Enjoyed: Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “L.O. Rum Old Fashioned”

Ingredients: Appleton Estate signature rum, Denizen Merchant’s Reserve rum, Wray & Nephew Overproof rum, spiced demerara, aromatic + orange + tiki bitters

The occasion: This was our final night on the Oregon coast, so we chose a highly-rated seafood restaurant overlooking the harbor. We started the day in Florence, at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, where we rented a side-by-side vehicle and drove it not only over all the dunes, but also along the Pacific Ocean beach! We ate a picnic lunch of locally-made Tillamook cheese, walked up a hill to a lighthouse, then hiked to a five-hundred-plus-year-old Giant Sitka spruce. Needless to say, we had had a full day, so a relaxing supper in a scenic spot was the perfect ending.

My rating: ***** out of 5. I was intrigued by the use of three types of rum in this cocktail, with no whiskey at all. The predominant flavor was burnt sugar cane, which I enjoyed. The citrus flavors lingered at the end. I was not familiar with tiki bitters, but I suspect they helped the drink taste more “Caribbean,” which was perfect alongside all the the seasonal locally-caught fish, such as black cod, which I ordered.

Final thoughts: Four days and nights along the Oregon coast was not long enough. We experienced so much rugged natural beauty, yet missed several opportunities to see even more due to the marine layer and the pockets of fog that would creep up unexpectedly. Still, we loved our trip and hope to return.