A heady liquor made from distilled sugarcane, rum's sweet flavor profile is an ideal fit for the already-sugary, luscious hot chocolate. Often aged in oak barrels, it can also bring woody, smoky ...

It was with that thought that I raided my liquor cabinet once again, but this time with an eye on rum. And timing is with me, as National Rum Day happens to be this very weekend, on Aug. 16.

Nutcrackers have even gone mainstream. Harlem liquor stores sell a legal knockoff, called Nutcracker Tropical Fruit Liqueur, for $25 in a bottle decorated with the Manhattan skyline.