TH E M U S E OF MI XOLOGY by Cr i s D e h l av i
Haitian Divorce A f te r b e i n g i n t h e i n dust r y f o r 25 + ye a r s a n d w r i t i n g f o r G ot Rum! f o r ove r 7, I of te n b e li eve I h ave h e a r d of eve r y r um dr i nk o n t h e p l a n et . N ai ve of m e, ye s, as t h e r e a r e c e r t ai n ly t h o us a n ds o ut t h e r e a n d e s p e c i a lly t h o s e t h at a r e c o ns i d e r e d “ m o d e r n c l as s i c s” (c o c k t ai l s i nve nte d b et we e n 1970 a n d to day). T h e H a i t ia n D i vo r c e i s a n e nj oya b l e o n e I c a m e ac r o s s w h e n v i s i t i n g Aust i n, Texas, l ast we e k .
H i, my n a m e i s C r i s D e h l av i, a n d I h ave b e e n w r i t i n g f o r G o t R u m? f o r a l m o st 8 ye a r s. Fo r n e a r l y 2 0 ye a r s , I r a n a b a r p r o g r a m at t h e p r e s t i g i o u s 4 - D i a m o n d O h i o r e st au r a nt “ M at M i r a n ova .” I t wa s o n e of t h e f i r st c r a f t c o c k t a i l b a r s i n C o l u m b u s a n d g a r n e r e d d oze n s of awa r d s . T h e r e st au r a nt c l o s e d i n 2 0 2 0, a n d i t wa s t h e n t h at I m a d e a m ove f r o m b e i n g b e h i n d t h e st i c k to wo r k i n g a s B r a n d Ed u c ato r f o r D i a g e o H o s p i t a l i t y Pa r t n e r s h i p. I h ave b e e n c o m m i t te d to m e nto r s h i p my e nt i r e p r ofe s s i o n a l l i f e a n d h ave b e e n o n e of t h e l e a d e r s of t h e C o c k t a i l A p p r e nt i c e Pr o g r a m at Ta l e s of t h e C o c k t a i l s i n c e 2 015 . I n 2 013 I c o m p l ete d t h e B A R 5 - D ay p r o g r a m, a n d I a m h a p py to a n n o u n c e t h at I p a s s e d my WSE T Leve l 3 i n S p i r i t s t h i s p a st f a l l. O n e of my p r o u d e st m o m e nt s wa s b e i n g i n d u c te d i nto t h e D a m e H a l l of Fa m e i n 2 016 . I h o p e yo u e n j oy my sto r i e s a b o u t c o c k t a i l s a n d r u m!
Got Rum ? Ju June n e 2023 2 0 2 3 - 220 0
To m R i c hte r o r i g i n a lly d e s i g n e d t hi s e c l e c t i c c o c k t ai l at T h e B e a g l e i n N ew Yo r k Ci t y. S adly, t h e E ast V i ll a g e s h e r r y - c e nt r i c ba r c l o s e d i t s d o o r s i n 2 013 , b ut t hi s o r i g i n a l r e c i p e li ve s o n. R i c hte r i s t h e ow n e r a n d c r e ato r of To m r ’s To ni c , a c i n c h o n a - bas e d sy r up m e a nt to b e m i xe d w i t h g i n a n d c lub s o da. I n 2 012 w h e n t h e H ai t i a n D i vo r c e was c r e ate d, T h e B e a g l e h ad a r unni n g t h e m e of m at r i m o ny - st y l e dr i nks, eve r y t hi n g f r o m “ S e c o n d M a r r i a g e” to “ S h otg un We d di n g,” d e s i g n e d by c o - ow n e r a n d b eve r a g e di r e c to r D a n G r e e nbaum. To m R i c hte r st a r te d p l ay i n g a r o un d w i t h di f fe r e nt i te r at i o ns of t h e O l d Fas hi o n e d (b o ur b o n, su g a r, b i t te r s) a n d l ove d t h e c o m b i n at i o n of r um a n d m ezc a l, w hi c h p r ov i d e d n ote s yo u wo ul d m o st c o m m o n ly s m e ll a n d t aste i n a s i n g l e m a lt s c otc h. T h e i nh e r e nt s m o k y qu a li t y of m ezc a l m i xe d w i t h t h e f unk y f l avo r s of R hum Ag r i c o l e r e a lly p ac k a p un c h of c o m p l ex i t y. T hi s t w i st o n a Rum O l d Fas hi o n e d ad ds eve n m o r e w i t h Pe dr o X i m e n ez S h e r r y, w hi c h p r ov i d e s r ai s i ns, date s, a n d f i g f l avo r s. I a b s o lute ly l ove t h at i t i s w r i t te n w i t h b ot h a li m e A N D o r a n g e t w i st , to o. T h e o i l s of t h e li m e b r i g hte n i t r i g ht up, w hi l e t h e o r a n g e te n ds to r o un d o ut a ll t h e i n g r e di e nt s.