By Rebecca Goodman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Montecristo Rum takes its name from a top-shelf cigar. For some guys I know, rum on the rocks combined with a premium puff is a satisfying recipe. The 80-proof rum has a heady aroma and a velvety texture, while the cigar offers a rich, earthy flavor.

But those of us who aren't cigar lovers can find contentment in a different combination - a drink inspired by a recent day when it was 82 degrees in the shade. I spiked vanilla milkshakes with Montecristo and served them to friends on my backyard deck. It was a perfect pairing, thanks to the vanilla overtones of this rum, which costs about $30 a bottle.

Introduced last year, Montecristo is hand-blended from 12- to 23-year-old rums. The Guatemalan recipe is centuries old and the American oak barrels in which Montecristo is aged provide a finishing touch. The barrels impart an amber color and enhance the warm, sweet flavor of the rum with notes of oak, honey and vanilla.

For my Montecristo Milkshake, I added local flavor by using premium UDF Homemade ice cream with bits of vanilla bean.

Montecristo Milkshake

2 or 3 scoops vanilla bean ice cream

2 tablespoons Montecristo Rum

4 ounces milk

Add all ingredients to blender and pulse to combine. Pour into chilled glass. Makes 1 milkshake. (If you prefer a thicker shake, use more ice cream or less milk.)

E-mail sips@enquirer.com