Liqueurs

Allspice Dram

Allspice dram, also called pimento dram, is a liqueur of allspice berries steeped in rum and sweetened, bottled at about 22% ABV. The style is Jamaican, though the two bottles most bars use, St. Elizabeth at 22.5% and The Bitter Truth at 22%, are made in Europe. It tastes of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper at once and is measured into drinks a few millilitres at a time.

Quick Facts

ABV22.5% ABVSt. Elizabeth 22.5%; The Bitter Truth Pimento Dram 22%.

Legal categoryLiqueurThe Bitter Truth declares 200g of sugar a litre, twice the liqueur minimum

OriginJamaica (the style); St. Elizabeth is made in Austria

Flavour Strengthvery bold

SeasonYear-round (Particularly popular in autumn and winter)

Our keeping timeYears unopened. Once opened, a year or more kept sealed and out of the light; the aroma fades first.

Storage

Store upright in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Reseal tightly after use.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes vary by brand: check the bottle.

The ingredient

About Allspice Dram

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

AllspiceCloveCinnamonNutmegWarm spice

Tasting Notes

Rich, warming spice with dominant allspice character, notes of clove and cinnamon, gentle sweetness, and a long aromatic finish.

Pimento berries steeped in rum and sweetened

Allspice is one berry, the dried fruit of Pimenta dioica, and in Jamaica it is called pimento. The English name records how it tastes: clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper together. Pimento dram began as a Jamaican preparation of the berries steeped in rum. St. Elizabeth, made in Austria by Destillerie Purkhart, follows that method with Jamaican pot-still rum, and The Bitter Truth lists only rum, allspice and sugar.

A strong flavour in a weak bottle

At 22% to 22.5% ABV, allspice dram is weaker than most liqueurs, yet it tastes far stronger than its strength suggests. With 200g of sugar a litre in The Bitter Truth’s case, it is also a sweetener, so adding it to a recipe without trimming the syrup tips the balance. The comparison that matters is with falernum, the other spiced tiki bottle on the shelf.

Allspice dram against falernum and the dry spice

St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram

Strength: 22.5% ABV
Sugar: Not published
Flavour: Allspice, rum
Use: 7.5ml or less a drink

The Bitter Truth Pimento Dram

Strength: 22% ABV
Sugar: 200g a litre
Flavour: Allspice, rum
Use: 7.5ml or less a drink

Velvet Falernum

Strength: 11% ABV
Sugar: Sweet; not published
Flavour: Lime, clove, almond
Use: 7.5 to 15ml

Ground allspice

Strength: None
Sugar: None
Flavour: Allspice, dry and dusty
Use: Hot drinks and syrups, a pinch

Form	Strength	Sugar	Flavour	Use
St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram	22.5% ABV	Not published	Allspice, rum	7.5ml or less a drink
The Bitter Truth Pimento Dram	22% ABV	200g a litre	Allspice, rum	7.5ml or less a drink
Velvet Falernum	11% ABV	Sweet; not published	Lime, clove, almond	7.5 to 15ml
Ground allspice	None	None	Allspice, dry and dusty	Hot drinks and syrups, a pinch

Our Three Dots and a Dash measures it to the millilitre

The Three Dots and a Dash uses 7.5ml of dram and 7.5ml of falernum, with honey and three rums. Skip the dram and the drink loses its dry, peppery middle and tastes of sugar and lime. The same bottle seasons the butter and honey gardenia mix.

It keeps for years in the cupboard

Spirit and sugar preserve it, so it needs no fridge. Screw the cap down firmly, keep the bottle out of sunlight, and expect the aroma to soften over a year or two after opening. A dull bottle still sweetens; it just stops tasting of much.

Using it

Using Allspice Dram

Usage

Measured, not poured by eye: 7.5ml in the Three Dots and a Dash, where it shares the spice with an equal pour of falernum. A barspoon or two seasons a rum punch or a hot toddy, and more than 15ml takes over most drinks.

Pro Tip

If a tiki recipe tastes sweet and loose, a barspoon of dram often pulls it together faster than more lime does.

Top Tips

Measure it. A barspoon seasons a drink; a full single measure tastes of nothing but allspice.
It carries a lot of sugar, so trim the syrup when you add it to a balanced recipe.
Keep it sealed and out of the light; the aroma fades before anything else does.
For a quick stand-in, steep crushed allspice berries in dark rum for a few hours and sweeten it.

Possible Substitutions

Homemade allspice liqueur

Production Method

Allspice berries steeped in rum, then sweetened. St. Elizabeth uses Jamaican pot-still rum; The Bitter Truth lists rum, allspice and sugar.

History & Context

Allspice is the berry of Pimenta dioica, called pimento in Jamaica, and named in English for tasting of several spices at once. Pimento dram was a Jamaican preparation of the berries steeped in rum; the bottles bars use now are European, St. Elizabeth from Destillerie Purkhart in Austria among them.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is allspice dram?

A liqueur made by steeping allspice berries in rum and sweetening it, also sold as pimento dram. The berry tastes of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper, which is how it got its English name. Tiki recipes use it in small amounts for warmth and depth.

How strong is allspice dram?

About 22% ABV. St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram is 22.5%, the figure our recipes count units from, and The Bitter Truth Pimento Dram is 22%. A 7.5ml pour adds roughly 0.17 of a UK unit, so it matters less for strength than for flavour.

Is allspice dram a liqueur?

Yes, in GB law as well as by name. A liqueur needs at least 15% ABV and 100g of sugar a litre. The Bitter Truth declares 22% and 200g of sugar a litre, twice the minimum. St. Elizabeth does not publish a sugar figure but is sold as a liqueur.

Is pimento dram the same as allspice dram?

Yes. Pimento is the Jamaican name for the allspice berry, so the two names describe one style. The Bitter Truth labels its bottle Pimento Dram and St. Elizabeth calls its version Allspice Dram; both are sweetened rum steeped with the berries.

What can I use instead of allspice dram?

For one drink, steep a teaspoon of lightly crushed allspice berries in 50ml of dark rum for a few hours, strain, and sweeten with a little rich syrup. Ground allspice in rum works faster but clouds the drink. Falernum is a looser swap, with lime and clove in place of the berry.

What cocktails use allspice dram?

In our recipes, the Three Dots and a Dash, which takes 7.5ml beside the same measure of falernum and three rums. It also seasons gardenia mix, half an ounce to a cup each of butter and honey in Jeff Berry’s batch, so a bottle has more than one use behind a tiki bar.

How long does allspice dram last once opened?

A year or more if it is kept sealed and away from light. At over 20% ABV and with that much sugar it does not spoil, but the aroma fades slowly, so a bottle opened years ago tastes duller than a fresh one. It does not need the fridge.

Make something

Made with Allspice Dram

Featured In These Cocktails

Three Dots and a Dash

Often Used With

Updated 10 October 2026

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