Rum is a pretty underappreciated spirit, in my opinion. The countless "Rum and Cokes ordered by the college multitude at campus bars seem to slowly diminish rum’s true value. On top of that, I realized that I have yet to deliver a recipe that includes it. It’s about time I picked up the slack. The "Beach Peach" is an uncommonly ordered yet fairly standard cocktail. I find the thickness of the peach nectar dilutes the rum and brandy very nicely. I could drink these endlessly, which is admittedly dangerous, so enjoy with reserve. I always imagine this as a goofy sort of drink because a film about Popeye and Olive Oyl called Beach Peach was released in 1950. Somehow, I doubt there is any correlation. The following is my variation of Beach Peach with, as always, its non-alcoholic counterpart.

You will need:
2 oz white rum
1 oz peach brandy
1 1/2 oz peach nectar
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp sugar syrup
Ripe peach and maraschino cherries (to garnish, if desired)
Shaker

*If you desire to make this drink non-alcoholic, substitute apple cider for the rum and add more peach nectar to replace the brandy.

Directions:
Shake all ingredients well with ice. Fill two rocks glasses halfway with ice. Strain beverage into each glass. Garnish with a slice of ripe peach and a cherry. Indulge!

Suggestion: It’s fun to try different types of rum. For instance, a South American rum could give this cocktail a much different taste than would a Caribbean rum. Also, there are many smaller manufacturers of rum whose distillations vary greatly in flavor. My personal favorite is Rhum Saint James, from the Caribbean island of Martinique. Expensive, but tropically delicious.