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The Polar Bear Cooler shares a name with the Polar Bear but very little else. This is a long, fruity rum drink: dark rum and Punt e Mes with lemon and orange juice, lengthened with cold 7-Up and poured into a collins glass packed with broken ice, then dressed up with a lemon spiral, an orange wedge and a cherry.
Dark rum gives it molasses and caramel, while Punt e Mes, a bittersweet Italian vermouth, adds a deep red color and a pleasant bitter edge that keeps the drink from tipping into fruit punch. Lemon juice sharpens it, the splash of orange rounds it out, and the 7-Up brings fizz and a little sweetness. It drinks like a tall, sparkling relative of a rum Manhattan, refreshing but with more going on than most coolers.
Glass: Collins glass | Strength: Medium | Serves: 1 | Prep Time: 3 minutes
Bartenders tip: The recipe just says to pour everything into the glass, but it builds better if you add the rum, Punt e Mes and juices over the ice first, stir, and then top with the 7-Up so it stays lively. If you can’t find Punt e Mes, a good sweet vermouth with a dash of Angostura bitters gets you close. Cut the lemon spiral with a channel knife or peeler before you start mixing.
Steps
- Pour into a collins glass filled with broken ice and add a spiral of lemon.
- Garnish with an orange wedge and cherry.
- Serve with straws.
