Rum. For pirates, it’s a basic food group. For the rest of us, it’s one of life’s little pleasure. We sip frozen rum drinks in the summer to relieve the heat, nurse hot buttered rum in the winter to chase away the chill, and we add a shot to our eggnog for a little extra holiday cheer; we pour it over cakes and whip it into candies. We dump it on bananas and light the whole thing on fire. It’s only fitting we take a day to celebrate this gift from the Caribbean.
National Rum Day is August 16, and if your plans that day include a visit to Lake George, here are some ways to celebrate National Rum Day while taking in the sights by the Queen of American lakes.
Enjoy a Creamy Treat
The folks at Nina’s Sweet Shoppe on Canada Street tell us that rum raisin ice cream is more of an autumn treat, but any flavor ice cream is good in August. You can enjoy your treat on Nina’s street-side deck or walk across the street to Shepard Park and sink into an Adirondack chair in the shade of a maple tree.
Savor a Shark Bite
It’s a difficult National Rum Day decision — white rum or spiced? King Neptune’s Pub on the Lakefront Walkway has both covered in their Shark Bite. This cocktail contains both types of rum, blue Curaçao (the ocean), drops of grenadine (the blood), Sprite for sparkle and gummy sharks for fun.
Take the Captain’s Cure
How does all–natural homemade root beer with a shot of Captain Morgan sound? At the Moose Tooth Grill, this is what they call the Captain’s Cure. Take a seat on the patio or settle into a booth at this kid-friendly restaurant. The menu is loaded with tasty appetizers, salads, burgers and seafood. Kids have their own menu, which comes with a set of moose antlers.
Satisfy your Sweet Tooth
The Sweet Tooth in the Village Mall offers hundreds of ways to get your daily sugar fix. Among them are rum flavored candy sticks. Pick up a sack of butter rum and piña colada candy sticks and head down to the Lakefront Walkway where you can take in the lake view while rum flavors melt in your mouth.
Sail the High Seas
Ditch your landlubber ways and drink your rum the way pirates do, aboard a mighty vessel. Granted, Lake George is not a sea, and the ships that sail the lake don’t fly the skull and crossbones, but they do come equipped with full bars. Board a ship at the steel pier on Beach Road, order your favorite rum concoction and pull a deck chair up to the rail for a relaxing cruise.