Thread: Home made bay rum or soup stock?

Has anyone actually tried to substitute regular cooking bay leaf for Pimenta racemosa Bay leaf for home made bay rum?

I am hearing reports ranging from no difference to akin to using soup stock.

Any eruditional information?

From what I understand, they are two totally different things with different effects. The type used for cooking is not going to achieve the same level or intensity of desirable odor, thus making it suitable for only cooking or flavoring (odorizing?) Rum and Rum drinks. The other kind is very concentrated and intense, making it not really rare but somewhat more expensive. But, I could totally off on this one....

Yeah that is what I was thinking but I was wondering if anyone actually tried it out?
At any rate I have made two jars one w/ alcohol and witch hazel the other withstr8 witch hazel and both with soup stock bay leaf.

I'll let you know in 2 weeks how the concoction works out.

Nice, I was planning to give this a go a couple of weeks back but I didn't want to risk using a dodgy internet recipe just for a waste of time. Keep us updated and let us know how it is.

Ok this is the concoction I went with.
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup witch hazel (I've seen some posts saying 1/2 either or but I did both)
2 tablespoons jamaican rum
2 Carribean cooking bay leaves,
1/4 teaspoon whole allspice
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1/8 teaspoon whole cloves
Mix everything together and pour into a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Place this jar in a dark and cool place for 2 weeks.
After 2 weeks, strain off the liquid and pour into a clean container.
compost remaining solids to mess up varmints.
To use: Splash on your face after shaving!

Well sure is a seasonal scent.
Very harvest like. I actually doubled the cinnamon sticks and with the cloves achieved a bit more spiced nog scent than I'd hoped.
Bay leaves are overwhelmed so that part of the experiment will await another batch.
I will tear up the bay leaves to help release their pungent addition.
I'll try it after shaving tomorrow but I don't mind it so far though.

Is it comparable to a commercial brand, or is it a definate home made scent. I heard that you use much more bay than 2 leaves. Let us know how it is with a shave and how long it lasts. I might have a crack at it soon too if it is ok on the skin

I wanted to try this without the bias of a having a favorite commercial product.

Well actually the 3 buds who went down to Dominican last season all came back with lame excuses like:

They didn't have it at my resort and I didn't want to go into the city I heard it was dangerous.

The concierge said this (drinking rum) was the best you could get.

I got you this (drinking rum) is that what you wanted?

I have a second batch with a whack of crushed bay leaves curing in the dark.

Shave in one sleep

Well the ‘if one cinnamon stick smells good two will be awesome’ compounded by the cloves and I’m smelling like a bunt cake.

But hey that ain’t half bad. Sure beats what the lavender smelling braggadocios are sporting.

That said I can’t see how I’d want to smell like Christmas baking everyday. Though I am hoping that the babes will respond as they did to Travolta in Michael when he smelled all home baking awesome.

I’ll be reporting back with a more detailed review after a few of days of giving this a good go and soon the extra bay leaf batch will be up and ready.

See you soon.