Got Rum? ®
March 2025 fro M the grass to your glass, since 2001!
c ontents
March 2025
5 From The e di T or
6-9 The Angel’s s h A re - r um r eviews
10-13 C oo K ing wi T h rum
14-17 T he rum mixologis T
18-19 T he rum universi TY® li B r A r Y
26-29 The rum his T ori A n
30-33 T he r um l AB or AT or Y
36-39 rum in T he news
40-49 T he swee T B usiness o F sug A r
52-59 The sug A r mill: origins A nd evolu T ion
60-63 C ig A r A nd rum PA iring
r
Got Rum? ®
Printed in the u s .A. A publication of r um r unner Press, i nc. Taylor, Texas 76574 - u s .A.
Tel/Fax +1 (855) rum -T i P s © 2025 by r um r unner Press, i nc. All rights reserved.
March 2025
e ditor and Publisher: luis@gotrum.com
e xecutive e ditor: margaret@gotrum.com
Cigar and r um: philip@gotrum.com
Angel’s s hare: paul@gotrum.com
r um h istorian: marco@gotrum.com
r um in the n ews: mike@gotrum.com
Cooking with r um: sue@gotrum.com
w ebmaster: web@gotrum.com
d irector of Photography: art@gotrum.com
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F ron T C over : r efreshing Blue h awaiian inside s P re A d : s weet Tropical s unset
F rom T he edi T or March Is Marching On!
The month of m arch has finally arrived and, with it, the promise of s pring, nature’s awakening, outdoor activities, increased social celebrations and, as a result, higher sales volumes for those of us in the alcohol beverage industry.
Through our bulk rum and bottled rum clients (via r um c entral ), we still hear of struggles with slow-paying distributors, which affect brands’ ability to grow, even survive. But we also hear of optimism, as consumption in some tiers remains strong.
Through t he r um u niversity classes and through our private rum consulting services, we continue to see new and established distilleries and brand owners adjust to a changing economic landscape, reacting to -and even anticipating- obstacles.
i have said it before and it is worth repeating: our industry seems to attract people with a high level of resilience and determination, which is comforting during tough times.
The us Congress has approved an increase in the Federal e xcise Tax Cover o ver to rums from Puerto r ico and the us v irgin i slands, for more information please turn to page 38. i f you are in the rum business and you still don’t know how this affects the landscape and your ability to sell your rums in the us A, you really need to do some reading on your own or to attend training specially designed to impart this type of business intelligence The r um u niversity’s courses for 2025 have been announced and there are still seats available for “The Business of r um” which will take place on April 21 at our campus in Texas, please visit www. rumuniversity.com for more information.
American writer m ary m apes d odge once wrote:
“In the snowing and the blowing, In the cruel sleet, Little flowers begin their growing Far beneath our feet.”
s o, even if you are facing struggles due to non-paying distributors or a decrease in consumption in your home market, don’t give up the hope! Better times are coming: you just need to be prepared to recognize the opportunities.
Cheers!
l uis Ayala, Editor and Publisher http://www.linkedin.com/in/rumconsultant
do you want to learn more about rum but don’t want to wait until the next issue of “got rum?”? Then join the “rum lovers unite!” group on linkedin for updates, previews, Q&A and exclusive material.
T he A ngel’ s sh A re
by Paul s enft
m y name is Paul s enft - r um r eviewer, Tasting host, Judge and w riter. m y exploration of r ums began by learning to craft Tiki cocktails for friends. i quickly learned that not all rums are created equally and that the uniqueness of the spirit can be as varied as the locales they are from. This inspired me to travel with my wife around the Caribbean, Central America, and u nited s tates visiting distilleries and learning about how each one creates their rums. i have also had the pleasure of learning from bartenders, brand ambassadors, and other enthusiasts from around the world; each one providing their own unique point of view, adding another chapter to the modern story of rum.
The desire to share this information led me to create www. r umJourney.com where i share my experiences and reviews in the hopes that i would inspire others in their own explorations. i t is my wish in the pages of “ g ot r um?” to be your host and provide you with my impressions of rums available in the world market. h opefully my tasting notes will inspire you to try the rums and make your own opinions. The world is full of good rums and the journey is always best experienced with others. Cheers!
h amilton Breezeway r um Blend
o ne of the things about the rum community that i have always enjoyed is that we, for the most part, love to share our rums. Bottles we find on our travels, out shopping, or took note of in a bar as a cocktail ingredient. l ast year a friend gifted me a bottle of h amilton Breezeway r um Blend and was thrilled that it was something i had not already evaluated for “ g ot r um?” m agazine. i had only had one encounter with the rum and noted it was featured in a cocktail i enjoyed.
The inspiration and creation of the rum was created during the pandemic by s pike m arble, of s pikes Cocktail h our, and e d h amilton, long standing luminary and blender of the h amilton rum line. The Breezeway is s pike’s home bar and the set for his long-running YouTube channel where e d h amilton is a frequent guest. h amilton Breezeway r um Blend is a combination of rums from Jamaica and g uyana that are blended to 42.5% AB v in a liter bottle and was designed to function well in a variety of Tiki/tropical cocktails.
a ppearance
i n true h amilton rum form, the labels on the bottle have a good bit of detail behind the inspiration of the rum with a Q r code that takes a deeper dive about the blend as well as a recipe guide to go with the rum.
i n the bottle and glass the rum is clear with a very faint straw color. s wirling the liquid formed a medium band around the glass. The band quickly spun off one wave of fast-moving legs, and then slowly released additional slower legs before evaporating leaving a ring of beads around the tasting glass.
n ose
Pouring the rum in the glass releases a lovely bouquet of tropical flowers and fruit notes into the air. i let the glass rest for a few minutes and found the aroma led with tropical fruit notes of mango, pineapple, and banana. Toffee and oak spice notes drift around the edges, with cane grass concluding the experience.
Palate
The rum leads with a cinnamon pineapple note, followed immediately by brown sugar toasted coconut, and orange zest. Additional sips reveal the light mango and banana notes from the aroma. The oak spice notes introduce a pop of nutmeg, a touch of saline, and then merge with the swirl of tropical fruit notes to form a pleasantly dry finish.
r eview
u nderstanding that one of the inspirations behind the creation of this rum was the classic d onn the Beachcomber Zombie cocktail and knowing e d h amilton’s involvement the bar was set pretty high for this rum. s ipping the rum during the evaluation experience was pleasant and i found it particularly interesting how the flavor profile manifested in different ways than expected. The flavor hooks imbedded in the profile really do shine in Tiki/tropical cocktails from a r um s unrise to a m ai Tai. s ince this was the primary focus on the rum’s creation, i can happily say “ m ission Accomplished”. The rum is currently available across the u nited s tates and in line with the rums created by Beachbum Berry and e d h amilton making it a good fit for your home bar needs.
T he A ngel’ s sh A re
by Paul s enft
n ose
h olmes Caye h eritage Blend
The first time i came across this rum blend was during a visit to the Kaona r oom in m iami when proprietor d aniele d alla Polla introduced me to it. After we tried it neat, he proceeded to serve cocktails made with it, demonstrating firsthand the versatility of the rum blend. To say it left an impression would be an understatement. To create this rum, e ric Kaye brought together a blend of three rums that represent the three most influential rum-making traditions in the world. The rum blend is comprised of rums from Barbados (column/pot still molasses-based blend), v enezuela (column still molasses-based rum), and m artinique (cane juice-based rhum). The rum is bottled in a 750 ml bottle at 43% AB v n o sugar, color, or other additives are used in the creation of the rum blend.
a ppearance
This h eritage Blend has two different bottlings; the first has a label designed by d aniele d alla Polla for his former bar e sotico that has a vintage travel poster feel to it that comes in a clear bottle with a red foil security wrap. The second bottle is brown tinted, and the image and information are screen printed onto the bottle with clear security wrap. Both bottles are secured with wood-capped synthetic corks and have security.
The golden amber liquid is the same in both bottles. s wirling the liquid creates a medium band that slowly thickens and reluctantly releases a single wave of legs before evaporating, leaving a ring of beads in its wake.
The aroma is a swirl of banana, vanilla, spices, tart citrus, rock fruit, and toasted almonds with alcohol nipping around the edges.
Palate
This rum leads with the orange and lemon zest notes riding a base of ethanol. Additional sips reveal notes of floral vanilla, earthy mineral notes, nutmeg, dried apricots, and honeyed banana chips. s moky oak notes and allspice notes drift in, leading to a long, smoky, spice-filled finish.
r eview
As i mentioned in the opening, my first encounter with this rum was a demonstration of how it could be used in a variety of cocktails. The initial flavor pop of citrus and alcohol is a very different entry than i expected and immediately notified me that i should dismiss any preconceived notions. The subsequent flavors build an interesting profile that i enjoyed sipping and led to my understanding of why it is a solid “ s wiss army knife” product for both bars and enthusiasts to create tropical cocktails. i t is my understanding that this is e ric Kayes’s first rum blend, and in my opinion, he did an outstanding job with it. w hen i pondered the other rums, i stock in my bar that are designed for cocktails like Probitas, Beachbum Berry’s Zombie and n avy g rog blends, and d enizen, this rum falls right in line with them and will be a staple as long as i can keep it in stock. The h eritage blend is available anywhere h olmes Cay rum is sold or it can also be purchased online.
COOKING WITH RUM
Bringing the Spirit of the Cane Into the Heart of the Kitchen!
by Chef Susan Whitley
s pinach s tuffed s almon
i ngredients:
• ½ (10 oz.) Package Frozen Chopped s pinach
• 3 ½ oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp. h eavy Cream
• Pinch g round n utmeg
• 2 Tbsp. s piced r um
• s alt, to taste
• Fresh g round Pepper, to taste
• 4 s almon Fillets, skin on (4 to 6 ounces each, about 1 inch thick)
• 1 1/3 C. Breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp. d ark r um
• ¼ C. s alted Butter, melted
• ¼ C. Freshly g rated Parmesan Cheese
i nstructions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°F. l ine a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Thaw spinach under running hot water. d rain, squeeze dry and place in a medium mixing bowl. u sing a fork, stir in cream cheese, heavy cream, nutmeg, and spiced rum. s eason to taste with salt and pepper. s et aside.
3. m ake a cut in the center of the top side of each salmon fillet – making sure not to cut through the skin or all the way to the ends. This will create a shallow pocket. s poon the spinach mixture into each slit, dividing equally.
4. Place the fillets, skin side down, on the prepared baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
5. m ix breadcrumbs, melted butter, dark rum, and Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Top each fillet with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing down to adhere.
6. Bake salmon until an instant read thermometer placed into the salmon meat (not the filling) reaches 135°F - 140°F, about 12-15 minutes.
7. r emove salmon from oven and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to plates and serve.
Yields: 4 servings.
r hubarb c ustard c ake
i ngredients:
• 4 Tbsp. m elted u nsalted Butter, cooled, plus more room-temperature for pan
• 1 C. All-Purpose Flour, plus more for pan
• ¾ tsp. Baking Powder
• ½ tsp. s alt
• 2 l arge e ggs
• 1 l arge e gg Yolk
• 1½ C. s ugar, plus more for sprinkling
• ¼ C. s our Cream
• 4 Tbsp. d ark r um
• 2 tsp. Finely g rated l emon Zest
• 13 oz. r hubarb s talks, halved lengthwise if thick
d irections:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Butter and flour a 9”-diameter springform pan.
3. w hisk baking powder, salt, and 1 cup allpurpose flour in a medium size bowl.
4. w hisk eggs, egg yolk, and 1½ cups sugar in a large bowl until mixture becomes a pale color and consistency is thick, approximately 1 minute.
5. w hisk melted butter, sour cream, rum, and lemon zest in a small bowl.
6. w hisk butter mixture into egg mixture just to combine. Add dry ingredients and fold in until batter is smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Chill for about 10 minutes to let batter set.
7. Arrange rhubarb stalks over batter (don’t press fruit into batter, just place on top allowing to rest on surface however you like, trimming as needed. d on’t press fruit into batter—just place over top and let it rest on the surface. s prinkle with more sugar and bake until cake is golden on top and browned around the sides, 45–55 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan 10 minutes. s lide a knife around sides of cake to loosen and unmold. s lide directly onto rack and let cool completely.
Yield: 8 servings.
** no T e ** You can bake the cake one day early, just make sure to store tightly wrapped at room temperature.
Photo credit: www.bonappetit.com
THE RUM Mixologist
A space devoted to the exploration of classic and new rum cocktails
What i s Mixology?
m ixology is the study and skill of inventing, preparing and serving cocktails and other mixed drinks. m ixologists are experts in this field, but mixologists’ knowledge goes beyond memorizing basic cocktail recipes: it includes historical information, basic chemistry behind flavor combinations and a capacity for combining common ingredients in new ways.
Join us, as we explore the essential collection of rum cocktail recipes that every mixologist needs to master.
THE RUM Mixologist
This m onth’s Cocktail: m ojito
a bout t he Mojito
The mojito is one of the most refreshing cocktails you’ll have the pleasure of drinking. i t’s another easy drink with only a few ingredients: rum, mint, lime, sugar, and soda. After one sip, you’ll discover why it’s one of the best cocktails of all time, and soon, you’ll be tossing all sorts of fruit into your mojitos.
Mojito
i ngredients:
• 2 teaspoons superfine sugar
• 6 to 8 fresh mint leaves
• 2 to 3 ounces club soda, divided, to taste
• 1 lime
• 2 ounces light rum
• m int sprig, for garnish
Directions:
1. i n a highball glass, add the sugar, mint leaves, and a splash of the club soda.
2. m uddle just enough to dissolve the sugar and release the flavor of the mint.
3. s queeze the juice from the 2 halves of lime into the glass. d rop 1 squeezed half into the glass if you like.
4. Add the rum and stir well.
5. Fill the glass with ice cubes and top with club soda.
6. g arnish with a mint sprig. s erve and enjoy.
r eviews of books related to sugarcane, milling, fermentation, distillation, aging, blending and other topics related to the production or history of rum.
www. r um u niversity.com
101 Mojitos and o ther Muddled Drinks
by Kim h aasarud and a lexandra g rablewski
(Publisher’s r eview) i n the last few years, the mojito has become a staple cocktail at summertime parties and bars across the country. This simple mix of rum, fresh muddled mint leaves, and lime juice served over ice with a splash of soda is the perfect drink for cooling down on a hot, sunny day.
101 m ojitos and o ther m uddled d rinks provides expert guidance on mixing the perfect mojito, as well as 100 variations and other muddled drink recipes that focus on fresh ingredients and plenty of ripe fruit.
i n addition to mojitos, you’ll find caipirinhas, caipiroskas, crushes, and margaritas as well. i n fact, if you’ve got fresh fruit of any kind on hand, you’ll probably find more than enough delicious and refreshing ways to use it.
i ncludes 101 recipes illustrated with brilliant four-color photographs throughout
Features recipes that emphasize fresh fruit and herbs and inventive tweaks on classic summer drinks
w ith such drinks and variations as Blood o range m ojito, Pomegranate m andarin m ojito, Concorde g rape
s age Caipirinha, w atermelon Basil
l emonade, Blackberry g rappa s mash, and the classic o ld Fashioned
w hether you’re hanging out in the backyard, lounging by the pool, or eating at an outdoor restaurant, the mojito and its muddled cousins make the perfect summer drinks.
Publisher: h arvest; First e dition (February 11, 2011)
l anguage: e nglish
h ardcover: 128 pages
is B n -10: 0470505214
is B n -13: 978-0470505212
i tem w eight: 14.4 ounces
d imensions: 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.75 inches
your o ne- s top s hop for a ged r ums in Bulk!
• Column- d istilled, Pot- d istilled or Blends
• h igh Congener ( i ncluding h igh e sters), l ow Congener or Blends
• Aged in American or French o ak Barrels
• Aged in r ye w hiskey, Bourbon, Tequila, Armagnac, Port, s herry and w ine Barrels
• s ingle Barrels and s econd Aging/Finish
• d istilled in the us A, Central America, s outh America or in the Caribbean
• o ver 150 m arks/ s tyles Available, plus Custom Blends
• l ow m inimums and Fast Turnaround, w orldwide s hipping www. r umCentral.com
n ow o ffering Bottling s ervices!
Q: Why Bottle/ c o-Pack at r um c entral?
A: r um Central is located within the texas triangle , a region in Texas formed by the state’s four main metropolitan areas. The texas triangle is one of eleven mega regions in the u nited s tates and is home to approximately 75% of the s tate’s population. This area also benefits substantially from trade with m exico, the u nited s tates’ third largest trade partner.
A: r um Central is 30 m iles from Austin, with convenient access to interstate highways, rail lines, airports and seaports (within 250 miles of 4 of the top 10 u . s . seaports), guaranteeing fast and efficient shipping of your dry and finished goods.
Q: Do you need more information?
A: Contact us via our website below! www. r umCentral.com
l uis Ayala will be teaching the following at m oonshine u niversity in Kentucky (https://www.moonshineuniversity.com/):
• r um blending section of the Blending w orkshop, April 7-8 2025
• r um section of the 5- d ay d istiller Course, July 28-August 1 2025
• r um section of the 5- d ay d istiller Course, o ctober 20-24 2025
w e will also be teaching the following courses at our campus in Texas:
Q2 2025 c ourses
• April 21 ( m on) - The Business of r um
• April 22 (Tue) - The Classifications of r um
• April 23-25 ( w ed-Fri) - 3 d ay r um Course (Fermentation, d istillation, i ntroduction to Blending)
Q3 2025 c ourses
• s eptember 22 ( m on) - The Business of r um
• s eptember 23 (Tue) - The Classifications of r um
• s eptember 24-26 ( w ed-Fri) - 3 d ay r um Course (Fermentation, d istillation, i ntroduction to Blending)
www. r um u
Q4 2025 c ourses
• n ovember 3 ( m on) - i ntroduction to r um Blending
• n ovember 4-5 (Tue- w ed) - Advanced r um Blending
w e also offer customized and private training classes. For more information, please contact us at: r egistrar@rumuniversity.com
For seating availability at The r um u niversity in Texas, please visit: www. r um u niversity.com
s ign up now to be notified of upcoming courses and seating availability. Click on the button below or copy/paste the link on your browser:
https://secure.campaigner.com/C s B/Public/ Form.aspx?fid=1092285
the ru M historian
by m arco Pierini
i was born in 1954 in a little town in Tuscany ( i taly) where i still live. i n my youth, i got a degree in Philosophy in Florence and i studied Political s cience in m adrid, but my real passion has always been h istory and through h istory i have always tried to understand the world, and men. l ife brought me to work in tourism, event organization and vocational training, then, already in my fifties i discovered rum and i fell in love with it.
i have visited distilleries, met rum people, attended rum Festivals and joined the r um Family. i have studied too, because r um is not only a great distillate, it’s a world. Produced in scores of countries, by thousands of companies, with an extraordinary variety of aromas and flavors, it is a fascinating field of studies. i began to understand something about sugarcane, fermentation, distillation, ageing and so on.
s oon, i discovered that rum has also a terrible and rich h istory, made of voyages and conquests, blood and sweat, imperial fleets and revolutions. i soon realized that this h istory deserved to be researched properly and i decided to devote myself to it with all my passion and with the help of the basic scholarly tools i had learnt during my old university years.
i n 2017 i published the book “A meri CA n rum – A s hort h istory of r um in e arly America”
i n 2019 i began to run a Blog: www. therumhistorian.com
i n 2020, with my son Claudio, i have published a new book “F ren C h rum – A h istory 1639-1902”.
i am currently doing new research on the h istory of Cuban r um.
his T or Y o F C u BA n rum
26. T he rum T h AT C ured A K ing A nd P i CK led A n AT ion
w e have reached the third and last article dedicated to Basil w oon’s “ When it’s cocktail time in c uba ”, published in 1928. i n the first two, published in January and February, we dwelled on the dolce vita of the American tourists in Cuba, on the most famous cocktails and the trendiest bars, with some hints at other pleasures.
i n this article, on the contrary, we’ll speak only about rum. u nfortunately, the only Cuban rum w oon deals with is Bacardi; the others, which were many and some even prestigious, just don’t appear. h owever, w oon speaks a lot about rum in general, and by sharing a series of memories and peppering the text with personal opinions, he also provides us with some interesting information about rum consumption in the first decades of the 1900s. i n fact, i would say, more modernly that this part of the book helps us understand what the image of rum was like, the perception that consumers had of it, before the arrival of Cuban ron ligero w oon’s first experiences with rum, according
to his tale, happened roughly around 1910, with what we can call old-style rum: dark, dense, heavy, loaded with smells (and often also with the “the right rum stink”), and still used as medicine in many families. Then, he discovered Bacardi. w oon tells us about his astonished and delighted discovery of the new type of rum, which he never calls ron ligero , but simply Bacardi, thus contributing to the creation of its myth (another clue, i believe, of sponsorship). And by telling us about his experience with Bacardi he helps us better understand the impact Cuban rum had on the consumers who discovered it and became passionate about it.
i don’t know the exact dates, but the young w oon discovered Cuban rum a few years after T he ro YA l C ommission on whis K e Y A nd o T her P o TAB le s P iri T s (1908) had registered a change in the taste of rum (and also whiskey) consumers. s ee my series of articles in the January to m ay 2020 issues of our magazine and in particular the second article, T he voi C e o F JA m A i CA: s P e C i A l C ommissioner nol A n
At this point, a reflection and a question come to mind. The rapid and extraordinary success of Cuban rum between the late 1800s and the early 1900s could not have gone unnoticed by traditional British and French rum producers. They surely took heed of, and i believe were also worried about, the creation and development of this new product. i t is true that, as we have already said, Cuban rum attracted new consumers, but it was surely appreciated also by many who were already rum consumers, so it quickly became a competitor to be reckoned with for old, traditional producers.
This said, the question is: did the success of Cuban rum, actually the creation of a new type of light, easier, more drinkable rum, etc. influence the production of traditional rums, in particular, the great, historic producers of w est i ndies rums? And let’s not forget the French rums
(excluding agricultural rum which, at that time, was still virtually unknown outside the islands where it was produced).
h ow and when did these historic rums change to adapt to new tastes and new competition? d o their rums today, so elegant, clear, rich, but also pleasant and easy to drink, owe their birth and development, to a certain extent, also to an attempt to respond to the competition from Cuban rum? And later also from other rums that, for the sake of simplicity, we can call “ s panish style”? i n particular, given that the r oyal Commission’s minutes clearly tell us that in 1908 only Pot s tills were used in Jamaica, when were Column s tills introduced? i don’t know, these are questions to which i don’t have answers, but i would like to know more. i f any reader can help me, i thank you in advance.
But it’s time to return to w oon’s book. This time too, i present long excerpts, accompanied by brief notes in italics.
h avana isn’t c uba, so Woon starts and he tells us about his journey towards Santiago, which he calls “Bacardi Town”
From Camagüei eastward the road runs through monotonous miles of sugarcane. The train passes many settlements of h aitian cane-cutters, black as coal and almost as naked as Adam and e ve – certainly their habits of living must approximate those of our first parents. i f you ever feel tempted to think the g arden of e den a fine place, take a look at these Adams and these e ves.
c hapter XX - T he rum T h AT C ured A K ing A nd P i CK led A n AT ion ” – This c hapter is dedicated to his experience with traditional rum and to Bacardi and its mythology .
“From my earliest boyhood rum has exercised a romantic influence over me. i remember at the age of nine reading s tevenson’s couplet:
Fifteen men on a dead man’s chestYo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
And for years afterward the thought of a bottle of rum was irresistibly connected with fifteen roistering pirates, the skulland-cross bones on their cock-hats and double-edged knives in their teeth, sitting on an iron-bound box belonging to a dead man. o nly afterward i learned that ‘ d eadman’s Chest’ was the name of an island, a pirate rendezvous.
At the age of thirteen i met my first bottle of rum. There was an old coastguard, said to have been a smuggler, who lived in a disused lighthouse near a village on the e nglish Channel where we went for our holidays, and he was the man with the bottle. h e would sit with this bottle – it was all the time the same bottle, squarefaced, black and sinister of appearance – and a large glass, and as he yarned he would gulp down stuff looking like my grandmother’s blackberry cordial.
w hen he said that it was rum i gazed fearfully around, but saw no dead man nor any sign of a chest, and was afraid to ask.
l ater on, The d emon r um began to ornament the bill-boards of the e nglish countryside, appeals to a laggard public conscience by a temperance society. o n these bill-boards the d emon was a demon indeed – an evil-faced creature with horns and a horrible grimace, and a tail which curled around the helpless bodies of his dying and despairing disciples.
These posters made a deep impression on my adolescent mind, and on my bad nights – i was troubled with bronchial catarrh – i would dream feverishly of a frightful fiend who would invade my slumbers, branding a bottle and grinning horribly.
Then, one day, when i had taken French leave of school and had adventured far, i found myself under piles of blankets in a hot country, alternately sweating and chilled to the bone. And the medicine was served me hot and black, a tumbler an hour, and i knew then that even a demon has his uses.
l ater still, in e urope, i found that the d emon was considered an indispensable item in every household. n o French wife would be so foolish as to forget always to have on hand a supply of that sovereign remedy for chills, colds and la grippe, r um.
But it was not until after American prohibition narrowed the field of alcoholic beverages that i made the acquaintance of the d emon’s Cuban product – a clear, limpid liquid which, in some secret process, had lost its chocolate color and its pharmaceutical odor, and which could proudly take its place among the whiskeys and brandies of a gentleman’s cellar.
Beginning as a thick, dark-brown drink to make pirates drunk, and passing through its phase as universal medicine, r um, by the grace of a family named Bacardí and of American Prohibition, had become, in fact, a gentleman’s drink.
The d emon was at last respectable. And here we find s antiago s antiago is the chief bailiwick of that notorious old villain, the d emon r um. h ere he has his lair, and here he holds court, surrounded by his general staff: Prince d emijohn, Prime m inister Bottle and Jester Tumbler.
h e is a clean-living old scoundrel, though, and his living quarters are much cleaner than many a king’s palace. w hile he can be short-tempered at times, particularly when seen too much of, his nature generally is genial, his outlook sunny and his temperament sweet – as befits one into whose makeup have gone but two ingredients: vegetable juice and the sun.
As a humble visitor to his capital i expected, naturally, to be invited to his headquarters. Accordingly, i called one morning to the h igh Priest of his temple, a Jolly, courteous human named Facundo Bacardi, and was graciously accorded an audience.
‘ g ood morning’ i said, ‘ i would have audience with the d emon’
‘ h e’ll be honored,’ said the h igh Priest, politely, ‘Come, we’ll go out to his home.’
But we’ll get back to the interview with Facundo Bacardí and his meeting with Don Facundo, not the founder, of course, but one of his descendants, in the future, when we deal with the defense of the Bacardi brand. Then Woon dedicates himself to Bacardi and its history, and begins with a serious mistake. h e writes, in fact, that Don Facundo started to produce rum immediately after his arrival in c ub in 1838. h owever, we know for certain, and even the company’s selfproduced mythology is very clear on this, that Don Facundo at first dedicated himself to other activities and only in 1862 did he start selling his own rum.
“ h is product was considered higher-grade than the ordinary rum of the w est- i ndies because by a secret process Facundo Bacardí had reduced the color from deep brown to light amber, and somehow done away with the disagreeable ammoniacal taste. Pirates were wont to lay in stocks of this new liqueur, and before very long the fame of the new rum became wide-spread. s paniards went back to s pain carrying a bottle or two show dear families. The g overnor g eneral sent a bottle to the King of s pain with his compliments.
Now come the bats, another important piece of the great corporate mosaic.
There was back of the kitchen where Facundo Bacardi distilled his elixir a tree known as the m oncillo tree. n ow, the m oncillo tree is a great favorite with bats, and so is sugar. Bats living in the tree would come with great chattering of wings each night into the kitchen and eat the molasses from which the rum was made.
s o many bats there were that the neighborhood began calling the Bacardi product the ‘bat drink’. And Facundo being a wise man in his generation, and being at that time in search of an adequate trademark, used the Bat as a
symbol, which is why to this day you will find it a trade-mark on every bottle of Bacardi.
The story goes on Facundo prospered and died and the business was carried on and vastly extended by his sons e milio, Facundo and José, who became famous for their charity and benevolence. … toward the end of the century, e milio had become the best-known and the best-loved and certainly one of the richest men on the island. … The triumph of e milio’s life came when Alfonso xiii of s pain, then a boy, was taken ill with grippe. The King’s physician, when all remedies failed, prescribed a bottle of the Cuban sugar brandy, then little-known, and the king was cured. There are two prime treasures of the Bacardi family: the famous ‘secret’, which is known only to the president and vice-president and which is said not to be even written on paper but carried in the head, to prevent theft; and the letter which the King’s secretary wrote to e milio Bacardi thanking him for making a product that has saved h is majesty’s life. Just what the ‘secret’ consists of is not even known to the distillery foreman. i t is understood that it is a system of filtration through sand, but even that is sometimes denied. Certain other rum firms have spent fortunes trying to duplicate the clear, fragrant liquid, in vain.
a ccording to Gjelten’s “Bacardi and the long fight for c uba” this happened in 1892. c learly, the c ourt’s gratitude was short-lived because it did not prevent the arrest and deportation of Don Emilio in 1896, due to his support for the war of Independence. a nd regarding the famous (or notorious) secret formula, I can only refer you to my article his T or Y o F
C u BA n rum 12. BACA rdi in the July 2023 issue of the magazine
w e have finished, for now, with w oon’s book. s ee you next month.
m arco Pierini
The Rum Laboratory
Presented
by
Join us as we explore the world of rum spices and flavors! i n this series you will learn to flavor your own r ums and to create your own l iqueurs and c reams.
making your own Apple Cinnamon Rum Liqueur
i ngredients
• 1 g ranny s mith Apple, d iced
• 2 Cinnamon s ticks
• 3 Cups l ight (low-congener) r um at 40% AB v
• 2 Cups s ugar
• 1⁄4 Cup Water
• 1 teaspoon g lycerin (optional)
d irections
i n a quart jar, add apple, cinnamon sticks, 1 cup sugar and rum. s eal jar tightly, and place in a dry, dark place for about 2 weeks. After two weeks, strain the liquid using a double layer of cheese cloth.
i n a fresh quart jar, add the second cup of sugar, the glycerin, water to top and the strained liquid. s tir gently until the sugar has dissolved. s eal and store in a dark place to rest for 2-3 months. You can then optionally transfer (and filter) into a serving decanter.
Did you know that...
• Cinnamon oil, which sounds like a delicious addition to anything, destroys the hell out of mosquito larvae, as it turns out. s o think of cinnamon as an environmentally friendly pesticide in a way by adding a few drops or sprinklings to your sunscreen or lotion.
• m ixing a few spoonfuls of cinnamon into a paste — with honey or actual conditioner — will lighten your hair once applied and allowed sunshine to get at it.
• Back in the day — talking the first century A. d . here — cinnamon carried an ungodly price tag, especially in r ome. i t was considered a precious commodity, given its high demand and low supply. o nce the regularity of foreign exploration kicked in, the spice became more available and therefore more affordable.
• Though you may think of cinnamon as a light, fun taste, it has some heavy background. i t helped preserved the dead in ancient e gypt (with a nice scent to boot) and m oses, according to the o ld Testament, added it to holy oil for anointing.
s ource: www.foodbeast.com
RUM And The e nvironment
ACT ion i T ems
March’s a ction i tem i s . . .
s tart r ecycling
r ecycling is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce your home’s carbon footprint. You might even get a little extra money in your pocket (if you can sell aluminum cans separately, for example!
w hen getting started, first learn what can be recycled in your local government area.
The types of items that can be processed are determined by your local plant’s recycling capabilities, but they typically accept these five materials: paper/ cardboard, glass, hard plastics, steel, and aluminium.
s omething to keep in mind when recycling is to always keep your recyclables loose in the bin – they do not need a bin liner or plastic bag. Bagging recyclables creates problems during processing, potentially leading to your recyclables being sent to landfill.
by m ike Kunetka
These are the most recent and noteworthy headlines in the rum industry. i f you want us to share your news with our readers, please send me an email to: m ike@gotrum.com.
The Pacific Legal Foundation reported that the Kōloa r um Company, a leading distillery on the h awaiian island of Kauai, is challenging a century-old federal shipping law that inflates costs, stifles competition, and severely disadvantages American businesses in Hawaii and Alaska. Kōloa Rum Company has filed a federal lawsuit arguing that the Jones Act is unconstitutional under the Port Preference Clause, a largely overlooked provision of the Constitution that prohibits Congress from favoring the ports of one state over those of another, ensuring equal treatment in interstate commerce. “ h awaii and Alaska are forced to pay billions in extra costs because of a shipping law that Congress had no constitutional authority to create,” said Joshua Thompson, senior attorney at Pacific l egal Foundation. “The Port Preference Clause was designed to prevent this exact type of economic discrimination.” e nacted in 1920, before h awaii and Alaska were states, the Jones Act requires that all shipping between u s . ports be conducted on vessels built, owned, and crewed by u s . citizens. w hile originally intended to bolster domestic shipbuilding, the law has had the opposite effect, shrinking the American shipping fleet while severely harming citizens and businesses in h awaii
K oloa ru M co MP any files fe D eral la W suit
and Alaska. “The Jones Act doesn’t just hurt our business, it hurts all h awaii residents,” said Bob Gunter, CEO of Kōloa Rum Company. “We pay more for everything we import, from bottles to packaging, just like all families across the state. And then we are hit a second time, paying exorbitant costs for exporting our rum to our fellow Americans. This lawsuit is about ending an unfair, outdated law that discriminates against the citizens of h awaii and Alaska.” The Constitution requires the ports of each state be treated equally. h owever, by mandating that shipping between American ports must be only on American-flagged ships, the Jones Act puts the non-contiguous states at a severe and unconstitutional disadvantage. i t restricts competition, limits economic opportunity, and drives up costs. American laws should work to the benefit of American businesses, but the Jones Act puts American business at a severe disadvantage on the world stage. The Constitution demands that Kōloa r um Company have an equal opportunity to compete in the market.
https://koloarum.com/, https://pacificlegal.org/
santa teresa
v enezuelan rum brand s anta Teresa has refreshed its 1769 packaging with bigger print and blue highlights. This new look pays homage to the brand’s deep-rooted heritage while embracing a modern aesthetic that reflects its commitment to innovation and craftsmanship. A redesigned canister emphasizes s anta Teresa’s solera process. The bottle itself displays an updated logo, the brand name shown in blue instead of gold, while the numbers ‘1796’ are more pronounced. https://www. santateresarum.com/
M aison isautier , la M aison & V elier and PM s P irits
6,000 miles from mainland France is the small volcanic island of r éunion, a French overseas territory in the i ndian o cean. Closer to m adagascar than m arseille, r éunion is home to the incredible m aison i sautier distillery, founded in 1845 by two French explorers. 180 years later, the family-owned operation is currently run by their seventh-generation descendant, Cyril i sautier. i n 2022, l a m aison & v elier and i sautier collaborated on two very special releases, two rums aged for the same amount of time, one distilled from molasses and the other from fresh sugarcane juice. e ach spent 16 years in lightly toasted, fine-grained French oak barrels before being bottled at a robust AB v without any adulteration. As most distilleries produce rum only from molasses or only from fresh cane juice, it is rare to have the opportunity to taste two rums distilled and aged the same way but from different raw materials. d istilled in 2006, and bottled at 59% abv, the i sautier s ugarcane r um is an incredible example of well-aged agriciole-style rum. i t is delicate and lively despite spending 16 years aging in the tropical environment of r éunion. Also distilled in 2006 and aged for 16 years, the i sautier m olasses r um is bottled at
57% abv. m aison i sautier’s practice of moving their rums from new oak to used oak after a few months shines here, as the complexity of the distillate itself is on display rather than being overpowered by oak. Beginning in January of 2025, P m s pirits became the exclusive us importer of the l a m aison & v elier portfolio. Also coming to the u nited s tates from v elier and P m s pirits is Papalin Jamaica h igh e ster, a blend of three Jamaican rums: w orthy Park w P l , l ong Pond s TC e , and h ampden C<> h d istilled entirely in pot stills and aged for 5 years in the tropical climate of Jamaica, it has been bottled at a robust 57% AB v. These are indeed high ester rums: The w orthy Park w P l that has an ester range of 60-119 gr/hlPA; the l ong Pond s TC e has an ester rate of 550 to 700 gr/ hlPA; and the h ampden C<> h with an ester content of 1,300-1,400 gr/hlPA. https://www.isautier.com/en/, https://www.lmvusa.com/, https://www.pmspirits.com/
D e M erara D istillers lli M ite D
d emerara d istillers l imited ( ddl ), has significantly upgraded its aging capacity with the construction of a new barrel aging warehouse, w arehouse n , at its Plantation d iamond, e ast Bank d emerara facility. d esigned to accommodate 30,000 barrels, the new warehouse brings ddl’s total aging and storage capacity to 130,000 barrels. This expansion supports the company’s ability to meet rising international demand for aged d emerara r ums while preserving the signature quality and rich flavors that define d emerara r ums. Constructed at a cost of g Y d 730 million, w arehouse n represents a significant investment in the company’s future. d uring a recent walk through by the Board of d irectors, Komal s amaroo, Chairman of ddl , highlighted the importance of this milestone: “As the demand for premium aged rums continues to grow, this new facility ensures that we can continue to deliver our award-winning rums while upholding the rich heritage and craft that have made d emerara r ums a household name for rum connoisseurs globally. The warehouse represents another milestone in our journey to solidify g uyana’s position as a leader in the aged rum industry.” w ith increased storage capacity and improved efficiency, the new facility will support the long-term aging process, ensuring that every bottle of d emerara rum delivers the rich, signature flavors that rum enthusiasts worldwide have come to love. d emerara d istillers l imited is the only remaining distillery in g uyana and prides itself on the preservation of over 300 years of distilling history. www.demeraradistillers.com.
ru M co V er o V er
l ast month, Congresswoman Plaskett ( d - vi -A l ) and her r epublican colleague, Congressman r on e stes ( r -K s -4), introduced bipartisan legislation to increase the ‘ r um Cover o ver’ which is the amount of money transferred to the u s v irgin i slands and Puerto r ico from the rebate of federal excise taxes on distilled spirits produced in or imported into the rest of the u nited s tates from the two u s . territories. The ‘ r um Cover o ver’ is one of the primary funding
sources to promote economic development and create jobs in Puerto r ico and the u s v irgin i slands. After h urricanes i rma and m aria, thanks to Congresswoman Plaskett’s and former Congresswoman Jenniffer g onzález-Colón’s advocacy, Congress passed a 5-year increase of the cover over to $13.25, from $10.50, in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P. l 115-123), which is the public law that gave the v irgin i slands and Puerto r ico the unprecedented funding to rebuild the territories. The temporary increase expired in d ecember of 2021. The legislation being introduced by Congressman e stes and co-led by Congresswoman Plaskett will increase the cover over rate to $13.25 until 2032, and the additional funds for the $13.25 rate will be given retroactively to the v irgin i slands g overnment. “The ‘Cover o ver’ has been a fundamental part of the tax relationship between the u nited s tates and its territories going back over a century,” said Congresswoman Plaskett. “These funds, which represent nearly 25% of the v irgin i slands g overnment’s annual budget, are critical for stabilizing the government employees’ pension program, supporting infrastructure projects, and attracting investments to diversify the economy beyond tourism. i am thankful to my colleague, Congressman r on e stes ( r -K s ), for co-leading this vital legislation that supports the v irgin i slands economy and our constituents.” usvi g overnor Albert Bryan. Jr. said “The ‘ r um Cover o ver’ program is a crucial source of revenue that supports essential government services and economic stability in the v irgin i slands,” g overnor Bryan said. “ e nsuring the continuation of this funding at the higher rate is a top priority for my administration, and i look forward to working with our federal partners to see it through.” https://plaskett.house.gov/news/documentsingle. aspx? d ocument id =4583
B acar D i
Bacardi is changing the lives of young adults in g lasgow who are taking part in its free bartender training program, s hake Your Future. The 12 s hake Your Future students, who are all from the local area, took part in the 12-week course which culminated last month when they faced their toughest test as they took over the bar service at the annual g lasgow Bartenders Ball at s aint l uke’s on Bain s treet, g lasgow. The s hake Your Future program gives the skills necessary for not just a job but a life-long career in hospitality. The program is being run by the team from Bacardi together with some of the most respected and talented members of the s cottish bar industry, who are giving expert advice on everything from how to make the perfect BACA rd Í m ojito to delivering first-class service in a busy bar. l iam g rogan, h ead Bartender of The Absent e ar on Brunswick s treet, g lasgow said “ i want to inspire these young people to join the industry that i love but i want them to walk into their first bar with their eyes open. A life in the hospitality industry is not a walk in the park, it’s hard work but it is rewarding work. i would not be where i am today without the support and inspiration of others along the way. By supporting Bacardi and its s hake Your Future
initiative i can do the same for these students as they set out on their own personal journeys into the world of mixology.” s ince its launch in Paris in 2018, s hake Your Future has been repeated in countries across e urope, as well as s outh Africa and i ndia, and has helped find employment for hundreds of s hake Your Future graduates who are now enjoying a new life behind the bar. https://www.bacardilimited.com/
the W ine & s P irits W holesalers of a M erica
As the only national membership organization of wine and spirits distributors, wsw A advocates on federal, state, regulatory, and legal issues impacting distributors and the beverage alcohol industry. At its 2025 w ine & s pirits Tasting Competition ( ws TC), the three rums that made the final round were not the usual suspects. Botran 8 r eserva Clásica r um, won the Best of s how e xtra Aged r um and Best of s how o verall r um.; Funk h arbor n o. 1 r um was the toprated d ark/ g old rum and r ed e ye l ouie’s i mmoral s piced r um was the Best in s how Flavored r um. h ere is how Forbes m agazine described these rums:
• Botran 8 r eserva r um Clásica is produced in g uatemala by the Botran family, whose rummaking history dates back to 1939. The Botran rum distillery is in g uatemala’s h ighlands and is the same distillery that produces the Zacapa line of rums. i t is bottled at 40% AB v
• Funk h arbor n o. 1 r um i s produced by Funk h arbor d istilling, a relatively new Jamaican craft distillery focusing on small-batch rums with a modern twist on traditional recipes. The distillery prides itself on creating high-quality rum using locally sourced ingredients and incorporating unique aging processes.
• r ed e ye l ouie’s i mmoral s piced r um uses a blend of aged rum and a variety of natural spices to create a rum with a flavorful and complex profile. This distillery focuses on producing highquality spirit blends with bold, distinct flavors. s hipwreck r um from s t. Kitts also won g old m edals for three of its rums, s hipwreck m ango, s hipwreck Coffee and s hipwreck Coconut Cream. https://www.wswa.org/ https://botranrum.com/ https://funkharborspirits.com/ https://redeyelouies.com/ https://shipwreckrum.com/
rhu M saint J a M es
The range of the s aint James distillery continues to grow year after year. i t is the power of an extra old A o C m artinique agricultural rum to enrich their collection. s aint James s ingle Cask 2003 is a testament to the expertise of the m artinique distillery, exploiting a dry vintage to produce a rum with powerful and structured aromas. Aged for 18 years in 200-litre American oak barrels, without topping up or reduction, it embodies the richness of authentic tropical maturation. Bottled after more than two years of resting in vats, this rum retains a unique complexity. o nly 12 casks were selected, resulting
in a limited-edition of 1750 numbered pieces. w ith a degree of 42.3%, it stands out for its finesse and depth, ideal for lovers of exceptional spirits. Parisbased agency Blazon / Crossdesign designed the packaging. The brand’s iconic rectangular bottle ( g laswerk e rnstthal) is engraved on the facing with the brand name. A wraparound label ( ns e tiquettes) printed on textured paper from Fedrigoni adorns the bottle. e mbellished with touches of hot stamping, it features illustrations of barrels and sugarcane, while a cask hot-stamped in gold is meant to highlight the rum’s s ingle Cask nature. The year stands out in bright red lettering. A wood-effect coffret, the coffret ( dl com) combines a structure in F s C-certified md F, 100% recycled greyboard, oak veneer and paper printed with a wood-like motif. s atin-finish selective varnish highlights the matt surface of wood veins while touches of hot stamping embellish the pack. A cut-out door mimicking the silhouette of the bottle opens to reveal the rum placed at the center of an illustration of the s aint James estate in m artinique. https://rhum-saintjames.com/en/
B lac K tears ru M and a X elina cor P orate finance
The i sland r um Co, owner of i sland r um Brands and Cuban rum brands Black Tears and l a Progresiva, has successfully closed a private investment round in partnership with a s wedish advisory firm Axelina Corporate Finance. “The i sland r um Co is on an incredibly exciting journey, combining rich Cuban heritage with a strong international growth strategy,” commented founder & C eo of Axelina Corporate Finance Andreas l indström. “From the very beginning, we saw a unique opportunity in their vision and quality-driven approach, which resonated well with international investors. i t has been a privilege to support the team in securing the right partners for their expansion.” Axelina Corporate Finance aims to become the leading advisor in the n ordic region within private markets, with a particular focus on capital raises, valuation and m &A. ““This investment round comes at a time when our global expansion and growth ambitions are starting to come to life,” stated h enrik Björck, chairman of the board of The i sland r um Co. “ w e are pleased with the cooperation with our partners and friends at Axelina, and both our international and Cuban teams have strong commercial and marketing plans for 2025 and beyond, supported by this new financial backing. The next round is opening now, with the aim to close in April.” The i sland r um Co was established in 2012 in n orway with the aim to create the first spiced Cuban rum, Black Tears. s everal years later, in 2019, via its trading subsidiary i sland r um Brands, the joint venture was created with Zerus, commercial arm of Azcuba, Cuba’s state-owned sugar company. The second rum brand, l a Progresiva, was added to the portfolio in 2021, a classic aged sipping Cuban rum. Both brands are now available in 45 markets internationally, while in Cuba, the home market, Black Tears is the third largest premium rum brand, the choice of a younger generation of consumers. https://www.blacktears.com/, https://axelina.eu/
ha V ana clu B
i n 2016, h avana Club created the Tributo Collection to honor Cuba’s heritage and rum culture. The 2025 release takes fine h avana Club r um and finished it in r edbreast s ingle Pot s till i rish whiskey casks from the m idleton d istillery in Cork, i reland. Asbel m orales, m aestro del r on Cubano and the curator of the Tributo collection, said: “Tributo 2025 is a celebration of h avana Club’s pioneering approach to successive ageing and blending, an art we have perfected over generations of m aestros del r on Cubano, redefining the art of Cuban rum-making. By finishing this rum in r edbreast whiskey casks, we introduce a new dimension to our craft, uniting the finest Cuban rum and i rish whiskey traditions to create a truly extraordinary expression.” h avana Club Tributo 2025 is bottled at cask strength of 43% AB v and presented in an F s C-certified luxury gift box accentuated by rich burgundy and copper accents. h avana Club Tributo 2025 is limited to just 2,967 individually numbered bottles and will be available in over 20 international markets beginning in April. https://havana-club.com/en/
no V o fogo
n ovo Fogo is proud of the contributions they made in 2024 to the environment and their communities. These are some of the highlights:
• The u n- e ndangered Forest is their project to restore 51 species of rare Brazilian Trees in the Atlantic Forest. i n 2024 the project grew even more resilient as they distributed 1,940 endangered trees to their planter’s network that numbers 141 properties across 2 Brazilian states. s ince they started the u n- e ndangered Forest project, they have collected 38,865 seeds from mother trees, with a total of 5,635 trees planted.
• s inger s ofi Tucker, n ovo Fogo’s co-owners and global brand ambassadors, brought their 2025 B re A d Tour (Be r eally e nergetic and d ance) to n orth America with electrifying energy. They turned music into environmental action, contributing $70,000 to the u n- e ndangered Forest project through ticket sales.
• Team n ovo Fogo joined s ophi Tucker’s tour, hosting “Cocktails on the Bread Tour,” a series of pre-funks and afterparties that turned 11 bars across the country into vibrant jungle disco celebrations. A portion of every drink sold at the parties along the tour went to the n orth Carolina h ospitality w orkers r elief Fund, raising over $1,700 to support the hospitality community most affected by h urricane h elene.
• i n 2024 they joined 1% For the Planet to dedicate 1% of n ovo Fogo revenues to fuel the u ne ndangered Forest project and now other 1% FTP members can fuel it too.
They feel this is just the beginning, as 2025 is already shaping up to be another incredible year.
https://novofogo.com/
The Sweet Business of Sugar
NICARAGUA
r egardless of distillation equipment, fermentation method, aging or blending techniques, all rum producers have one thing in common: sugarcane
w ithout sugarcane we would not have sugar mills, countless farmers would not have a profitable crop and we would not have rum!
Mardi g ras c ocktails
You can enjoy the best m ardi g ras Cocktails from the comfort of your own home. s imply look through the list below, featuring the best cocktails from m ardi g ras, look at the ingredients and select the one(s) you want to try. A quick visit to the internet will give you a plethora of recipes and versions for you to enjoy.
• n ight Tripper - Bourbon, a dark Amaro, s trega, and Peychaud’s Bitters.
• French 75 - gin (or cognac), lemon juice, simple syrup, and sparkling wine.
• s azerac - bitters, a spirit (or two), water, a sweetener, and a lemon twist—plus an absinthe rinse.
• The base spirit can be rye whiskey or cognac, or a combination of the two. Two types of bitters, Peychaud’s and Angostura, are employed.
• Brandy Crusta - brandy, dry curaçao, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters, served with a sugar rim.
• Absinthe Frappé - absinthe, anisette, and simple syrup, topped with club soda.
• Cajun m artini - Jalapeño-infused v odka m artini would scare off rowdy customers, but it in fact became a hit and led Prudhomme and his wife Kay to enforce a strict two-drink limit.
• h urricane - A lot of rum, a bit of citrus and other fruit juices, sweeteners, some red maraschino cherries, and a cocktail umbrella, all served in a curvaceous glass named after the drink itself.
• v ieux Carré - r ye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, Benedictine liqueur, and a combination of Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters.
• r amos g in Fizz - gin, citrus, a sweetener, heavy cream, egg white, and orange blossom water, topped with club soda to give it its iconic soufflé-like head.
• Brandy m ilk Punch - brandy, milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract since the 1940s.
• Absinthe s uisesse - absinthe, white creme de menthe, orgeat, heavy cream, egg white, and a dash of orange flower water.
• A l a l ouisiane - rye-and-Benedictine drink is a variation on the v ieux Carré. Though similarly spirit-forward, it dials up the rye whiskey, skips the cognac, and calls for a few dashes of absinthe.
Presents
The Sugar Mill: Origins and Evolution
i ntroduction
s ugarcane ( Saccharum officinarum ) is a perennial grass of the family Poaceae i t is primarily cultivated for its juice, from which alcohol (through fermentation and distillation) and sugar (through dehidration and refining) can be obtained. m ost of the world’s sugarcane is grown in subtropical and tropical areas.
i t is commonly accepted today that sugarcane originated in Papua, n ew g uinea, where it was initially domesticated. The plant was then taken to other lands by traders, where its sweet virtues quickly made it a sought-after commodity.
i t is also commonly accepted that around 10,000 years ago, the original inhabitants of Papua did not have tools to process the cane, meaning that they likely chewed it raw to extract the juice, which was consumed as-is ( n oël d eerr, The h istory of Sugar: Volume One ).
n ot much written history exists that documents the early extraction of the juice for the purpose of dehydration and formation of sugar crystals until the publication of De Materia Medica , a pharmacopoeia of medicinal plants and the medicines that can be obtained from them, which was written between the years 50 and 70 of the current era by Pedanius d ioscorides, a g reek physician in the r oman army. This is the oldest record documenting the existence of crystalized sugar, which was used at the time to “treat indigestion and stomach ailments.”
h ow did people manage to extract the dissolved sugar from the juice? The answers to this question are at the core of this series. s o join us, as we explore this fascinating topic!
Part 3: t he s crew Press
Part 2 of this series covered the Pole Press, a simple and inexpensive (but also inefficient) way to press sugarcane to extract its juice. i n this chapter we look at how the pole press evolved into the screw press, which took advantage of mechanical innovations, likely borrowed from the grain and the olive-oil industries.
Above we see a water-powered millstone, used to grind cane pieces into a pulp that is put into “mash sacks” that are then squeezed with the screw press shown below and on the left.
h ere we see the full engraving, showing the complete sugarcane juice extraction and the solid sugar production processes. The engraving is named “ Saccharum ” and it was created by Jan van der s traet around 1590, somewhere in e urope. m adeira was the main sugar producer at that time, so it is very possible that it depicts sugar processing performed there.
n otice how all the workers are in e uropean attire and no African slaves are shown. This illustration of work division in the sugar production industry closely resembles that from the olive oil industry, and it is logical to assume that mechanical innovations from the latter would have inspired those made in the former.
Join us again next month, as we continue to explore this fascinating world!
s ugar Mill s potlight
o ld sugar mill ruins located at the n ew r iver Coconut w alk e states in n evis, w est i ndies.
cigar & ru M P airing
by Philip i li Barake
my name is Philip i li Barake, s ommelier by trade. As a result of working with selected restaurants and wine producers in Chile, i started developing a passion for distilled spirits and cigars. As part of my most recent job, i had the opportunity to visit many Central American countries, as well as, rum distilleries and tobacco growers.
But my passion for spirits and cigars did not end there; in 2010 i had the honor of representing Chile at the i nternational Cigar s ommelier Competition, where i won first place, becoming the first s outh American to ever achieve that feat.
n ow i face the challenge of impressing the readers of “ g ot r um?” with what is perhaps the toughest task for a s ommelier: discussing pairings while being well aware that there are as many individual preferences as there are rums and cigars in the world.
i believe a pairing is an experience that should not be limited to only two products;
it is something that can be incorporated into our lives. i hope to help our readers discover and appreciate the pleasure of trying new things (or experiencing known things in new ways).
Philip # gr CigarPairing
t hree s hot s pecial
s ome time ago i carried out a pairing between a cigar and 3 different shots. i t was something inspired by a simple social trend that actually turned out to be quite good. i nspired by that pairing, i decided to revisit the idea, but this time with an added level of difficulty: i decided to pair the cigar against three mini cocktails, slightly different from one another. i selected to prepare mini versions of r um o ld Fashioned, with subtle variations.
The first one had a simple syrup made from brown sugar and water, plus 1 ounce of rum.
The second one employed the same simple syrup, but only to coat the inner surface of the glass, after which it was discarded, leaving behind only a layer of sweetness.
The third one, was like the second one, with a simple syrup coating, but with 2 drops of o range Bitters added.
As you can see, the preparations are simple, yet slightly different in order to accommodate the pairing with the cigar.
w hich rum did i select for this pairing? i opted for the Plantation Jamaica 1998, finished in m arsala casks, one of 300 bottles from this edition, launched by r um d epot in Berlin. i t is part of a sales strategy that i think is brilliant, it involves selling limited quantities of bottles with the added value of personalized labels. i really liked it, it is a very good way to release unique bottles for clients, making all of them highly collectible.
As far as the cigar goes, i selected a pyramid from Pasencia Cigars, a 3/16 x 52 ring, from the r eserva o riginal line. i t is made from 100%
Photos
Nicaraguan tobaccos, which means that we’ll have a somewhat intense body, so let’s see how the pairing turns out.
Regarding the pairing, I found the analysis to be very entertaining, being able to easily tell the differences between the cocktails. The original idea was not to necessarily pair the rum with the 3 shots, but rather to establish differences between the shots. Even if I placed the shots in different order, I was able to easily identify them and place them back in the original order.
Once the cigar reached the second third, I was able to identify the differences between the cocktails that suggested the possible pairing. All of this was based on the strength of the cigar, which I was perceiving to have a medium body, with hints of higher intensity, resulting in an easier pairing to carry out.
As i focused more on the second third, i favored more and more the one in the sweetened glass but without the bitters. i believe that, at least for me, it allowed for a more pleasant mouthfeel, resulting in a better contrast against the n icaraguan tobacco.
This pairing was very easy to recreate and an excellent exercise to find the perfect combination.
i hope that you’ll be able to recreate it at home, using a rum that is neither too complex nor too sweet, so that you can have marked differences between the cocktails and can find your perfect pairing. For me, it clearly was the first cocktail.
Cheers!
Philip i li Barake # gr CigarPairing
Photo credit: @Cigarili
