Stirred and Shaken

Neither the Continental Club nor the Drink Bar is open for happy hour on Mondays. So the young woman from Tennessee suggests we try the bar at the Fusion Café [3722 Main, (713)874-1666]. With its painted concrete floors, mustard-yellow walls and mostly empty tables, it looks like one of those cheerful little resort-town cafes designed for tourists who never show up. We split a Jamaican pâté (a sort of savory fried pie) and a couple of rum punches.

The bartender seems concerned when we sit down. "We don't have a happy hour," he says apologetically. It's not a big bar, and Fusion doesn't have a lot of liquors. But the Caribbean menu and the large selection of rums make ordering pretty easy. "Can you make a Jamaican rum punch?" I ask. The question inspires a large grin. "Rum punch is my specialty," he says. Remind people to drink this cocktail with a straw, because the rum is on the top and the fruit juices are on the bottom, my companion dictates as I take notes.

2 shots Parrot Bay Coconut Rum
1 shot Bacardi Silver Rum
1 shot Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum
1 shot grenadine
3 shots orange juice
4 shots pineapple juice
2 shots cranberry juice
2 lemon slices
2 lime slices
2 orange slices

Combine all ingredients except the fruit slices in a shaker and mix well. Fill two tumblers with ice and pour the punch over the ice. Garnish each glass with three fruit slices and a straw. Serves two.