Rum, sugar and lime… the holy trinity of tiki… what more do you need to bring a taste of the exotic into your life? Well. Falernum for starters. The elusive elixir that adds depth and subtlety to many an exotic co*cktail.
In this article we’ll take a look at Falernum, its origins, ingredients, what it is and how to use it, along withrecipes for making your own, where you can buy it, potential substitutes and a couple of quick hacks if you’re in a pinch and need some fast! Plus ofcoursea few co*cktails that showcase it in all its tiki glory.
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What is Falernum?
With recipes varying from island-to-island and bar-to-bar,the dominant ingredients normally include almonds, cloves, lime and ginger, all held together in an overproof rum base combined with simple syrup. Thick, rich and incredibly complex, when used in small doses it creates a bracing undertone to other flavours, brightening the sour notes whilst adding layers of interest and spice.
Originally apunch style drink invented in Barbados, some sources claim the original formulation was created in 1750 byHenry Parkinson, with hisgreat-great-grandson, Arthur Stansfeld, registering it and bringing it to the states in 1934. Although this is around the time it first started appearing in bar manuals, there’s some evidence (an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 2, 1896) that lends credence to John D Taylor’s claim of having an ‘original’ recipe dating back to 1890. Though this is more likely to be its route to commercialisation than its actual invention.
Whatever the source, bars these days use Falernum as an accent ingredient, with mixologists using the original recipes as a starting place to build their own unique flavour combinations.
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How did it get its name?
As you would expect with such mixed roots, its naming origin is also under dispute. One of the main theories being that it was named after the Roman wine, Falernian (falernum in Latin). Which sounds fair enough… but is it interesting enough for such an atypical ingredient? Not a chance!
We far prefer the storythat it was based on an old Barbadian housewife’s recipe. That when asked what the ingredients were, she replied in the local dialect, “Haf a learn um” (Have to learn how it’s done). Instantly promoting this secret syrup to the status of folklore.
Seeing as this account is one of the only publication based references to date – coming from a statement made by Percy Ward (plant manager at the Mount Gay distillery) in a New York Times article in 1982 – we’re happy to perpetuate this particular version of the truth 😉
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What different types of Falernum are there?
For what is essentially a ‘house’ recipe, the possible variations are endless. But from a commercial availability perspective, they fall into one of two categories – eitheras an alcoholic liqueur or a non-alcoholic syrup.
John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum and The Bitter Truth Golden Falernum are the two main alcoholic options on the market, whilst there are quite a few non-alcoholic syrups, ranging from B.G. Reynolds well balanced Natural Tiki co*cktail Cane Syrup to Fee Brothers Falernum co*cktail Mixer, or Tippleman’s robust Double Spiced Falernum Syrup.
And if you’ve dietary preferences, ODK produce a gluten free version, whilst Brovo Spirits Lucky Falernum is not only nut free but sits at a healthy 35% ABV / 70% proof. Oh yeh, bring the rain!
It’s worth noting that tiki authority, Jeff ‘Beachbum’ Berry says theFee Bros syrup is closest to the Parkinson / Stansfeld “original formulation”.
By the way, when you look online for Falernum, you’ll often see DIY versions that have numbers after their name – this is simply the amount of times that person has adjusted their recipe– Paul Clarke’s No.8 and No.9 both beingvery popular examples.
So why make your own Falernum rather than buy it?
Outside of limited availability, it’s all about the taste. Homemade Falernum smells brighter and tastes cleaner, snappier than any commercial blend – adding a complexity and depth to the flavour of your co*cktails that just can’t be matched. It also gives you a great opportunity for flavour tweaking and personalisation.
The only down side to DIY-ing it is the slightly messy process, and as it uses fresh ingredients it has a limited shelf-life. But seriously, why would having to drink it sooner rather than later be a bad thing, eh?
Without further ado, let’s take a look at some tried and tested recipes.
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Falernum No.10
co*cktail Chronicles blogger Paul Clarke sets a well recognised 'Falernum baseline' with his recipes #8 and #9, however for us, #10 is the clear winner. For starters, it calls for toasting both the cloves and the almonds first (helping release their flavour), but most importantly it removes the lime juice from the base mix, which is the main ingredient that reduces its shelf life.
If you leave it in, it will continue to ferment and start to become ‘funky’ around 2-4 weeks. Without it, we’ve heard claims of up to 5 months (in the fridge)… but at The Lost Tiki Lounge it’s easily consumed within a month so we’re unable to fully verify that one 😉
Difficulty Medium
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Infusion Time 1 day d
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Ingredients
- 6 oz Overproof White Rum - Wray & Nephew recommended
- 9 Limes, zested - preferably organic
- 50 Cloves, toasted - buy a new pack - don’t use the ones from last Christmas!
- 2 tbsp Blanched Slivered Almonds, toasted
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
- 1 1/2 oz Fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced or julienned
- 14 oz Rich Simple Syrup - 2:1 ratio, cold preparation
Method
Zest the limes with a microplane grater, zester or vegetable peeler, making sure to leave all the white pith behind. And watch those knuckles! Adding human flesh really won’t enhance the flavour.
Toast the cloves in a dry pan over a medium heat, shaking frequently, just until they begin to become aromatic, then remove from the heat.
Toast the almonds, shaking frequently, until they begin to turn light brown, then remove from the heat.
Peel the gingerand either slice it into thin batons orjulienneit.
Add the lime zest, cloves, almonds, ginger and the rum in a pint-sized jar and allow to macerate for 24 hours.Every now and then, take a moment to review your creation. It looks green, strange, almost luminous. Give it a shake. Awesome.
Strain the infusion into your final container through a muslin or a moistened cheesecloth. Make sure to give it a good squeeze at the end to get every last drop of potent liquid out. If it’s still a bit ‘gritty’, run it through a second time, or if really stubborn try something like a coffee filter to help refine it.
To make the rich simple syrup, add 2 cups of sugar (preferably super-fine) and 1 cup of cold (or slightly tepid) water to a large jar. Seal the lid and shake until the sugar is completely dissolved. If you're struggling to get it to liquefy, add it to a pan and put it on a very low heat, stirring every few minutes until the liquid is clear.
Measure 14ounces of your syrup and pour into your final container along with the rum infusion and the almond extract, give it a shake to combine, and you’re done!
Notes
Something to bear in mind is that as we’ve removed the lime juice from the base recipe you’ll need to compensate by adding it back in when you mix your drink. If the drink already has lime juice in it then you don’t really need to add any more. But if it doesn’t, then squeeze about a 1/4 of a lime in for every ounce of Falernum used.
An additional tweak that we make at The Lost Tiki Lounge is to drop the cloves back down to 40 (rather than 50) and bring the ginger up to 2 ounces. Plus we grate the gingerrather than slicing it. This keeps the profile in roughly the same area but helps bring some of the other flavours to the fore.
Storage and Shelf Life
As mentioned, shelf life is around 1-2 months if kept in the refrigerator, but it can be extended by following certain practices:
- Removing as many ‘floaters’ as possible in the filtering process
- Sterilising your bottles and equipment beforehand
- Using a vacuum wine bottle stopper
- And always ensuring you use over-proof rum. Once diluted by the sugar syrup, a standard rum will lose its preservative properties due to the lower ABV.
Infusion Time
Most recipes you find are driven by a bars’ need to make a batch and have it ready for the next day. Hence the technique of using greater quantities of ingredients to reduce the infusion time. However if you’re a home enthusiast, you don’t need to perform to the same pressures and can run your infusion over a longer period - just remember to reduce the amount of ingredients you use - for instance, try a quarter of the amount of aromatics, but let them sit in the rum for triple the time.
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Falernum Recipe from 1896
Feeling the need to take your Falernum back to basics? Go old school and try your hand at the recipe that first appeared in the The Philadelphia Inquirer in 1896 (later syndicated in the Kansas City Star under the title “A West Indian Appetizer’).
Interestingly it follows the classic West Indian punch formula of 'one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak’, and is recommended to be drunk an hour before dinner.
Difficulty Easy
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Infusion Time 7 days d
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Ingredients
- 1 part Lime Juice
- 2 parts Sugar Syrup - preferably organic
- 3 parts Rum - preferably overproof
- 4 parts Water
- 1 handful Bitter Almonds - or 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
Method
To make the sugar syrup, combine 1 part sugar (preferably super-fine) with one part cold(or slightly tepid) water in a large jar. Seal the lid and shake until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Combine all the ingredients(in the correct ratios) in an airtight container, place in the fridge and allow the mixture to stand for a week.
Strain the infusion,bottle and then serve over crushed ice, along with a teaspoon of wormwood bitters (if unavailable, any good quality bitters will do).
Rich Falernum Syrup
Throwing a Tiki partybut have no Falernum to hand? Shame on you! But never fear, bursting with lime, spices and ginger, thisrich Falernum syrup is alcohol-free and only takes an hour to make from start to finish. Using only a cup of water as the base liquid you won't be making too much - just enough to see you through a good round of Zombies!
Difficulty Medium
Total Time 1 hour hr
SavePrint Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Cloves, toasted - buy a new pack - don’t use the ones from last Christmas!
- 2 tbsp Allspice, toasted
- 1 stick Canela Cinnamon, toasted
- 1 whole Nutmeg, grated
- 1/4 cup Fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced or julienned
- 4 Limes, zested - preferably organic
- 2 cups Cane Sugar
- 1 cup Water
- 5 drops Almond Extract
Method
Zest the limes with a microplane grater, zester or vegetable peeler, making sure to leave all the white pith behind.
Toast the cloves, allspice and cinnamon in a dry pan over a medium heat, shaking frequently. Wait until they're slightly darker than you think they should be (though definitelynot burnt), then remove from the heat
Grind all the spices together (once cool) with a pestle and mortar, or use a blender if easier.
Add all ingredients to a saucepan(apart from the almond extract)and bring to a simmer over a medium-high heat. Continue to simmer for one minute, then remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Strain the infusion into your container through a muslin or a moistened cheesecloth. Make sure to give it a good squeeze at the end to get every last drop of potent liquid out.
Add the almond extract and give the bottle a final shake to mix.
Notes
As this particular mix doesn't contain alcohol we’re aiding flavour extraction by toasting then grinding all the spiced ingredients. However, please note that with no alcohol comes a limited shelf life. I’d allow roughly a week or two depending on how well you’ve sterilised your container, but to be honest you'll probably finish it in an evening's sitting 🙂
Falernum Substitutes
Let’s take a look at what alternatives there are to using this distinctive liqueur:
Orgeat vs Falernum
Although Orgeat is another tiki staple, it has a completely different flavour profile to Falernum. However, as it’s an almond based syrup it could be used if you were hard pressed.
Quick Hack #1
Mix somedemerarasyrup with a few healthy dashes of Bittermens Elekamule Tiki Bitters, some muddled lime zest and a splash of 151 (Lemonhart). A real hack, it’s obviously not going to taste the same, but it does get you some of the way there and is better than not including it.
Quick Hack #2
Another workaround that can be used in a pinch – you’ll need:
- 1 oz Wray and Nephew overproof rum
- 1 and 3/4 oz Orgeat
- 1/2 oz fresh Lime Juice
- 2 teaspoons Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Clove (grated or ground)
- 1/8 teaspoon Ginger (ground)
Mix it all together, filter through a cheesecloth or coffee filter and awaaaay you go!
Falernum co*cktails
What’sthe best way to really get to know this intriguing liqueur? Try it in a tiki co*cktail (or two) of course!
Take your pick from our top Falernum favourites. Enjoy 🙂
- Bermuda Rum Swizzle
- Saturn (Gin based)
- Test Pilot
- Corn and Oil
- Original 1934 Zombie
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Thank you. Mahalo.
