Guide to Drinking 2015

guide to

DRINKING

last shot and other mini cocktails to down in one, p. 17

LOUIS’2015 INDEPENDENT CULINARY AUTHORITY GuideST. to Drinking

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Guide to Drinking 2015

GUIDE TO DRINKING EDITION

BY LIGAYA FIGUERAS, CATHERINE KLENE AND KRISTIN SCHULTZ

Mad science Bartenders are taking an increasingly scientific approach to crafting the perfect cocktail. For a next-gen cocktail course, ask the BC’s Kitchen bar team about the sonicator they use to speedinfuse their liquid stash. Watch Matt Osmoe of Blood & Sand use artichoke-laden liqueur Cynar in his Until the Morning cocktail to balance its bitter qualities. (An acid in artichoke causes the brain to perceive sweetness.) Head to Frazer’s to see Terry Oliver, inspired by avante-garde culinary science guy Dave Arnold, forgo traditional muddling for nitro-muddling. Liquid nitrogen gets splashed directly over herbs in a cocktail shaker and, with one whack of a muddler, Oliver shatters them. The tiny shards retain freshness better than hand-muddled herbs.

Whiskey like the sweet days of old Prior to the dark years of Prohibition, distillers often added sherry to their whiskey. History is repeating itself. Kansas City distillery J. Rieger & Co. has revived the ages-old practice by adding 15-year oloroso sherry to a blend of malt, corn and straight rye whiskeys. The result, Rieger’s Kansas City Whiskey, offers a sweet nuttiness perfect on the rocks or in an Old-Fashioned.

Northern neighbor Alberta Distillers adds a splash of sherry to its Alberta Rye Whisky Dark Batch, whose smooth notes of honey and oak and long, spicy finish we’ve enjoyed since it launched in the U.S. this spring. Also hailing from Canada is new-ish arrival Tap 8 Rye, an 8-year-old rye whisky blended with Spanish amontillado sherry for a velvety, nutty pour.

CHERRY PHOTO BY CARMEN TROESSER

You say Loire Valley.

We say 2014.

Last year marked the best vintage for France’s Loire Valley wines since 2010. “We are definitely on board with this vintage,” said Jason Main, co-owner of The Wine Merchant. Stock up now at his newly relocated shop in Clayton on solid 2014 Loire lip-smackers – Saumur red and white from Domaine des Hauts de Sanziers, any sauvignon blanc bearing the Pouilly-Fumé appelation and rosé from Domaine Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy in Sancerre. Then return in the spring when the serious stuff worth cellaring arrives from famed appellations Chinon and Bourgueil.

Guide to Drinking 2015

Straight up sherry

St. Louisans are still flirting with Spain’s famed fortified wine, testing it in cocktails rather than sipping it straight like they do at sherry bars in London and at NYC’s Dovetail and Pata Negra. And while oeno hangouts here such as Olio and 33 Wine Bar have everything from nutty amontillado to sweet oloroso to briny fino, the trendiest sherry of all – raw – is stashed among the amazing collection at Starrs.

Called sherry en rama in Spanish, it’s bottled straight from the cask and doesn’t undergo heavy filtering or clarifying. It’s as pure a form as you can get. Grab a bottle of 2006 Alvear Fino en Rama and taste a treat once only available to bodega tourists.

Far out wines

Trendsetting somms have opened our eyes to great wines from unexpected locales. Around town, you can find Lebanese reds from Chateau Ksara and Turkish wines by Kavaklıdere. Eye-opening Ethiopian wines and those made by Serragghia on Pantelleria (a tiny island off the coast of Sicily) have yet to trek to St. Louis, but the wild juice of Jura, France’s small wine département located in the mountains between Burgundy and Switzerland, are here for the taking.

The Wine & Cheese Place in Clayton is your local Jurassic park, keeping a range of whites, sparklings and classic vin jaune (yellow). Among producers, snatch sought-after labels of Jacques Puffeney and Domaine de Montbourgeau.

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Guide to Drinking 2015

GUIDE TO DRINKING EDITION PAGE 2 OF 2

L ady gin t akes a long soak Gin distillers have joined the barrel-aging bonanza with local and national distilleries getting in on the action. Letting gin recline in oak barrels for anywhere from a few months to more than a year, it often turns golden and complex while staying true to its lively, juniper-happy self.

Check out vanilla-nuanced Citadelle Reserve, caramel-kissed Bluecoat Barrel Finished Gin, toasty Knickerbocker Barrel Gin and, for a local option, the subtly sweet and spicy Pinckney Bend Cask Finished Gin, released this past June.

Pints on the house

Grapefruit brewgeist This could be the year of the grapefruit. Early warnings surfaced in 2014 with the popular rise of Steigl’s grapefruit-inflected Radler. Not far behind, Leinenkugel and Illusive Traveler debuted sweet-tart grapefruit shandies as an alternative to the traditional lemon. Ballast Point added grapefruit peel to its IPA recipe, creating the Grapefruit Sculpin, and Magic Hat threw parties across the country this summer to celebrate its grapefruit Electric Peel IPA. Pink purée recently found its way into Schlafly’s fermentation tanks, where it was dry-hopped with Citra to create the Dry-Hopped Grapefruit IPA. This powerful fruit even brought together Side Project Brewing’s Cory King with Vermont-based Hill Farmstead Brewery and other breweries to collaborate on an Austrian-inspired citrus beer.

Missouri wineries press on Since 2005, the number of wineries in the Show Me State climbed to nearly 130, an increase of almost 150 percent, and the rate at which new Missouri wineries are pressing grapes continues to impress.

This year has seen tasting rooms debut in every corner of the state.

There’s LaChance Vineyards in DeSoto, Tipple Hill Winery & Vineyard in Easton, Lambs and Vines Winery in Seymour, Mallinson Vineyard and Hall in Independence, Grindstone Valley Winery in Osborn, Red Moose Vineyard in Salem, Florida Resort and Winery in Florida, Vox Vineyards in Kansas City and coming soon, Wild Sun Winery in Hillsboro. Headed to KC this fall? Look for KC Wineworks to unlock doors in the Crossroads district.

Guide to Drinking 2015

Local breweries have long partnered with area restaurants to create custom beers. Now some entrepreneurial restaurants are taking house beers in-house. Last December, Peel Wood Fired Pizza opened its second location in O’Fallon, Illinois with a brewery and a tight portfolio of house brews. Death in the Afternoon will soon pull pints from Upper 90 Brewing, located in DITA’s basement, which is brewing exclusively for the Citygarden eatery. Meanwhile, former brewmaster of Six Rox Brewing Co., Evan Hiatt, will take up the mantle of house brewmaster when Pappo’s Pizzeria opens its third location in the former Six Row home this October.

Barrels of Fun

You can find just about anything aged in a bourbon barrel these days. But finding the actual bourbon barrels? That’s trickier. Local breweries are now experimenting with different spirit barrels to coax new flavors from their brews. 2nd Shift’s Steve Crider just bottled his second batch of Hibiscus Wit, aged in neighbor Pinckney Bend’s gin barrels, and has plans to pop some Gose into a tequila barrel soon. Halloween comes early at Excel Brewing, with Bruja, a seasonal Imperial pumpkin ale aged in tequila barrels for up to a year. Side Project Brewing has an Imperial milk stout napping in a barrel that housed rum, and the crew at 4 Hands plans to celebrate the brewery’s fourth anniversary in January 2016 with a wheat wine that’s been aged five months in Caribbean rum barrels.

For more on barrels and brews, turn to p. 48 in the main issue. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 9

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down under

wonders

BY ANDREY IVANOV | ILLUSTR ATION BY VIDHYA NAGAR A JAN

Guide to Drinking 2015

Australian wine doesn’t elicit the best associations. For most, it brings to mind cheap wine with marsupials on the label. And New Zealand? Sauvignon blanc you can smell from a mile away. Vino from these two countries, once wine rack darlings for their approachability and quality, are now relegated to a bottom shelf. With similar winemaking traditions and practices to the U.S., wine producers in New Zealand and Australia should be more popular. Fortunately, both countries are in the midst of change. Most winemakers are pushing away from blatant fruit-bomb wines of the 1990s and 2000s and coming back to the purity of fruit that is their hallmark. It’s time to get reacquainted with wines from Down Under.

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Wine facts from A to (N) Z

buy it

RANGE LIKE HUGH JACKMAN

SPARKLING:

Australia is the same size as the continental U.S. Every grape and style of wine you could think of has a potential home here. Aside from a huge variety of traditional still wines, Aussies also make white, pink and red sparkling wines at every sweetness level. They are no slouches when it comes to fortified and dessert wines, either – these are what Australia was famous for until the 1980s.

OLDEST VINES EVER As vines get older, they produce less fruit. The resulting juice is more concentrated and richer in flavor. Australia is home to some of the oldest continuously producing cabernet sauvignon, syrah and grenache vines in the world. It is typical for wine to be made from vines planted in the 1800s.

OLD WORLD DOWN UNDER The same practices used in Old World winemaking are being used in Australia, producing earthier wines. If you are a fan of stem inclusion for tannins, using old barrels for less wood notes or smaller production wines from dedicated parcels, Australia does that, too.

LAND IS CHEAP Land in rural Australia is remarkably inexpensive. It’s the reason Yellow Tail can travel halfway around the world and still be sold for $8. The same holds true of higher quality, boutique wines.

You can get phenomenal cabernet from Coonawarra or grenache from McLaren Vale at a fraction of the cost of a wine produced in California. In the U.S., you

often pay more for the cost of the land and tasting room than the quality of the juice.

2013 d’Arenberg Peppermint Paddock A sparkling, dry red chambourcin made in the same way as Champagne, the surprising Peppermint Paddock is perfect for a cookout and is a great pairing to beet salad. $30. Reeds American Table, 7322 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.899.9822, reedsamericantable.com

SUSTAINABLE & ORGANIC New Zealand wineries are almost all sustainably farmed. In 2007, New Zealand Winegrowers agreed to this common practice and now 94 percent of all New Zealand vineyards are certified sustainable by rigorous independent environmental audits.

Kim Crawford Fizz Methode Traditionnelle A blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, this high-quality New Zealand sparkler is reminiscent of Champagne. $30. The Wine Merchant, 7817 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.863.6282, winemerchantltd.com

VINES & CLIMES New Zealand’s abundance of sunlight and cool temperatures produce wines with a purity of fruit that cannot be replicated in warmer climates. The Kiwis excel at making wines perfect for warmer weather.

Crisp, refreshing sauvignon blanc, dry riesling, pinot gris and pinot noir are their strong suit.

VINTAGES TO REMEMBER Both countries are coming off two of the best vintages in their history – 2013 in New Zealand is simply the best in its 40 years of winemaking, while 2012 in Australia is the best vintage since 2000.

BOUTIQUE PRODUCERS There is a clear focus on less is more. The most exciting wines coming from both countries are being made in a boutique style that focuses on single vineyards and small production.

SHOW-ME CHAMBOURCIN Chambourcin has as strong a foothold Down Under as it does in Missouri. D’Arenberg makes a great one that is sparkling, red and dry.

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WHITE:

ZALTO GLASSWARE Wine glasses were the first thing I saw when I walked into Charlie Bird, a little Italian-inspired New York restaurant. On display everywhere like mini sculptures was Zalto glassware – elegant, mouth-blown glass from Austria. When I took my first sip of wine, I was surprised at how light and balanced the glass was. The stem, slight but strong, became an extension of my hand. It was so beautiful I didn’t want to put it down.

–Meera Nagarajan

$60 per glass. Zalto Denk’Art Universal Glass, winemonger.com

2013 Brokenwood Sémillon Crisp, rocky and super dry, it even has a hint of bubbles. Sémillon is one of the most popular wines in Australia today. If you like Spanish Txakoli, you’ve got to try this. $17. The Wine Merchant, 7817 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.863.6282, winemerchantltd.com 2013 Kilikanoon Killerman’s Run Aussies love dry wines, and this riesling fits the bill. Remember, riesling is a grape, not a style, and it’s actually a very tart grape by nature. Smelling like rocks and lime juice, it’s the perfect pairing for ceviche. $18. Parker’s Table, 7118 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, 314.645.2050, parkerstable.com

RED: 2012 Terra Sancta Mysterious Diggings Somewhere between Oregon and Burgundy, this New Zealand steal of a pinot noir balances minerality with bright cherry fruit. $26. Vom Fass, 7314 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.932.5262, vomfassusa.com 2012 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard The Sexton Vineyard is a rich Australian pinot noir with great balance, vibrant fruit and a kiss of oak. $45. Reeds American Table, 7322 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.899.9822, reedsamericantable.com

2012 Penley Estate Gryphon Rich, juicy and velvety, the Gryphon merlot is an absolute crowd-pleaser.

Not Grandma’s “Murr-Low,” either – just a great raspberry, plum and rosemary flavor profile. $17. The Wine Merchant, 7817 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.863.6282, winemerchantltd.com 2013 Yangarra Old Vine Grenache By “Old Vine,” this Australian winery means nearly 70 years. This is a dense yet warm red raspberry- and herbdriven grenache that’s perfect with lamb chops. $24. The Wine & Cheese Place, 7435 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.727.8788, wineandcheeseplace.com 2012 Torbreck Cuvée Juveniles Rich and dense, the Australian Cuvée Juveniles is a blend of grenache, syrah and mataro reminiscent of Chateauneuf-du-Pape in France for about half the price. $24. Bottle Cellars, 6039 Telegraph Road, St. Louis, 314.846.5100, bottlecellars.com 2012 John Duval Entity From the man who has made some of Australia’s most expensive wine, this lush, rich, jammy, spicy, hedonistic wine is the pinnacle of shiraz for less than $50. $36.

Parker’s Table, 7118 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, 314.645.2050, parkerstable.com 2003 Charles Cimicky Trumps Older is better. Reminiscent of a warmer rustic northern Rhone syrah, Trumps is an Australian shiraz with meaty, smoky notes floating around a blackberry and black pepper core. $25. Reeds American Table, 7322 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.899.9822, reedsamericantable.com 2010 Penley Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon If you want to impress your Napa collector friends without breaking the bank, the Australian Penley Estate’s Reserve cabernet sauvignon will do it.

Bold and spicy – a mouthful of intensity – it’s a great example of paying less for high quality from Down Under. $50.

Parker’s Table, 7118 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, 314.645.2050, parkerstable.com Guide to Drinking 2015

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shots! shots! shots! shots!

BY JAMIE AND TED KILGORE | PHOTOS BY CARMEN TROESSER

last shot, recipe on p. 21

Drinking will always be about ritual. Some traditions are timeless – like toasting with friends and downing a shot. While the sentiment endures, spirits and recipes have evolved with the times. Now, whether enjoyed by customers or staff at the end of a hard night’s work, classic cocktails are getting turned into fun and whimsical shots. Grab some friends and make merry with these cocktail shots at home, no bar shift necessary.

Guide to Drinking 2015

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stock up COCKTAIL BOOKS Every year brings a slew of new cocktail books. These are the ones that deserve a place on your bar shelf. – Ligaya Figueras

Death & Co. by David Kaplan, Nick Fauchald and Alex Day

Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold

old-fashioned shot, recipe on p. 21

The 12 Bottle Bar by David Solmonson and Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

The Bar Book by Jeffrey Morgenthaler Guide to Drinking 2015

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Guide to Drinking 2015

drinking manhattan

hemingway “snack” quiri

OLD-FASHIONED SHOT

LAST SHOT

HEMINGWAY “SNACK”QUIRI

DRINKING MANHATTAN

4 SERVINGS

4 SERVINGS

4 oz. rum 2 oz. grapefruit juice 2 oz. simple syrup 1 oz. lime juice 4 Luxardo maraschino cherries

4 oz. bourbon or rye whiskey 2 oz. sweet vermouth 4 dashes Angostura bitters 4 lemon twist

4 SERVINGS 4 SERVINGS 6 oz. bourbon or rye 1 orange, quartered Sugar Angostura bitters Pour 1½ ounces whiskey into 4 shot glasses. Coat the orange quarters with sugar, then shake a dash of bitters on each quarter. Bite the orange; down the shot.

Guide to Drinking 2015

1 oz. gin 1 oz. Green Chartreuse 1 oz. lime juice 1 oz. maraschino liqueur Combine all the ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously.

Strain into 4 rocks glasses without ice.

Utter a few last words; down the shot.

Combine all the liquid ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously.

Strain into 4 shot glasses. Down the shot; eat the cherry.

Pour 1 ounce whiskey, ½ ounce vermouth and 1 dash bitters into each of 4 shot glasses. Twist 1 lemon peel, express the oils into a shot and discard the twist. Repeat to make 3 more shots.

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10 R I G H T

STL BREWS TO DRINK

NOW

by eric hildebrandt

Aged in oak barrels, this Brett beer has light funkiness and dry, wine-like notes with a spritzy effervescence. Very refreshing, Katy appeals to all palates.

Draft: iTap, internationaltaphouse.com Bottled: Fields Foods, fieldsfood.com

4 Hands Resurrected Hopheads rejoiced when this bold IPA recently went from a seasonal to yearround offering. Pop the top on a can, and the aroma of pineapple and passion fruit will pull you in. Bitter yet balanced, this is one of the best IPAs out there.

Draft: 4 Hands, 4handsbrewery.com Canned: The Wine and Cheese Place, thewineandcheeseplace.com

Civil Life The Angel and The Sword This malt-driven take on an ESB pulls from the best qualities of rich English pales with bread and toffee notes. A hint of hops provides balance.

Draft: Amsterdam Tavern, amsterdamtavern.com

Excel Plague Bringer This in-your-face Imperial IPA is one of Excel’s newest offerings. Firing on all cylinders, Plague Bringer brings big pineapple resin-y goodness. There’s a huge hop presence, but notes of caramel and honey keep a bitter bite at bay. It’s currently only available on tap, but bottles are coming soon.

Draft: Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, beerknurd.com

Heavy Riff Velvet Underbrown It’s easy to see why this brown ale is the Dogtown brewery’s flagship beer.

Lactose and oats create a rich, velvety creaminess, and subtle notes of chocolate

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and blackstrap molasses make this a standout.

Draft: Heavy Riff, heavyriffbrewing.com

Old Bakery Beer Porter Cocoa, roasted coffee and cream dominate the nose of Old Bakery’s take on a classic English style. The first sip brings a nutty touch of dark caramel. A subtle hop character rounds out this Alton gem.

Draft: Old Bakery Beer, oldbakerybeer.com

Perennial Peach Berliner Weisse Perennial’s version of a German Berliner Weisse is as refreshing as they come. The addition of Missouri peaches feels like a walk through an orchard. Light and even fluffy, this beer is gently tart without overwhelming the senses. A crisp, dry finish makes it a hit among beer and wine drinkers alike.

Draft: Perennial, perennialbeer.com Bottled: Craft Beer Cellar, craftbeercellar.com

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale As pumpkin beers have grown in popularity, Schlafly’s has remained a benchmark. Brewed with real pumpkin, squash and a blend of baking spices, this beer is pumpkin pie in a glass. Schlafly has increased supply of the popular seasonal, so you can find it at most grocery stores and bars around the metro.

Draft: Schlafly, schlafly.com Bottled: Most bottle shops and grocery stores the palate, while notes of yogurt and lactic oak are not far behind.

Side Project Foedre Beer Named after the large wooden vessel it’s aged in, this sour blonde ale is the base to some of Side Project’s hits like Fuzzy and Fencerow. Replicating traditional lambics in Belgium, the beer is served flat using a device that adds a touch of carbonation as it’s pulled. Missouri yeast makes this brew tart and funky. Peach and lemon dominate

Draft: The Side Project Cellar, sideprojectbrewing.com

Urban Chestnut Schnickelfritz No one does German beers truer to style than Urban Chestnut. This Bavarian

Weissbier is a beautiful pour with a big, eggshell-colored head and unfiltered golden body. Bold banana, bubble gum and clove notes come alive as you sip with a hint of vanilla in the finish. Many American breweries attempt this style, but few do it this well.

Draft: Urban Chestnut, urbanchestnut.com Bottled: Most bottle shops and grocery stores Guide to Drinking 2015

BEER PHOTO BY EMILY SUZANNE MCDONALD

2nd Shift Katy

FRENCH FRIES PHOTO BY ELIZABETH MAXSON

beer ’n fries forever Our perfect bar snack has three key requirements: salt, crunch and no utensil necessary. Enter the Pomme Frites at Urban Chestnut Grove Brewery & Bierhall, where chef Andy Fair double fries house-cut Kennebec potatoes in sunflower oil to yield a golden, crispy crust encasing a downy interior. Order a full pound with two house-made dipping sauces (garlic mayo and curried mayo, FTW) to share – or hoard – as you see fit. Now repeat after us: Dip, bite, sip. Dip, bite, sip … – Catherine Klene Guide to Drinking 2015

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PHOTO BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

read about the corpse flower at eclipse and other great rum cocktails to try on p. 32.

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Guide to Drinking 2015

Rum Run O Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done ... Oh, mateys. Let us not lament the fall of the Captain – Morgan, that is. The spiced rum of our underage drinking days is still around, but we’ve grown up. We’ve visited the Caribbean – and Central and South America, too – and found fancier ships running sugarcane-derived spirits.

by ligaya figueras, ted kilgore and kristin schultz

Guide to Drinking 2015

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ll rum is distilled from sugarcane or its byproducts (fermented molasses or cane juice), but artisanal rums are wholly different from the run-of-the-sugar-mill stuff. It’s a claim that becomes clear with one sip of an elegant Plantation rum made in Barbados, aged in bourbon casks in the humid Caribbean then shipped to France to rest a second time in oak casks under the care of famed cognac house Maisson Ferrand.

While the past five years saw stagnant waters for mainstream rums like Captain Morgan and Bacardi, artisanal rum found a tailwind.

Area distributor Lohr Fine Wine & Spirits saw sales up 68 percent through the first half of the year compared to all of 2014. Lohr vice president of sales Scott Smithson said its portfolio of craft rums has doubled since 2010, now numbering nearly 20.

A

big reason for the interest in craft rum is the renewed thirst for bourbon – and brown spirits in general, which surpassed domestic sales of vodka in 2014. “Since you have to age whiskey, the demand is going to outstrip the supply. Because of that shortage, we’ve seen a lot of people experiment with aged rums. They are stylistically very similar,” Smithson said.

“We see rum as still value-driven and affordable, and you can get older expressions for very good prices,” said Kyle Mathis, bar

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manager at Taste. Bartenders at Taste, Planter’s House, Blood & Sand and other bars known for a curated spirits selection are snatching bottles from Nicaragua, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Antigua and other island nations because of the many nuances between highly crafted, limited-production rums. There’s dark Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva, aged up to 12 years and laden with baking spices; dry, oaky Brugal 1888 finished in sherry casks that previously held Macallan 12-year single-malt Scotch; and even exceptional flavored rums like Rhum Clément’s Mahina Coco, a coconut rum from Martinique that Planter’s House coowner Ted Charak deemed “one of the best new flavored products on the market.”

Initiates still slam Captain and coke, but the cocktails most often associated with rum are tiki drinks like mai tais and zombies that feature a combination of rum, fruit juices and syrups. Tropical heat waves inevitably lead us to throw on Hawaiian shirts and sip booze from a coconut. This summer, Taste offered a monthly tiki takeover that featured a special menu of nearly a dozen time-tested tiki cocktails. Since April, Mission Taco Joint has helped customers explore the wide world of rum through rotating monthly frozen drinks like a piña colada, a Miami Vice and, this month, a lava flow.

Frou-frou is fun, but rum is mixable in more than a volcano bowl made by modern Don

the Beachcomber bartenders. Let a rumbased Manhattan at Taste win you over, then visit Blood & Sand to open your mind – and mouth – to what multiple rums in a cocktail can do. The Bye-bye Li’l Sebastian features two rums and Swedish Punsch, a sugarcane spirits-based liqueur. “Rums can differ quite a bit,” said Matt Osmoe, bar manager at Blood & Sand. “There’s so much variation in rum that some are going to provide vanilla, some might have funk or be bright and straightforward.

You can blend them in a way that gives a really cool stack of flavors.”

T

rends come and go. Barry O’Neil, Major Brands’ president of sales, said for rum to have staying power, a premium sipping brand must come to the forefront, like Tanqueray did for gin and Patron for tequila. “People have to be willing to drink the product straight. Right now, it has the image of being sweet and super syrupy,” O’Neil said.

When you sidle up to the bar at Planter’s House and start sipping from its collection of 40-plus rums, aged as many as 21 years (El Dorado), the words “sweet” and “super syrupy” are not likely to slip from your lips.

“Higher-end rums are being introduced and well received,” said Charak. “I’ve been in this business over 25 years. This is as close to a rum revolution as I’ve seen.”

– Ligaya Figueras

Guide to Drinking 2015

the essential rum cocktail

MARY PICKFORD 1 SERVING 1½ oz. white rum 1 oz. pineapple juice ¼ oz. grenadine ¼ oz. maraschino liqueur

PHOTO BY CARMEN TROESSER

Add all the ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

R H U M

Vs.

R U M Guide to Drinking 2015

Rhum agricole represents a small percentage of the world’s rums and rhums. The primary difference is this: Rum is distilled from molasses (the byproduct of sugar production), while rhum is distilled from pressed whole sugarcane juice. The distinctive productions and flavors of these spirits are historically rooted. As Europeans settled in the Caribbean islands and further west, they brought their distillation techniques with them. The French-settled and -influenced regions are where the rhum agricole style was born.

Some of the best rhum agricoles come from Martinique, a republic of France. The French AOC (a label of origin) enforces strict guidelines in rhum production there, including three designated growing regions and specific cane varietals. Martinique rhums do an excellent job of showcasing the terroir where the sugarcane is grown. While there are flavor differences between rhums, most tend to be grassy and floral. Rhum agricole is an excellent choice for those who like full-bodied complexity in the glass. – Ted Kilgore saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 31

the rum oldfashioned at público

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TRY

Rum is making its way into seemingly every cocktail around town, from sophisticated twists on age-old classics to over-the-top, flaming tiki drinks. Summon your inner Jack Sparrow and enjoy one last sweet sip of summer.

– Kristin Schultz

Guide to Drinking 2015

PHOTOS BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

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1. Rum Old-Fashioned Whiskey bows out of this classic cocktail twist. Scarlet Ibis brings a familiar sweetness, and the El Dorado 12-year lends its richly spiced notes to a stirred up mix of simple syrup, lemon and orange oils, and Angostura bitters. The bright citrus aroma and rich layers of sugar and spice make for a satisfying, sophisticated sip. Público, 6679 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.833.5780, publicostl.com

2. Elephant Gun Fresh, cool house-made banana purée melds with Plantation dark rum, fruity Scarlet Ibis rum from Trinidad, Jamaican bitters, lime juice and pineapple juice in this over-the-top tiki dream. Banana flavor dominates the first sip followed by cinnamon, sweet molasses and pineapple. Served over crushed ice in a coconut shell and garnished with edible flowers, pineapple wedges and leaves, it’s miles from serious – exactly where you want to be. Blood & Sand, 1500 St. Charles St., St. Louis, 314.241.7263, bloodandsandstl.com

3. Murder on the Dance Floor Roasted strawberries infuse Cruzan aged white rum, creating a REDRUM for this sparkly, notGuide to Drinking 2015

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too-sweet cocktail. Demerara sugar deepens the rum’s fruity flavor and is balanced by a hit of lemon juice, then topped with dry prosecco and strawberry slices for a pleasantly pink, bubbly refresher. Cielo, 999 N. Second St., St. Louis, 314.881.5800, cielostlouis.com

4. Down with the Ship Heads turn when this flaming concoction arrives. Funky Smith & Cross navy-strength rum balances the spicy, vanilla notes of Diplomático rum. Dry curaçao, orgeat, pineapple, lime juice and simple syrup round out the ingredients, which are poured over ice before a hollowed lime half is filled with Bacardi 151 and set ablaze on the cocktail. Take the accompanying metal spoon-straw, sink that flaming ship and sip away.

Cleveland-Heath, 106 N. Main St., Edwardsville, 618.307.4830, clevelandheath.com

5. Corpse Flower Fresh and fruity with a hint of baking spice, Flor de Caña 4-year aged white rum is the base spirit for this macabre treat. When shaken with apricot liqueurs, Sorel, pineapple gomme syrup and lemon juice, the result is a cocktail that starts citrusy and finishes with smooth apricot notes that pull together the drier notes of the

rum and spiced Sorel. Eclipse, 6177 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.726.2222, eclipsestlouis.com

6. Brújula Why limit barrel aging to just rum? A batch of local Still 630’s Soulard Island rum, Big O ginger liqueur and Swedish Punsch gets locked up tight for five weeks in a barrel that previously held the Russian grappa Samogon.

It’s liberated, shaken with grapefruit and lime juices, tarragon simple syrup and bitters, and served in a pisco-rinsed glass. This bright concoction is proof that flavors from around the world can live in harmony. Mission Taco Joint, 6235 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.932.5430; and 908 Lafayette Ave., St. Louis, 314.858.8226, missiontacostl.com

8. Black Strap Me Down, Mai Tai Me Up Cruzan Black Strap rum and absinthe go together like pirates and booty. The deep molasses flavor of Black Strap rum balances the citrus and vanilla notes of El Dorado 3-year cask-aged rum and is complemented by nutty Trader Vic’s macadamia nut liqueur. Pineapple and lime juices lend acid, sweetness and froth. St. George absinthe brings a soft licorice flavor before the cocktail turns sweet-tart then finishes luxuriously buttery. Taha’a Twisted Tiki, 4199 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.202.8300, Facebook: Taha’a Tiki

9. Zombie This classic cocktail draws sweetness from Myers’s dark rum and orange juice House-distilled Island Time rum is infused with underlying spice courtesy of Caruso with dried pineapple, mango, papaya and spiced rum and Velvet Falernum. Lime ginger then shaken with lime juice and juice adds a tart, citrus layer reinforced simple syrup. Topped with soda water and by an orange peel garnish. Feeling garnished with a mint leaf, this simple sparkly generous? Order a punch bowl to share drink showcases the classic pairing of rum with five of your friends and drink in and tropical fruit. Square One Brewery the waning summer days. Water Street, and Distillery, 1727 Park Ave., St. Louis, 7268 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.231.2537, squareonebrewery.com 314.646.8355, waterstreetstl.com saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 33

7. Tropikos

BOTTLES to buy

Plantation 3 Stars Rum Sourced from Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and blended by Cognac Ferrand in France, this white rum is full of tropical fruit, buttery caramel and light baking spice. $25. Randall’s Wine and Spirits, 1910 S. Jefferson Ave., St.Louis, 314.865.0199, shoprandalls.com

Caña Brava Rum This Cuban-style, dry white rum is sourced from Panama.

Aged for three years in uncharred oak barrels, it’s loaded with floral, honey, cinnamon and citrus notes. $33. Parker’s Table, 7118 Oakland Ave., Richmond Heights, 314.645.2050, parkerstable.com

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Rum’s increasing popularity is due in part to its extreme diversity of styles and each brand’s production methods and preferred flavor profile.

Here, five bottles of rum to buy. – Ted Kilgore

Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black Rum This robust rum amps up the typical Jamaican funkiness. It has vegetal and ripe banana notes and is colored with double-strength black-sugar caramel. $22. The Wine & Cheese Place, 7435 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.727.8788, wineandcheeseplace.com

El Dorado 5-year Rum El Dorado blends this rum from Guyana using multiple stills. It imparts complex caramel, butterscotch, vanilla and dried fruit flavor. $17. The Wine & Cheese Place, 7435 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.727.8788, wineandcheeseplace.com

Rhum J.M. V.S.O.P. Showcasing estate-grown sugarcane from Martinique, this rhum’s complex flavor comes from aging four-plus years in re-charred bourbon barrels and new, lightly charred oak barrels. Banana, floral, honey, nougat, spice, citrus and toffee notes abound. $37.

Parker’s Table, 7118 Oakland Ave., Richmond Heights, 314.645.2050, parkerstable.com Guide to Drinking 2015

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