Twelve Miles Out

2025-01-16 Liqueurs Rum Stars - 2 Tarus

When I started making cocktails I was limited by the ingredients I had on hand. Now that I have one of the best stocked liquor cabinets between Atlanta and DC I can make a lot of things.

This drink out of the Prohibition Centennial Edition of Dr. Cocktail’s book is another equal portions drink, so I decided to give it a try.

Twelve Miles Out - an orange colored cocktail in a conical glass

1.5 ounces white rum

1.5 ounces Swedish Punsch

1.5 ounce Calvados

Stir on ice, strain into a cocktail glass and serve with an orange twist.

The first mistake I made was that I shook this drink, which is why it is a little cloudy in the picture. I had forgotten that “booze forward” drinks are usually stirred, while drinks with things like juice or syrup are shaken.

The second mistake I made was drinking it.

I kid, but I didn’t really care for it. Being completely made of spirits it is a strong drink, and I didn’t like the first sip at all, but it started to mellow a bit as I drank it, and I thought I might rate a three. But it became harsh again as I finished it so it gets a two.

One issue with the new edition of the book is that a lot of the recipes are missing the little stories that made the first edition so good. This drink should not be confused with the Twelve Mile Limit but both get their names from the fact that during US Prohibition, US laws only extended out 12 miles from shore.

This recipe is credited to both the Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930

Savoy recipe for Twelve Miles Out

and The Official Mixer’s Manual (1934)

Note that the Savoy recipe calls for “Bacardi Rum” but that was when Bacardi was in Cuba. I used some of my precious Flor de Caña white rum instead.

Rating: 2/5