet soy sauce reduction.
Duck Dive
Head to PB and straight for the Duck Dive, a tropical-inspired bar and eatery that features rum in a few of their creative craft cocktails. Soak up the sun on the patio and sip the beloved Tropic Like It’s Hot, a refreshing blend of Rumhaven Caribbean Rum, fresh mint, coconut cream, blood orange, pineapple, and lime juice. This one is served in a fun coconut cup! You can also enjoy Duck Dive’s Blueberry Mojito, made with Bacardi Rum, blueberry, fresh lime juice, and mint.
Farmer’s Bottega
Farmer’s Bottega, nestled in Mission Hills, boasts a menu of fresh and sustainable local ingredients, as well as beer, wine, and craft cocktails. Request a table on the welcoming outdoor patio and toast to this beverage-inspired holiday with the Paddle Out. After just one sip of the combination of Rum Haven Coconut Rum, Myer’s Dark Rum, pineapple, orange, and guava juice, and your taste buds will surely thank you. And the best part is that the cocktail is included in Farmer’s Bottega’s Happy Hour deal from 4PM – 6PM.
barleymash
Looking for rum-inspired sips you won’t find anywhere else? barleymash, a fun and high-energy downtown restaurant and bar is celebrating National Rum Day with four specialty cocktails, only available on August 16th! You’re sure to love the Sneaky Tiki, with rum, orgeat, pineapple, lime, tropical RedBull, rum float, as well as the Ocho Old Fashioned – rum, cinnamon cold brew, sugar, and bitters. The Gaslamp spot will also be serving their
Coco Loco and Banana DTO all throughout the day, so don’t miss out.
See you there….and stay healthy, San Diego!
