Thrifty Rum ‘Rita on the Rocks

When I made this delicious drink, I had a hankering for something sweet, salty and with the pleasant taste of one of my favorite drinks: The Margarita.  I’ve been in love with margaritas for well over a decade, and needless to say that if my name wasn’t “Blair” and if I had been born just south of the border, then my Momma would have done right to name me Margarita.  But I digress…

Today I would like to share with you a simple recipe for the satisfying Rum ‘Rita. I’m calling it the Thrifty Rum ‘Rita because it is inexpensive, and let’s face it – who doesn’t like to save a little money these days?  So, whether you are a starving artist or someone who just likes to watch their spending, you will find this Rum ‘Rita hits the mark and won’t dent your food budget. It’s so simple and satisfying, you’ll be tempted to invite the neighbors over to enjoy Rum ‘Ritas with you on that warm summer afternoon.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Tall glass

Great Value Margarita flavored Drink Mix (sold at Wal-Mart and found by the powdered drink mixes)

Rum (your favorite brand)

Syrup (use what you have…corn syrup, maple syrup, strawberry syrup. Whatever!)

Table salt with a few dashes of sugar

Ice (crushed)

Wal-Mart makes a line of delicious drink mixes under the Great Value brand-name. The margarita flavored mix is simply a lemon-lime flavored refreshment, sold in powder envelopes that you can mix up like a pitcher of Kool-Aid.  Make a 2 quart pitcher of the margarita flavored drink using 1 envelope/pouch of the drink mix. Now you’re ready to prepare your Thrifty Rum ‘Rita.

First, rub a small dab of syrup around the rim of your drinking glass. (You’ll use a small amount to provide some stickiness. This will help the salt adhere to the edge of the glass.) Now, pour some salt in a small dish and turn your drinking glass upside down to rub the edges of the drinking glass into the salt. Table salt works just fine, but if you want to punch up the flavor a bit, sprinkle a few pinches of sugar into the table salt and rub the rim of the glass into the salt/sugar mixture.

Now that your tall glass is sufficiently coated with the salt along the rim, fill the glass (about 3/4 full) with crushed ice. Pour your margarita flavored drink mixture into the glass over the crushed ice, and complete the drink by adding a shot of your favorite rum.

Stir, and enjoy!