Ingredients

2 ozblackstrap rum
60 ml
½ ozfalernum
15 ml
2 dashesangostura bitters
2 dashes
½ ozfresh lime juice
15 ml

Instructions

Add blackstrap rum, falernum, Angostura bitters, and fresh lime juice directly into a rocks glass filled with ice. Stir briefly to combine. Garnish with a lime wheel. The Corn 'n' Oil is a Barbadian classic — dark, rich, and deeply flavored from the blackstrap rum and spiced falernum. It's named for its dark, oily appearance in the glass.

Sips & Tips

Technique

This is a built drink — no shaker needed. The blackstrap rum is thick and viscous, so stir it well with the other ingredients to integrate. The lime juice brightens what would otherwise be an intensely dark, sweet drink. Use plenty of ice to keep it cold and provide dilution.

Balance

Blackstrap rum (like Cruzan Blackstrap or Gosling's Black Seal) is essential — it's the molasses-heavy rum that gives the drink its name and character. The falernum (John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum is the standard) adds lime, almond, clove, and ginger spice. Together they create something greater than the sum of their parts.

History

The Corn 'n' Oil is a traditional Barbadian drink that predates the tiki movement. The name refers to the drink's dark, oily appearance — 'corn' being an old term for any grain spirit. It's been made in Barbados for generations and was popularized internationally by cocktail historian Jeff 'Beachbum' Berry.

The Corn 'n' Oil is Barbados in a glass — dark, rich, and spiced with island warmth. It's the kind of drink that makes you understand why rum was once the world's most popular spirit. Cheers.

Variations

Corn 'n' Oil with Aged Rum

Use a dark aged rum like El Dorado 12 instead of blackstrap. The drink becomes more refined and less intensely molasses-forward, but loses some of its rustic Barbadian character.