There was a time, not too long ago, when tattoos were cool. We're not talking about that Tasmanian Devil you have tattooed on your ankle, or your girlfriend's "tribal" lower back tattoo. We're talking the big, beefy sailor tattoos that involved manly things like snakes and skulls and half-naked women. We're talking the kind of morning where you wake up six states away from where you started with a black eye, an empty wallet and some badass ink on your forearm.

The folks over at Sailor Jerry Rum know a thing or two about that kind of morning as well. They make a 92 proof spiced rum that's based on the "customized" rums sailors used to make when they were bored on long ocean journeys. While this is no Screech Rum (a good thing), it's no pantywaist rum infused with coconut essence and pixie dust, either. Based on what we've read, Sailor Jerry rum is spiced with punk rock and testosterone, and they know a little something about bad ass - their namesake, "Sailor Jerry" Collins, was a Honolulu tattoo artist who spawned a mythos with when he redefined the old-school tattoo. From the Sailor Jerry site:

This is man stuff. Filled with the grit, romance and heartbreak that drives some men to do what most would not. There's a tension about port cities filled with men who consider themselves on a mission to have a good time and return with evidence of such. And it's drawn into all of Sailor Jerry's tattoos. Keep your eyes out for his work, not in galleries, but in bars and on the street. If you find yourself strangely captivated by the girl on an old man's arm, we suggest you go ahead and offer to buy the guy a drink of Sailor Jerry Navy Rum. Hopefully, he'll be so impressed with your taste in rum, he won't punch you out and maybe he'll tell you some stories.

You can keep your rums that feature Admirals and Captains - we'll stick with Sailor Jerry, and we'll get a review up as soon as possible. Until then, learn more about the rum and shop for tattooed Sailor Jerry gear including t-shirts and glassware at SailorJerry.com.enjoyment. We stuck to just these two drinks, but if you want to check out some more...iconoclastic...recipes, go to the Hendrick's cocktails page.

So what does it taste like? The only adjective we could come up with was "velvety." There were the typical juniper/evergreen tastes, combined with citrus and even a mint undertone. If you're a gin drinker, someone who typically sticks to a Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray, we highly recommend seeking out Hendrick's and giving it a try. You'll be glad you did. Don't just drink it - savor it, sip it, enjoy it. At some point we'll go back to our brown liquors, but for right now we're going to enjoy a nice Hendrick's and tonic and pretend we're riding a unicorn through a field of daisies.

More About Hendrick's: Hendrick's is distilled in small batches in Ayrshire, Scotland. It's imported by William Grant & Sons, the same fine folks who bring you a few other spirits you might recognize, including Glenfiddich and The Balvenie single malt whiskies and Sailor Jerry Rum.