View source for Falernum

{{Short description|Caribbean syrup used in drinks}}
{{for|the ancient Roman wine|Falernian wine}}
{{Infobox beverage
| name           = Falernum
| image          = Falernum.jpg
| caption        = Falernum and ice
| type           = Syrup liqueur or nonalcoholic syrup
| abv            = 11% (syrup liqueur), varies for nonalcoholic syrup
| flavor         = Ginger, lime, almond, cloves or allspice
| related        = Orgeat syrup
| color          = White to light amber, clear or translucent
| origin         = Caribbean
| region         = Barbados and Caribbean
}}
'''Falernum''' (<small>pronounced</small> {{respell|fə|LUR|nəm}}) is either a syrup [[liqueur]] or a nonalcoholic syrup from the Caribbean. It is best known for its use in tropical drinks. It contains flavors of [[ginger]], [[Lime (fruit)|lime]], and [[almond]], and frequently [[clove]]s or [[allspice]].  It may be thought of as a spicier version of [[orgeat syrup]].

The form can be [[Alcoholic beverage|alcohol]]ic (syrup liqueur) or nonalcoholic (syrup). Versions with alcohol are generally lower in proof (≈15% ABV), adding rum and emphasizing the clove, ginger, or allspice flavoring aspects for use in mixing [[cocktails]], typically tropical or [[Tiki bar|tiki]] drinks.<ref>{{cite web |title=Falernum liqueur moves beyond |url=https://punchdrink.com/articles/falernum-liqueur-moves-beyond-tiki-cocktail-recipes/ |website=punchdrink.com |date=30 January 2017 |access-date=31 January 2019}}</ref> It is also enjoyed on the rocks.

Depending on sugar content, the consistency is often thick and is therefore sometimes referred to as "velvet falernum" because of the feeling it leaves on one's tongue. Brands vary. The color can be white to light amber, and it may be clear or translucent.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Carrington |first1=Sean |last2=Fraser |first2=Henry |title=A–Z of Barbados Heritage |year=2003 |publisher=Macmillan Caribbean |isbn=0-333-92068-6 |page=74 |chapter=Falernum |quote=A liqueur made basically from rum, lime and sugar. The origin of the name is something of a mystery. The authoritative ''Grossman's Guide'' states falernum was invented in Barbados over 200 years ago and was named after Falernum wine, which was much prized by the Romans. There is a joke which purports to explain how falernum got its name. In one version, the tourist, after tasting the drink, ask the old man how he made this delicious liqueur. After a few moments hesitation the old Barbadian replies 'you have fuh learn um' (you have to learn it). The following is reproduced from Mrs. H Graham Yearwoods's (1911) ''West Indian and Other Recipes'': 'For 30 gallons of falernum: 9 gal. rum, 3 gal. lime juice, 1 gal. milk, ½ gal brandy, 56 lbs. sugar, ½ oz. bitter almond, ¼ oz. mace. To fine it, add 1 gal. of milk.' Rum and falernum constitute the drink known as Corn 'n Oil or 'Corning Oil'. The traditional rum cocktail is simply rum and sugar of rum and falernum shaken with ice and a dash of Angostura Aromatic Bitter.}}</ref>

==History==
Falernum may date back to the 18th century, when it was made as a [[punch (drink)|punch]] in the areas around Barbados. Some disagreement exists over the origin of the name, and whether the earliest versions would have included the steeping of almonds.
<ref>{{cite web |title=Falernum: The Elusive Cocktail Syrup |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/falernum-the-elusive-cocktail-syrup-to-name-drop-at-your-next-party-7673835/ |website=smithsonianmag.com |access-date=31 January 2019}}</ref> The same references also assert that earlier versions contained bitters such as wormwood. The inclusion of bitters historically would seem to be corroborated by a 1982 article appearing in ''The New York Times''.<ref>{{cite news |title=IN THE LORE OF BARBADOS |work=The New York Times |date=14 April 1982 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/14/garden/in-the-lore-of-barbados-redistilled-rum.html |access-date=31 January 2019 |last1=Deitz |first1=Paula }}</ref>

In the literary magazine ''[[All the Year Round]]'', owned by [[Charles Dickens Jr.]] at the time, an unnamed author wrote of falernum in 1892, describing it as "a curious liqueur composed from rum and lime-juice".<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9DsBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA257 |title=All the Year Round |date=1892 |publisher=Chapman and Hall |language=en}}</ref>

The earliest known reference in bar manuals seems to be the 1930s. One producer claims his recipe dates to 1890, winning awards as early as 1923.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Carrington |first1=Sean |last2=Fraser |first2=Henry |title=A–Z of Barbados Heritage |year=2003 |publisher=Macmillan Caribbean |isbn=0-333-92068-6 |page=74 |chapter=Falernum}}</ref>

==Use in cocktails==
Drinks using falernum include:

*Better and Better<ref>{{cite web |title=Better and Better Cocktail |url= https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015240-better-and-better-cocktail |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=21 December 2019}}</ref>
*Captain's Blood Cocktail
*[[Chartreuse swizzle]]
*Corn 'n Oil (Barbados)<ref>{{cite web |title=Corn 'n Oil |url=https://punchdrink.com/recipes/corn-n-oil/ |website=punchdrink.com |access-date=31 January 2019}}</ref>
*Frosty Dawn
*Key Cocktail
*[[Mai Tai]] (not [[Trader Vic]]'s)<ref>{{citation|surname1=Arnold Bitner, Phoebe Beach|title=Hawaii Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine by Don the Beachcomber|publisher=Mutual Pub Co|isbn=978-1566474917|date=2001|language=de
}}</ref>
*[[Port Antonio]] Cocktail
*Puka Punch<ref>{{cite web |title=Puka Punch |url=https://cocktailpartyapp.com/drinks/puka-punch/ |website=cocktailpartyap.com |date=21 July 2017 |access-date=31 January 2019}}</ref>
*[[Royal Bermuda Cocktail]]
*[[Rum Collins]] (some variations)
*[[Rum Swizzle|Bermuda Rum Swizzle]]
*Saturn Cocktail<ref>{{cite web
|title=Saturn Cocktail Recipe
|url=https://www.liquor.com/recipes/the-saturn/
|website=liquor.com
|access-date=15 September 2020}}</ref>
*White Lion
*[[Zombie (cocktail)|Zombie]] ([[Don the Beachcomber]]'s)
* [[Test Pilot (cocktail)|Test Pilot]] (including the Jet Pilot variant)
* Trader Sam's Uh-Oa!
* Tourist n’ Sugar
* Three Dots and a Dash<ref>{{Cite web |title=Three Dots And A Dash Cocktail Recipe |url=https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/4792/three-dots-and-a-dash |access-date=2022-07-30 |website=www.diffordsguide.com |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Fassionola]] syrup
* [[List of syrups]]
*[[Orgeat syrup]]

==References==
{{Commons category}}
{{reflist}}

{{Barbadian cuisine}}
{{Alcoholic beverages}}

[[Category:Sugar substitutes]]
[[Category:Liqueurs]]
[[Category:Barbadian cuisine]]
[[Category:Caribbean drinks]]
[[Category:Syrup]]
[[Category:Drink mixers]]
[[Category:Almonds]]