People Profile: Pavol Kazimir

Say hello to Pavol Kazimir, a well known Dominican Republic-based cane spirits specialist.  Here’s our interview.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?  

I sampled rum several years before I moved to the Dominican Republic from Slovakia.  Back then I didn’t know I would actually move to the Caribbean; it was interesting. However, the real interest came after moving to the Dominican Republic and experiencing real rum culture.

How many rums are in your collection? 

Because of my travels I have only a limited amount of bottles available. I have all the rums from Dominican Republic of course, but every time I move I have to organize a goodbye party to drink it all up with friends and then start collecting again.

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why? 

I try to enjoy every rum in my glass. If we talk about concrete brands, I enjoy Brugal 1888 and Pusser’s Navy Rum.

Do you have a favorite rum bar? 

My favorite rum bar would be Pat’e Palo European Brasserie in the Dominican Republic. I work there and am pushing for all Dominican Rums to be available.  I haven’t found a selection of rums as extensive anywhere in the country.

What is your regular cocktail? 

I start my evenings with an 1888 Rum Manhattan.

Where is the best place to buy rum in your area? 

Since I live on an island it is hard to get ahold of non-DR local brands. Some are available in local supermarkets.

Which rum would you travel to buy? 

Pusser’s Navy Rum.  I have great memories on that rum.

How long have you worked at Pat’e Palo European Brasserie and what is your focus? 

Since September 2011 and I focus on Internet Marketing and Bar Consulting.

What should we watch out for from you in the coming year? 

My latest project is The Dominican Rum Guide website.  Check it out for information about DR rums and culture.

Words of wisdom…

Best ideas come while sipping rum.

People Profile: Vena Edmonds

Meet Vena Edmonds, a well known Philly bartender and rum evangelist.  Here’s our interview.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?
Rum was nothing more than another spirit, until I began working at the Rum Bar in February of ’07, in Philly. After the 1st year it was clear that there was way more than I, or most people, considered about this diverse spirit.

How many rums are in your collection?
Good question. I actually had to count. 18 rums in my personal collection at home.

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?
Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhh, that’s super tough! I love spiced rum! Always have. So even that category depends on my mood. I love Sailor Jerry on the rocks after a hard day, Monticristo Spiced, neat, just because & Chairman’s reserve spiced to use in mixed cocktails. Cachaca? Again, depends on my mood. For a quick shot? Yipioca Oro. Neat? Agua Luca, For a caipirinha? Anything, I don’t believe it matters when you’re mixing that much sugar and lime. Anejo rums are even tougher. Let’s just say Diplimatico, Atlantico, & Dos Maderas are among my favs. Rhum Agricole? I’ll take any Rhum JM product in a Hemingway Daiquiri!

Do you have a favorite rum bar?
I did.  However, there are still many rum bars I haven’t visited worldwide.

What is your regular cocktail?
As of late, it’s been a Sazerac. The wintry NE section of the country lends to my need for high powered old school cocktails.

Where is the best place to buy rum in my area.
Unfortunately, I live in a liquor control state. That makes it incredibly difficult to find anything interesting on the shelves of liquor stores in PA. I honestly can’t remember the last time I purchased rum in this state. I usually pick up rum when traveling internationally.

How long have you worked at Talula’s Garden and what is your focus?
I’ve worked at the garden for about 20 months & I love it! My focus is to assist in the creation of cocktails that are approachable, balanced, and food friendly. The owner & general manager have an amazing palate, eye for detail, and a combined bartending experience that is close to the number of years I’ve been on this planet! I really value their feedback when creating drinks & I’m thankful for their trust.

Which rum would you travel to buy?
I probably wouldn’t plan an entire trip around any spirit that I’ve never tasted. Or any spirit that I tasted and liked, for that matter. However, when I do travel, I ALWAYS pick up a bottle of something! ALWAYS. And I took 3 international trips in 2012 alone.

What are you going to be up to in 2013?
LOTS! The best way to connect with what I’m up to is social media. Right now, I looooooooooooooove Instagram. I can take pictures of cocktails, locations, ingredients, and all types of goodies! Follow me on IG @uporontherocks for the latest on everything!

Words of wisdom…
Everyone has something to teach you. Be open to it. Have fun. Make mistakes. Taste. Smile. Remember, we’re building drinks, not rockets.

People Profile: Mark Konkol

We’re thrilled to welcome Pulitzer Prize winner Mark Konkol to the RC team of contributors. Here’s his story.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?

Ol’ Captain Morgan was my gateway rum — mixed with Coke in a tall ice-packed cocktail glass. No straw. Lime slice on the rim, a caution taken to prevent scurvy. But over the last ten years or so, thanks to a cat named Rufus Canoon, I’ve learned to enjoy fine aged rum — the good stuff that you probably won’t find in Chicago taverns.

How many rums are in your collection?

I drink. I don’t collect. My “Rum cabinet” — if that’s what you call the bottom shelf of that Arts and Crafts era thing in my dining room where I keep my booze – is pretty sparse. There’s most of a bottle of Zacapa, a handle of Captain Morgan, fifth of Santa Teresa, a fifth of Sailor Jerry and bottle of Divine white rum distilled in Southwest Michigan from Round Barn. If you think that’s a travesty, go ahead smart guy, send me your favorite bottle. I’ll drink it.

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

After a recent night with Ol’ Rufus at Rum Bar on Duval Street, I’ve learned there’s nothing better than sipping a glass of Mount Gay Extra Old or Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva or Zacapa XO.

Also, you just can’t beat Don Q for fruity cocktails, especially frozen ones like the “Fruity Yum Rum,” — at least that’s what I’m calling it — blended up by Western Illinois University alumnus Kendra Coffield behind the pool bar at Southernmost House in Key West. She topped mine with Goslings. I like Goslings, too.

Also, Sailor Jerry is better than “Captain.” Always.

Do you have a favorite rum bar?

What I’m about to tell you comes with conditions. First, try to keep this quiet. If it isn’t the smallest bar in Chicago, it’s close. The joint is already too crowded. So, if you ever are on a stool at this place and you see me there, sipping rum while standing on one foot, crammed up against the wall by the toilet, do me a solid: Give me the seat. After all, I’m the dumb guy who is going to hate himself later for telling you The Matchbox in Chicago has an impressive rum selection. Solid. But seriously, don’t make me stand.

In Key West, The Rum Bar, of course. Shout out to the last true Southernmost Salty barkeep, Bahama Bob Leonard, King of the Painkillers.

What is your regular cocktail?

Santa Teresa 1796 over ice.

Where is the best place to buy rum in your area?

In Chicago, sadly, a good rum is hard to find … except at Binny’s.

Which rum would you travel to buy?

I’d pick up Havana Club if I could legally take it back with me from Cuba.

When did you launch @KonkolsKorner and what is your focus?

The Konkol’s Korner brand has been around since 1990 and it’s matured along with me. Originally, Konkol’s Korner was a high school humor column. Now, it’s my Twitter handle. Anyway, I write about Chicago. I try to introduce readers to people they otherwise wouldn’t meet and take them places they otherwise wouldn’t go, among other things.

What should we watch out for from @KonkolsKorner the coming year?

After eight years with the Chicago Sun-Times, I’m headed to DNAinfo.com, an online-only news site expanding to Chicago later this year. As Writer at Large, I’ll be doing what I do. Writing about Chicago, all of it. And having a lot of fun. I’m excited.

Words of wisdom…

One of my favorite contemporary writers, Esquire’s Mike Sager, recently gave me some great advice. I didn’t get him on tape, but he said something like this: Don’t waste your energy screaming back at the past. Every day is a chance to work toward the next great thing. Keep moving forward, man.

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Pulitzer Prize winner Mark Konkol doesn’t always drink rum, but when he does he drinks the good stuff. Konkol recently resigned from the Chicago Sun-Times and signed on as Writer at Large for DNAinfo.com in Chicago.  And we’re proud to announce Konkol will be contribunting travel stories to Rum Connection. Follow him on Twitter @Konkolskorner.

People Profile: Luis Ayala

Meet Luis Ayala, a Texas-based rum consultant, collector, enthusiast, promoter and publisher of Got Rum Magazine.  Here’s our interview.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?


From a very young age, my grandfather taught me how to mix cocktails 
(mainly so I could keep making them for him during gatherings/parties).  I
 was about 7 years old when I made my first cocktail and, even though I 
didn’t try it, I was fascinated by mixology.  Later on I became interested 
in the effect of terroir on brandy and tequilia and by the time I left 
Mexico to attend college in Texas, I was in love with rum.



How many rums are in your collection?


According to the last count we have over 700 different rums but
 haven’t counted the collection for several years now (it cuts 
into our drinking time), so who knows how many we have now.  Each month we
 get a few more, so it is very possible we are closer to 900 by now.  

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

I tend to like light, young, low congener rums early in the day, leaving 
the complex, oak-rich rums for afternoons and evenings.  I am not much of a 
mixer these days, although I’m regularly inventing new cocktails for clients
 and guests so I enjoy my rums neat or with a single ice cube. 



Do you have a favorite rum bar?

Yes, the Ayala Rum Bar!  We have a seat reserved for you. 

What is your regular cocktail?

If I’m really in the mood for something sweet (not the case very often) 
I’ll make a Corn ‘n’ Oil.  I also like Zafra Honey Martinis and a few personal creations, such as the Caipileano. (I’ll make one for you when you
 visit us in Texas)



Where is the best place to buy rum in your area?

Spec’s.  Definitely Spec’s.



Which rum would you travel to buy?


Santa Teresa Bodega Privada, I’m on my last bottle!  Also Ron Coloso from
 Guatemala, I’m very close to running out of this one as well.



When did you launch Got Rum? and what is your focus?


Got Rum? was first published in May of 2001.  The magazine is dedicated
 to promoting rum, educating consumers and elevating the image of this
 wonderful sugarcane spirit. 

What should we watch out for from Got Rum? in the coming year?

We will continue to interview master blenders so our readers can learn
 more about these mysterious alchemists.  We are also considering adding a
 classified ads section for people wanting to sell collectibles to people 
looking for used pot stills or fermentation tanks.



Words of wisdom…

Any rum lover who is asked to be a judge at a competition should really
 take the time to understand rum styles and to score rums based on the styles 
the distillers are emulating.  How much the judge likes or dislikes a rum 
has nothing to do with the rum being a good representation of the style.  I 
don’t like white rums as much as I do aged, dark rums, but I can tell when 
someone is using their still correctly and can reward them, even if the rum 
they made is not my favorite.  Other than this, have fun: rum should be
 taken seriously only during competitions, it is all about making you feel 
happy and relaxed elsewhere!

People Profile: Tiare Olsen

Tiare is a well known Sweden-based rum enthusiast and owner of an excellent cocktail blog called A Mountain of Crushed Ice.  Here’s our interview.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?

My interest in rum started many years ago when I got a mini bottle of El Dorado 15.  Of course, I had tried rum before in my teens when I stole from my parents home bar.  But my real interest in rum started with that little bottle of El Dorado. I took a sip and one more and then I decided to make some tropical drinks with it.  I don’t remember what I made but apparently it was good because after that bottle was finished I couldn’t forget how good it was and so I eventually got a big bottle.

Then I started to surf around to find recipes for good tropical rum drinks and happened to end up at Tiki Central and got into tiki drinks.  From there I went to different booze blogs and finally came to the Ministry of Rum and that’s where my rum-education started.

Why tropical and tiki drinks?  Well, first of all I have had an interest in everything Polynesia since I was a child and have always loved the tropics. 

How many rums are in your collection?

I believe it’s about 55-60, they come and go.

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

White rum – Tiki Lover’s White, Banks Five Islands, El Dorado 3 Year Old Barrel Aged – because they all have good flavor and are also mixable.

Gold Rum – Appleton VX – for its versatility, Havana Club 3 Year Old – it’s made for daiquiris.

Aged Rum – Demerara rums first, my top choices are El Dorado, Silver Seal 15 Year Old, Banks XM 10 (the old one) and then St Nicholas Abbey 12 Year, Appleton Extra, Mount Gay XO, Zacapa 23 and Zaya.  There are many more, but these are a few good examples.

Rhum Agricole – Rhum JM, La Favorite, Neisson, Clemènt VSOP, La Belle Cabresse (Guyana)

Overproof – J Wray & Nephew, Rum Fire, Lemon Hart 151, Plantation Dark Original Overproof, Tiki Lover’s Dark, high proof demeraras (privately bottled, various labels) 

Spiced – Old New Orleans Cajun Spiced, Chairman’s Reserve Spiced

Do you have a favorite rum bar?

No, if I go anywhere here (in Sweden) it’s usually Tiki Room and that’s not a rum bar really, it’s a tiki bar, but they have some good rums. My rum bar of choice if I just could get there would be Smuggler’s Cove.

What is your regular cocktail?

Mai Tai, Sazerac, Daiquiri, Negroni, Campari and Soda, Rum Punch, various tiki drinks…

Where is the best place to buy rum in your area?

All alcohol is state owned in Sweden and so there’s only one spirits shop with the exact same collection doesn’t matter where you go…it’s very very boring and the selection is quite poor, especially when it comes to rums….and so i don’t buy many rums here.

Which rum would you travel to buy? 

A rare Demerara or some vintage rum..

When did you launch A Mountain of Crushed Ice and what is your focus?

That was the end of June 2008, so it’s about 3.5 years. My main focus is to spread the gospel of good rums and good drink mixing with fresh ingredients.  To experiment with and feature tropical and tiki drinks plus trying out and reviewing new products, preferably rums but also other spirits.  And to write about how to make things, like various syrups etc. I try to not use too obscure of ingredients nowadays to make the drinks approachable for most people. 

What should we watch out for from A Mountain of Crushed Ice in the coming year?

More tropical/exotic cocktails…and hopefully more rum reviews, maybe some occasional food and rum-cocktail pairing too.

Words of wisdom…

Learn how rum is made, what the various types of rums are, what affects the flavors and try only a few in the beginning and get to know them before moving on to more rums and if you can, visit a distillery.  Also do some blind tastings to try to educate your palate, it’s not so easy.

Drink mixing – always use fresh ingredients and good quality spirits.

Read books, magazines and blogs.  Talk to people and have fun!

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Be sure to read more from Tiare at A Mountain of Crushed Ice.

People Profile: Paul Senft

Say hello to Paul Senft.  He’s an Atlanta-based cane spirits enthusiast, world traveler and founder of RumJourney.com.  Here’s our interview.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?

Nine years ago my wife and I started hosting our annual Tiki party.  Friends would bring me new rums to try and we always had more rum at the end of a party than when we started.  Then some of them started asking my opinion about rums and good cocktails to have with them.   Since I hate giving or receiving bad advice, I started researching different rums, cocktails, and its history.  From then on I was hooked.

How many rums are in your collection? 

We currently have around 80 rums in the collection.  We are constantly experimenting so the numbers fluctuate a bit.

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

White Rum: Siesta Key Premium White – the uniqueness of the rum from nose to finish is unlike anything out there.  It mixes extremely well and has made every cocktail I have used it in better.  Lately my default white rum for mixing cocktails had been Don Q Cristal. 

Aged > 10 years: I am really fond of Trouvadore from the Turks and Caicos.  It is one of my favorite special occasion sipping rums.  However, it is not easily replaced so I tend to default to Zaya 12 year or El Dorado 15 for casual sipping.  I recently enjoyed Rum Sixty Six from Foursquare Distillery in Barbados.  I look forward to playing around with it in the home bar.

Aged < 10 Years: Dos Maderas PX 5+5 and 5+3 are favorites for when I want to sip or mix something special for guests.  For general mixing I use Mount Gay Eclipse Gold or Brugal. 

Spiced: Hands down Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum is my go-to Spiced Rum.  It is a cut above anything else I can easily get in Georgia.  I have used it in cocktails, baked with it and it’s one of the few spiced rums I will recommend for sipping.

Do you have a favorite rum bar?

For rum cocktails in Atlanta, Trader Vic’s is our best choice.  The food is great and it’s a nice place to go with friends.  I love the history and décor of the restaurant and it was the inspiration for our annual Tiki Party.

What is your regular cocktail? 

At the moment, if I am in the mood for a Tiki drink I like a Mai Tai or Suffering Bastard.  As far as regular cocktails, a classic Daiquiri or Pina Crush.

Where is the best place to buy rum in your area? 

In Downtown Atlanta, “Tower Beer, Wine and Spirits” has an excellent selection.  South of Atlanta, Camp Creek World of Beverages has a good selection and some of the best prices in the city.

Which rum would you travel to buy? 

Some would say rum is the side effect of my travelling.  I love to visit a place and see what they have that I cannot get in Atlanta.  At the moment, I would like to visit the Turks and Caicos to pick up more Trouvadore and the entire Bambarra line. 

When did you launch RumJourney.com and what is your focus? 

I started building Rum Journey in November of 2010 and went public that December.   In 2010 my wife and I took a cruise down the Leeward Islands and the idea of rum and travel really came together for me.  I wanted to be able to share unbiased opinions about my experiences with the rums we tried and places visited.  This later expanded to cocktails we liked and sharing books or artists we enjoyed. After this year’s Rum Renaissance Cruise I am becoming more comfortable with the idea of sharing my thoughts so I expect to blog a bit more moving forward.

What should we watch out for from RumJourney.com in the coming year?

More Rum Reviews, and hopefully more travel.  I really want to get small groups together and visit some of the U.S. Distilleries next year as well as festivals such as Tales of the Cocktail.  I am looking forward to evolving the site visually and expanding the content with book reviews and articles about subjects that will be helpful for someone who is new to rum or cocktails in general.  I would like to weave a little Tiki magic throughout the pages since I have so many pleasant memories tied to the subject.

Words of wisdom… 

Pick your own paths, find your own truths, you will be happier for the trouble.  This has led me to making some bold choices and taking leaps of faith that have made the ups and downs of our adventures absolutely worth it.

People Profile: Nick Feris

Spreading the gospel of rum to spirits aficionados in Seattle, Nick Feris is a Rum XP and founder of the Rum Collective.  Here’s his story.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?

My passion for rum developed in part from my long standing interest in pills and potions and a certain travel experience. After graduating with a doctoral degree in Pharmacy I had a reasonable understanding of drugs, including ethanol. However, at this point, rum had consisted mainly of fond memories with Cuba Libres and good friends at University. Then, a few years later, I stumbled across Airlie Beach Bar in Queensland, Australia and became enchanted with this spirit and its history. The diversity of rum, from the differences in styles and manufacturing processes to the romantic associations it conjures was attractive. The challenge to understand each one was what I chose to undertake.  

How many rums are in your collection?

To be honest, I have lost count. My estimate is over 150 different rums.

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

Clear (White): Banks 5 Island (Perfect for many cocktails, a robust flavor for a white rum)

Gold: Appleton V/X (It’s Appleton!)

Aged (up to 12yr): Ron Abuelo 7yr / Dos Maderas P.X.  (tough call, but both of these rums stand out. I enjoy the smoky oakiness in the Abuelo 7yr and the mature and slightly sweeter complex flavor profile in Dos Maderas P.X. Cost is also a big factor in this category.)

Premium Aged (over 12yr): Mt Gay 1703 (I love sipping it with a little water to open up the flavors, it has a wonderfully smooth extended finish)

Dark: Gosling’s Dark (perfect for a Dark n’ Stormy and making rum cake!)

Rhum Agricole: Rhum Clement Cuvee Homere (cool bottle with amazing contents to match)

Flavored: I rarely drink flavored rums, but if I had to choose, it would be one made by Brinley. Brinley’s products taste less like a bunch manufactured additives than many others. I will also mention Clement Creole Shrubb here too, which I like for some cocktails.

Spiced: Foursquare Spiced Rum (Balanced spices and slightly dry without too much dominant vanilla flavor) 

Do you have a favorite rum bar?

No, but I fancy several nationally, including: Smuggler’s Cove (San Francisco) and Rum Bar (Philadelphia). Internationally, it would be back to Airlie Beach Bar in Queensland, Australia.

What is your regular cocktail?

My regular cocktail depends on my mood and the setting where I am drinking. It is either a classic Daiquiri (Appleton Estate) or Rum Old Fashioned (El Dorado 15).

Where is the best place to buy rum in your area?

University Village Liquor Store, Seattle, WA #96 

Which rum would you travel to buy?

Dos Maderas Luxus

When did you launch the Rum Collective and what is your focus?

I officially launched The Rum Collective in October 2010 drinking a few new rums with friends while discussing a website and my business card design. The Rum Collective’s mission is to enhance awareness of and develop appreciation for rum, from the still to the cocktail, in Seattle and beyond. The focus is on education and tastings, but also to expose new rums and to celebrate rum’s utility in cocktails at bars that appreciate rum locally. 

What should we watch out for from the Rum Collective in the coming year?

The Rum Collective is young and several changes are being considered to enhance the Northwest’s rum scene as well as improve our “rumprint”. Look out for The Rum Collective to register as an official entity and as such, provide merchandise, organize larger annual events as well as regular meetings where all proceeds will be donated to support environmental and wildlife causes in rum producing nations and beyond. These changes will align my passion for rum with my concern for the Earth. Of course, there will be more and more rum too!

Words of wisdom… 

“The church is near, but the road is icy. The bar is far away, but I will walk carefully.” Russian Proverb

 

People Profile: Matt Robold

Our friend Matt Robold has made the Tommy B. Rumologist Top 5 and for good reason.  His knowledge and passion for rum is unmatched.  Here’s more.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?

I got into rum in 2005 after a trip to St. Lucia.  I had always been a big rum & coke drinker, but it was that trip that made me start taking my rum much more seriously.  I brought home a bottle of good rum and worked my way through it.  Attempts to replace it were futile though, as it wasn’t imported.  It was the search for more that led me to sites like ScottesRum.com and MinistryofRum.com where the rum community dragged me into dark, cane-infested depths of rum geekery.

How many rums are in your collection?

I haven’t taken an inventory in a few months.  I really should.  It varies a bit because, well, I have a nasty tendency to drink the stuff.  These days it hovers right around 120 rums depending on samples, gifts, and when my favourite liquor store has a sale.

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

Favorites are so hard to pick.  Ask me on a different day or even a different time of the same day and my answer could change. Not to mention the fact that the categories of rum seem to be rather ethereal and amorphous…and there’s, like, a lot of them.

For white rums right now I’m in a bit of an El Dorado 3 Year Old phase.  It makes tremendously good daiquiris – be they classic or Hemingway.

Gold rums often get lost in my sea of options.  Gold rums are great, but aged rums are often better.  I guess for a 5 year or younger rum it’s probably Appleton Estate V/X.  It’s pungent and floral and really stands out in a great drink.

I think a lot of connoisseurs and experts like to turn their noses up at the spiced category, but there are some really great ones out there.  Perhaps not as numerous as fantastic aged rums or even whites, but there’s some quality spiced rums available right now.  Old New Orleans Cajun Spiced Rum is probably the best, but I could easily put Foursquare in the same place.  Kraken is a newcomer that I’m finding to be really interesting and fun to use.

From the Rhum Agricole category, gee.  I almost want to break that up into Blanc, Vieux, etc.  Right now I’m drinking a lot of Neisson Blanc and really enjoying it.  Then again, Rhum JM 1997 is the agricole I most lust after.

Can I break “Aged” into Jamaican, Puerto Rican/Spanish, Central American, Bajan, American, and Demerara?  Hmm, maybe just a list of the ones that are regularly purchased because they empty the fastest: Appleton Estate 12, El Dorado 15, Ron Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, Mount Gay Extra Old.  I’d also like to squeeze in Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum for a great, funky, wonderful rum.  It’s my utter obsession right now.  Mai Tais and Swizzles were created so that one day we could use this rum to make them.

Crap, I still haven’t talked about cachacas!

Do you have a favorite rum bar?

There aren’t a lot of rum bars out there.  Luckily, living in California means that I have THREE solid ones to choose from.  My favorite though has to be Smuggler’s Cove in San Francsico.  Martin Cate, the owner is an incredible advocate and connoisseur of the spirit and his bar is one of the few that I’ve ever been to that actually has a greater variety of rums than I have at home.  The incredible menu, ranging from classically styled rum cocktails like Daiquiris and El Presidentes to
the Tiki style drinks like Zombies, Painkillers, and Mai Tais that Martin is perhaps best-known for and all the swizzles, punches, and everything else in between. 

Here in Los Angeles there are actually two new rum bars that are just getting under way and doing some great stuff too.  La Descarga and Caña are both taking different approaches to the spirit, from La Descarga’s vibrant Cuban theme to the more reserved, library-style Caña.  I don’t know that I have a favorite of the two yet…I’ll have to continue to investigate.

What is your favorite cocktail?

Again with the favorites…  I’d probably have say Mai Tai.  I mean, I spent over a month making over 70 different Mai Tais with different rum combinations to decide which combination was the best, so I have a keen appreciation for that drink.  Plus it’s just such a great drink.  Funky, drier than you’d expect, and so refreshing that it’s sinful, it’s pretty close to being the perfect rum drink, trailing only the Daiquiri for being the pinnacle of rum drinks. I’m also really fond of El Presidentes and, lately, Hemingway Daiquiris.

Do you have a favorite spirits shop for buying rum? 

This one is an easy favorite for a change.  Generally if I buy rum I’m buying it at Hi Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, California.  Besides having the best spirits events in Orange County (where I live) and the best, most knowledgeable and friendly staff of any liquor store I’ve ever been too, they also happen to have an entire aisle that has to be at least 30 feet long of just rum.  JUST RUM!  I haven’t even had everything they sell there.  I have to ration my own visits there because I never leave with fewer than 5 bottles and a bill of at least $200.  These days I try to keep myself on a quarterly visit plan, which almost keeps me from going broke. 

Which rum would you travel to buy?

Travel where?  I mean, rum is made in some of the most beautiful parts of the world.  The trip alone would probably be worth it with the rum as an added bonus.  If it’s a rum that I just couldn’t buy here because no one will import it for me, it’d probably be Havana Club Barrel Proof.  I mean, I literally MUST travel to buy it because Cuba is some sort of horrible threat to the most powerful nation on Earth.  Don’t tell anyone, but the United States’ key weakness is apparently well-made cigars and linen shirts.  The other one that comes to mind is St. Nicholas Abbey Demerara Rum from Barbados. I had both of these rums in London at the UK Rumfest in 2008 and they made me very sad when I realized that I could buy neither at home.

 

Click here to VOTE for Matt in the Tommy Bahama Rumologist search!! 

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To read more from Matt, check out his blog, RumDood.com.

Profile pic courtesy of Rob Burr

People Profile: Carlton Grooms

Rum enthusiast and Caribbean lifestyle blogger.  Here’s our interview with Carlton Grooms.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?

I have collected, drank, read and traveled as much as I can to learn about rum.  I love its history, its craftsmanship, and its mixology.  I have made many great friends in the process.

How many rums are in your collection?

Currently I have fifty bottles, which varies up and down depending on how many people visit to enjoy them with me.  

With a little more convincing I might get my wife to sell the dining room furniture and turn the entire room into a rum den.  Wish me luck! 

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

White:

Siesta Key White – The 7 strains of yeast produces a white rum that can be enjoyed over ice.  The slight butterscotch notes on the nose and the clean finish make this my favorite white rum.

Tommy Bahama White Sand – Richard Seale produced a white using a blend of both pot still and column still rum.  The result is a perfect white for my favorite, the Daiquiri #3 as it was made at The La Floridita in 1935.

Gold:

Cockspur 5 Star – A wonderful everyday mixer from Barbados that can be equally enjoyed on the rocks.  I like the hint of spice without being a spice rum.

Barbancourt 3 Star – I am a fan of the entire Barbancourt lineup.  This subtle rum is well suited with most traditional rum mixers.

Dark:

Cruzan Black Strap – Traditional English Navy style rum.  This rum has loads of flavor and then some.  With molasses front and center and a hint of coffee this rum is unforgettable.

Spice:

Sailor Jerry – I am a sucker for most anything Virgin Island.  This 92 proof spiced rum with a hint of cherry rarely lasts long in my house.  I like the way it marries with many of my favorite boat drink recipes.

Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum – My buddy Rum Shop Ryan brought me back a bottle from St. Kitts recently. This rum is much more sweet than Sailor Jerry.  Marshmallow and spices dominate.  This rum is a close cousin to the new release of Siesta Key Spice Rum which is rapidly finding a strong following.  They both feel like Christmas in the Caribbean in my mouth.

Premium Aged Rum:

Appleton Estate Master Blender’s Legacy – Only 1,440 bottles were released and all were spoken for prior to hitting the shelves over two years ago.  Recently I acquired a bottle which was sitting on the Duty Free shelf in the Montego Bay Airport.  What luck.

Havana Club Barrel Proof – This bottle was the center of my collection until I recently finished it on National Rum Day.  The toffee, cinnamon and extra heat from the higher proof were amongst the best I’ve ever had.  The unique double cask finishing is more reminiscent of whiskey than rum.  Wonderful.

Do you have a favorite rum bar?

Two rum bars in the U.S. currently capture my attention.  The first in Key West, is The Rum Bar at the Speakeasy Inn on Duval St.  If Hemingway were still alive he would drink here when Bahama Bob was behind the bar.

The second is the Rum Bar in Philadelphia.  Adam Kanter, was a fine competitor in the Rumologist.  Adam oozes rum and runs a fine establishment in downtown Philly.  I’ll be visiting him at the end of October.

What is your regular cocktail?

Daiquiri #3.  The classic just shouldn’t be messed with.  I hand shake it.  Use organic sugar cane crystals (I don’t like to use simple syrup for this one) and strain.

Where is the best place to buy rum in your area?

Norman’s Fine Wine and Liquor in Sarasota and South Trail Liquor in Sarasota are my go to sources.  Norman’s is like a Disneyland of choices.  Unfortunately I’ve bought just about every type of rum they stock already so now I’m forced to look at smaller places to see what is collecting dust on the back shelves.

Which rum would you travel to buy?

Black Tot, “Last Consignment”.  As a former Naval Officer, I love all things related to the traditions of the Naval Service.  Combine that with my love of rum and it is easy to understand the attraction.

Ideally I would like to acquire two bottles.  One to drink now and one to keep.  Perhaps I would open it on my death bed for one last toast to a great ride.

When did you launch Coastlines & Tan Lines and what is your focus?

Coastlines & Tan Lines was launched six months ago.  Originally it was meant to help drive traffic to my bikini company, Conch Republic Bikinis.  A strange thing happened along the way.  The blog has now become much larger than the bikini company!

Evidently people really identify with the idea of, “Life in the Little Latitudes”.  I publish five days a week interspacing video with written articles and photography.  Video has become more and more prevalent as my readers are showing a strong demand for it.

Rum, of course, is a big source of inspiration and stories on the blog.  The Caribbean and the island lifestyle are so closely interwoven with our favorite spirit that one cannot help but write about it if you seek to be credible.

What should we watch out for from Coastlines & Tan Lines in the coming year?

Much more travel to the islands.  With winter setting in, my readers are going to be eager to get a mental vacation to somewhere hot.  In November I’m heading to the Virgin Islands with you Mike.  That should be fun!  Then we’re off on the Rum Cruise.  There won’t be enough days to match up with the stories that these two weeks will generate.

I am also excited about the new year.  One highlight will be the Antigua Classic Yacht Races in April.  I have been invited to crew and film on three classic all wooden yachts. One of the yachts, the 1902 all wooden English schooner, Coral I am filming my first documentary on.

Words of wisdom

Watching people’s eyes light up after you introduce them to the wide spectrum of rum is very rewarding.  The history of the Western World starting in the mid 1600’s to the present cannot be told without including the topic of rum itself.  It is our privilege as rum lovers to tell these stories and introduce these flavors to those who will listen. 

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People Profile: Roger Patteson

Say hello to Roger Patteson. He’s a well known cane spirits reviewer, world traveler and our drinking buddy on a few occassions. Here’s the interview.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?

I had my first memorable experience with rum on a tall ship in the West Indies and British Virgin Islands in 2000. I was introduced to many local and exotic rums along with cocktails like the ship’s “Rum Swizzle”, “Killer Bees” from Sunshine’s on Nevis and the “Painkiller” from Pusser’s on Tortola. My interest grew significantly in 2005 on a sailing trip from the West Indies to the Grenadines where I was fortunate to meet my future rum website partner, Dave Russell.  We quickly became friends and he introduced me to Chairman’s Reserve Rum one evening off the coast of St. Lucia. We then spent the next couple of weeks looking for rum on the small islands where we stopped. This was my first experience with the premium-aged rum category. The rest is history…

How many rums are in your collection?

Not as many as I’d like to have but more than I need. I stopped counting after I reached 165 a year ago but my guess would be less than 200 bottles. I always want to add great rum to my collection and I don’t believe I’ll ever have as large of a collection as some of my friends who have more than a thousand bottles. You’d be surprised how much space 100 rum bottles take up. 

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

This is a difficult question to answer because there are so many great rums out there. Tastes and palates change over time so what was my favorite rum years ago might not be the same today. I say to some people that my favorite rum is what’s in my glass at the time. 

A few memorable rums have to do with the situation or story behind it. A memorable gold rum is Chairman’s Reserve due to it being the first aged rum I was introduced to by my website partner, Dave Russell.  A very memorable Agricole Rhum from Martinique is Clement 1976 which Ben Jones introduced me to a few years ago. It’s extremely rare and it’s where I met Ben and shared a good story about meeting his Uncle on St. Barts with Dave. A memorable overproof rum is the bottle of Jack Iron Rum I found on Carriacou 6 years ago. It had a homemade label on the backside of a recycled Johnny Walker bottle!  In the Spiced Rum category I favor my own recipe (available on the RnD website). I make it for friends and family during the holidays. It’s based on a homemade batch of spiced rum I found on St. Lucia. I have too many great memorable premium-aged rums to mention them all. 

Do you have a favorite rum bar?

My favorite local rum bar here in Portland is a small Tiki Bar named Thatch. There are many great rum bars around the world and a memorable one is The Bristol Bar, located in the prestigious Bristol Hotel, in Panama City, Panama. It has an extensive menu of very rare rums from all over the world. There are a few friends’ rum bars I’d like to visit including Martin Cate’s Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco, Adam Kanter’s Rum Bar in Philadelphia, and Ian Burrell’s Cottons in London. 

What is your regular cocktail?

My regular cocktail lately has been the Caipirinha due to the refreshingly unique flavors that come from Cachaça. I also like a simple lime daiquiri and a well made mojito. But most of the time I just like to enjoy rum neat in a rocks glass.  

Where is the best place to buy rum in your area?

There are two places I go to locally; The Hyland Hills Liquor Store located in Beaverton, Oregon, and The Pearl Specialty Market and Spirits located in the Pearl District in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Which rum would you travel to buy?

I love to travel in general and take the opportunity when I can to search for rare or fine rums that are unavailable or hard to find in the USA. I once walked into an enoteca in the small hillside town of Cortona in Tuscany and was surprised to find two really rare bottles of rum that were unavailable in the USA. You never know what you are going to find during your travels, so if you find something special you’d better buy it as you may never see it again!

When did you launch RnD Rum Reviews and what is your focus?

We launched RnD Rum Reviews in June of 2006. We had been talking about starting a rum review website that spring after returning from a couple of long sailing trips to the West Indies and BVIs. Dave and I were looking for great rum on our trips and back in the states, and searched for a website to help guide us on our journey. Based on the lack of content available on the web at the time, we saw a need and decided to go for it! After completing 10 reviews we launched a modest blog site and focused on increasing the number of reviews and writing articles on rum. A couple of months later we changed to a more comprehensive website. The current site is our third version. 

Our focus and philosophy is about being “Your Guide to Great Rum” by giving our audience honest and unbiased opinions of the rum we’ve found on our journeys along with something interesting about the rum or an interesting story on how we discovered it. We only have rum on our website that we would recommend to our friends. Our motto is if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. That should tell you a lot about our site and us. We also aren’t connected to advertisers, distiller, or distributors. 

What should we watch out for from RnD in the coming year?

In September we will complete our 200th rum review. We have a goal to reach 250 a year from now. It’s been a rewarding and fun 5 years, so stay tuned for more great reviews, articles, and news from RnD!

Words of wisdom…

Have conviction to be the person you want to be and live the life you want to live. You have opportunity for growth and to learn everyday of your life. 

 

People Profile: Adam Kanter

Adam Kanter, our drinkin’ buddy and owner of the legendary Rum Bar in Philadelphia, sits down with us to talk shop.  Here’s our interview.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?

I suppose my first trip to the Caribbean had to be the start. On a family cruise, my mom booked me an excursion to the Bacardi tour in San Juan and the Malibu tour in Barbados. I was so excited to learn how it was made! I was just a 20 year old bartender at this point. When I got home, I immediately bought a water distillation unit, some molasses and yeast. After all, thats all I needed, according to the Malibu tour. Despite its epic failure, I was hooked!

How many rums are in your collection? (your personal collection and at the bar)

At Rum Bar, we have just surpassed 200 rums, with about 20-25 new rums expected in the next month. Personally I own 60 bottles give-or-take. I make sure to stock different rums at home than the bar. About 30 of these I will touch very rarely, as I’ve got an impossible-to-replace collection of Japanese rums. (Impossible because my brother broke up with my mule; his Japanese girlfriend, last year)

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

-Like asking Stan Lee his favorite comic book hero… I love rums from Trinidad, Guyana, and Venezuela. Their rums always have so much depth and personality. Like the Angostura for instance– so delicious! Any time I pour it for a guest, I need to pour myself one too. Diplomatico, Santa Teresa, El Dorado are great, so is Zacapa, Dos Maderas, and all of the Plantation Barbados offerings… My favorite light-bodied rum would probably be DonQ Gran Anejo. Despite a preference for heavier, sweeter rums, there is something about a rum with so much maturity and so much lightness and purity. It’s a unique rum!

Do you have a favorite rum bar? (silly question, I know)

I’ve only been to a handful of other real rum bars. Owning Rum Bar, you learn to differentiate between a rum bar and a bar with a good rum selection. Some places may have 50-60 rums, but if you see dust on the bottles or notice bottle labels or designs that haven’t existed in 8 years, perhaps they are not a rum bar. With this criteria, I have only been to one real rum bar, and that would be Cotton’s in the UK. They have so many rums and nowhere to put ’em. You might see a bottle of El Dorado 25 next to the Wray and Nephew. Places I’d like to check out include Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco and the Rum Bar at the Speakeasy Inn in Key West.

What is your regular cocktail?

-Not gonna lie, its a rum and diet coke. If I want to guzzle large amounts of rum, this is what I drink. Long nights at the bar lead me to this quite often! Now if I am at a bar with a good rum selection, bring on a daiquiri!

Where is the best place to buy rum in your area?

Definitely not in Pennsylvania. Being a controlled liquor state, the best they’ve got on their shelves is Zaya, Zacapa, Pyrat, Oronoco, and MGXO. Lucky for me, in my hometown of Sicklerville, NJ, I shop at King’s Liquors. The owner there will order me anything in his order book. Ive been able to add some odd rums to my collection this way.

Which rum would you travel to buy?

Tanduay is a tasty light rum I enjoy. My wife’s family is Philipino and travel there often. I try to have a bottle at home at all times (though I’m out now). I understand they finally got an importer for the US. Once this happens, then my answer becomes St. Nicholas Abbey. Worth the price!

Tell us about Rum Bar?

Rum Bar is a small little bar nestled in the swank Rittenhouse area of Philadelphia. Our drink menu (Rum Anthology as we call it) is 16 pages, chock full of 200+ rums, 40+ cocktails, recipes, and a glossary for rum and cocktail terms. While we are most known for our killer mojitos, it’s our Daiquiri menu I am most proud of. Nine different takes on the original. We just introduced our Tiki Cocktail menu, 10 Tiki drinks… some original, some re-makes, and some traditional cocktails.

What should we watch out for at Rum Bar in the coming year?

I organize Rum On The River, a rum festival featuring about 30 different rum brands, a mojito cocktail competition, live entertainment, and lots of attractions. This follow-up to last year’s inaugural event is going to be twice as big this year. Pay attention to RumConnection.com for details. Also, I am working on a top-secret mind-blowing project that I cannot say any more than I’ve already said. I’ll be able to disclose details as this project gets closer.

Words of wisdom….

Don’t come into Rum Bar and order a well vodka & water. We respect your drinking beliefs, whether it be tequila, scotch, or beer… but c’mon… Vodka? Well Vodka? Well Vodka with Water? You know who you are…

People Profile: Dave Russell

Dave Russell is a well-known rum reviewer who spends much of his time sailing the Caribbean in search of fine spirits and good times.  Here’s our interview.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?

During my first sailing trip in the Caribbean in 1991 I discovered wonderfully refreshing cocktails made with aged and overproof rums.  It wasn’t long after that I acquired my preference for aged sipping rums.  Like so many young people, my first experience with rum ended badly from drinking too much crappy rum and cola at a party.  I’m glad those early days passed and I developed a more refined palate.

How many rums are in your collection?

Never enough – but the stash grows every week!  At this moment my collection is approaching 200 rums.  Honestly, I remember years ago counting 16 bottles on my shelf and it felt “Like money in the bank” as I say.  I have friends with over 700 bottles, so the number isn’t relevant.  Somebody will always have a bigger collection.  What’s important is that you enjoy every rum that you own.

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

I’ve made a lifestyle out of searching the planet discovering great rum.  Why would I want to settle for just one?  I don’t.  I want to appreciate rum for all of its diversity; its styles, flavors, distilling and aging techniques, local varieties, and especially, exploring the culture expressed in each one.  Hopefully, the adventures continue.

Do you have a favorite rum bar?

I have a few.  Hanging out at almost any shack on a beach in the Caribbean suits me best, but Papa Zouk’s on Antigua has an especially eclectic collection of rums from the world over.  Gentleman Bob Davies’ “da Conch Shack” in the Turks and Caicos islands offers a wealth of rums.  On Grenada, the Aquarium is a must, as is Vastra Banken.  In the BVI, I enjoy Myett’s resort at Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, which is just down the road from the ancient Callwood Distillery.  While everyone goes to “Foxy’s” on Jost Van Dyke, I vastly prefer the more washed-up scene at his son Sedi’s place called “One Love” over on White Bay.  For sheer natural beauty, you can’t top Hotel Libertador on Lake Titicaca in Peru.  Although they’re pricey, Fire Grill in Gros Islet on St. Lucia has a nice selection of rum and agricole rhum, while Hotel Tiara Park Atlantic Lisboa in Lisbon, Portugal has several exquisite Cuban rons. In the States, I visit rum bars to drink cocktails that I cannot make myself.  Martin Cate’s iconic “Smugglers’ Cove” in San Francisco is my local rum bar – it’s clearly the best in the West.  Adam Kanter’s “Rum Bar” in Philadelphia is the place to go on the East Coast.

What is your regular cocktail?

Sipping an aged rum neat is my favorite way to enjoy rum at home.  On a hot day I particularly enjoy a traditional Martinique-style ‘Ti Punch over ice before dinner.  When sailing, a Rum Punch with fruit juices and bitters is refreshing.  So is a Painkiller.  Substituting cachaça in a limey Margarita is showing great potential.

Where is the best place to buy rum in your area?

I buy most of my rum when traveling in the Caribbean.  The duty free shops in the smaller Caribbean airports are usually a treasure trove.  Apparently, their inventory doesn’t move quickly, so you often find wonderful discontinued collectible rums.  I’ve stumbled onto rare rums and homemade concoctions in tiny, out-of-the-way markets too.  Quinn Farara’s duty-free liquor store in Heritage Quay on Antigua has a wide selection that changes daily. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Beltramo’s and K&L have a good selection of rum, as does Liquid Experience in Haight-Ashbury.  For online purchases I turn to Forrest Cokely at Hi-Time Wine in Southern California.

Which rum would you travel to buy?

I’ve sailed throughout most of the Caribbean, and motorcycled through most of the Continents searching for rum, but the place I want to go more than anywhere else is Cuba.  Legally, of course, so I can bring the rum home.  I want to see Cuba as the frozen-in-time political phenomenon that it has been for over half a century, while its culture is still intact, before the Castro regime collapses and big resorts and cruise ships turn it into another Las Vegas.  I want to feel the music, soak up the rum, and immerse myself in the local vibe before it’s gone.

When did you launch RnD Rum Reviews and what is your focus?

Roger and I were sipping some nice rum with our wives on the deck of a tall sailing ship in the Caribbean over five year ago.  We didn’t have any reference or expectation for the rum we were exploring, and lamented that there weren’t any really good websites about rum.  On impulse we said:  ”Let’s start one!”  The name RnD Rum Reviews came easy, since we were both employed in high-tech at the time.   We combined our initials with a compass logo pointing North, consistent with our mission of being “Your Guide to Great Rum.”

What should we watch out for from RnD in the coming year?

We have a pretty cool update in store for our 5th Anniversary Edition of RnD Rum Reviews in June.  We’ll feature great rums that represent the many styles and rum producing regions – we’ve been working on that list for awhile.  We’re also working on making the site easier to navigate as it grows.  But I have no idea where this will ultimately go.  If you told me five years ago I would be having this much fun searching for rum and writing about it, I wouldn’t have believed you.  I’ve got a feeling we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.  The next five years will be a blast.

Words of wisdom….

Do what you love, and life will reward you.  It’s the only way you’ll be sufficiently motivated over the long haul.  Even if you don’t get rich, you’ll be happy, and that’s all that matters.

People Profile: Bob Davies

Our friend Bob Davies, AKA-The Rumelier, has traveled the world and collected over 850 rums!!  He recently shared his amazing story with us.  Enjoy!

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How and when did you become interested in rum?

I am originally from North Wales which could easily be described as a rum desert. I was a real ale drinker and an active local member of CAMRA (the campaign for real ale). I very rarely drank rum.  In 1989 I immigrated to Grand Bahama as a Physical Education teacher in a small fishing village at West End. Naturally, rum is one of the most popular drinks in the Bahamas, where at the time there was a Bacardi Distillery.

After a couple of years I moved into the local Rugby Club as a live-in manager. Here amongst other duties I ran the bar. Not only did I run the Rugby Club bar I also had several friends who owned their own bars. One of the most influencial rum friends was the owner of Bahama Mamas, Kevin Lightbourn. He introduced me to all sorts of rum cocktails and even invented one named after me, “Moon Over Bob”. There is a good bar story behind that name believe me!! The rest as they say is history.

After spending 11 years in the Bahamas my wife, Teri and I decided to move down to the Turks and Caicos Islands. I first worked in the wholseasle food business before being invited to manage the wholesale department of the biggest liquor, beer and wine importer in the country. An offer that could not be refused.

How many rums are in your collection?

The last time I counted, which is not an easy job, there was over 850 bottles all over the apartment. Fortunately we are in the process of buying a new house and are building a seperate room for the collection and a bar where the rums can be displayed properly.

What is your favourite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

  • White:- I must admit I am not a big white rum drinker but the new Mount Gay Eclipse Silver is very impressive as is Diplomatico Blanco and of course Bacardi Superior has always been one of my go to rums.
  • Gold:- Most of the younger gold rums I usually mix with ginger ale. While I have many favourites I tend to try and drink a different one as much as possible so I get to “know” most of the rums in my collection. Gold rums are the largest segment of my collection. I have to say it was Bacardi Anejo that started me on this rum journey followed by Barcelo Anejo. Niether is currently available in the Turks and Caicos so I like to experiement with new rums all the time. Recently I have shown a preference for stronger flavoured rums, eg.Appletons.
  • Premium:- My favourite category of rums is the premium section which I normally drink it over some ice and add a splash of water. I have a few go to rums that are always there in the collection, Mount Gay Extra Old and 1703, Appleton Master Blender’s Legacy and 21 Year Old. Other regualrs are Bacardi 8, Zacapa 15YO, Angostura Single Barrel and of course Bambarra Reserve.

Do you have a favourite rum bar?

One of the best bars for rum in Providenciales is Da Conch Shack. They have a great selection of rums and have a premium rum menu (designed by myself!!). They are famous for their tri coloured rum punch which they also sell by the jug. The location is right in the sand and coconut palms in Blue Hills. It is a real “island” experience, not to be missed if you ever visit Provo. Of course as the name suggests they specialise in Conch, where they keep the conch in pens in the sea and “crack” them fresh every day for there staple items on the menu. It is a great place to relax and chill out after work or with the kids where they can play in the sand or sea.

What is your regular cocktail?

I have never really been much of a cocktail guy. If it takes more than rum, ice and soda it sounds like work or cooking, neither which I came to the Caribbean for. As I said earlier ginger ale is my go to mixer, I like to keep it simple as possible. I have found if I buy some ingredient to make a cocktail I use it once then end up throwing it out a few months later!! Now and again you might see me making a mojito in the kitchen. Living on a small island can have it’s drawbacks as simple ingredients can be very expensive and impossible to find, another good reason to keep it simple.

What is the best place to buy rum in your area?

I am very fortunate to work at the Wine Cellar here in Provo. We currently have over 120 rums in our protfolio, which we are always trying to expand. We want to have one of the best selections in the Caribbean and feel that rum is what people visiting the Caribbean should be trying when they visit us. We also want them to taste rums from all over the region. Of course I have been put in charge of this section of our business and we are currently expanding the shelving to hold more rums. It is nice to be able to combine my favourite hobby and my job.

Which rum would you travel to buy?

I am not sure about this as it is so expensive to get out of the Turks and Caicos Islands. I am always checking out all the stores on the island that sell rum to see if they have any new arrivals. Also I like to travel as much as possible around the Caribbean to visit distilleries. On my travels I try to pick up as many new rums for the collection as possible. I am always trying to fly rums in from all over the world where I have developed relationships with some great suppliers. I even trade empty beer cans for bottles of rum with a friend in Portugal.

When did you launch TheRumelier.com and what is your focus?

I launched the site in February 2008. I did not really have a plan when I started, really I just wanted to talk about my collection and it just grew from there. I really just want to focus on the great rums produced in the Caribbean and how the whole rum process works from start to finish. TheRumelier.com has opened many doors for me. I find it very easy now to contact a distillery I wish to visit and just mention the website and how it could benefit them if I add a page on the site about their rum. This along with being a member of Robert Burr’s Rum XP Panel makes life much easier.

I also maintain a website called OldBahamas.com which is old photographs and postcards of the Bahamas, mainly Nassau. This has proved very popular with Bahamians and is used as teaching aid by many schools throughout the country.

Another site I currently operate is CaribbeanWaterfrontProperty.co which is really just an ad for a beautiful piece of property we are trying hard to sell. Then I can make a bigger bar!!

As many people know I am very heavily involved with Bambarra Rum, the best selling rum in the Turks and Caicos. We launched the rum in October 2008 and it has gone from strength to strength. We curently have a Two Year Old Silver and Gold, a Coconut, and Eight Year Old Reserve and a Fifteen Year Old Trouvadore. There are big plans ahead for Bambarra. It has been a great project to be a part of and a great learning process from start to finish. I also maintain bambarrarum.com but wish I had more time to keep all the sites up to date. We have a sister company called Flavours of the Turks and Caicos (FOTTAC) who are the exclusive distributor of all things Bambarra, including rum cakes, hot sauces, jellies, coffees, t-shirts, etc. This a favourite store for my two young daughters who love sampling the different rum cakes. They are starting their rum journey early!!

I am also involved as a consultant on a couple of other rum projects that are in the very early stages of development, both in the Caribbean and the UK. Hopefully these projects will fully develop in the near future.

What should we watch out for from the Rumelier in the coming year?

If all goes well and we manage to purchase our new house I think I will be lying low for a while and cutting back on the travelling unfortunately. Travelling the Caribbean is always great fun, every island is different and they all have great rums. One of the highlights of the rum calender is Miami’s Rum Renaissance organised by the Burr family which I WILL be attenting later this month. After that I have nothing planned besides a quick trip to Antiqua in June if funds permit. I also hope to find more time to devote to my websites. Of course the new house will take up most of my time, with the bar and the bare garden. So I forsee lots of building and gardenning combined with some R&R with some of the world’s finest rums. One thing I have tried my hand at recently is making my own rum. I have a small copper pot still with two retorts and a condenser, based on the old stills at Mount Gay. It has been a great learning experience, which was the main reason for trying it. The resulting rum does smell and taste like some moonshine, however I have no idea how strong it is as I have nothing to measure the alcoholic strength.

Words of wisdom……

I have had an amazing rum journey in really such a short time. I have visited some beautiful islands, tasted amazing rums and met some great people. Travelling is a true education, something I think I inherited from my dad who was in the Royal Navy and would spend the cold Welsh winters pouring through travel brochures looking for deals. I am so glad I decided to apply for a job in the Bahamas all those years ago, not thinking I would ever get it. Be adventurous and take a chance, you never know where it may take you.

People Profile: Bahama Bob

Bahama Bob Leonard is a legendary Key West bartender, cane spirits promoter and rum lifestyle blogger.  Over a few drinks, we got a chance to talk shop.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?

I had my first sip in 1968.  Traveling the islands has opened my eyes to the sheer number of brands, flavors and diversity of rum.

How many rums are in your collection?

60-100 (depending on the day)

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

El Dorado 12 & 15, Matusalem 15, RL Seale, Angostura 1919 & 1824, the entire Plantation line, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva and a few others.

Do you have a favorite rum bar?

I’m prejudiced.  I like the Rum Bar in Key West (I work there), but Hurricane Hole on Stock Island is my watering hole.

What is your regular cocktail?

Rum & Tonic for a low cal. drink, but I also like a Goombay Smash, Painkillers and Mojitos.

Where is the best place to buy rum in your area?

In Key West, Walgreens and Winn Dixie Grocery Market have a surprisingly good selection.  I also frequent Conch Republic and Bone Island Liquors for special rums.

Which rum would you travel to buy?

All of them!

When did you launch BahamaBobLeonard.com and what is your focus?

I launched the blog on January 1st, 2011 to share the experiences of a Rumstylin’ fool (me) that really loves life.

What should we watch out for from Bahama Bob in the coming year?

I’m sort of recreating myself on a regular basis these days.  I’m having fun meeting new people, seeing new places and living life in a way that I can take the road less traveled.

Words of wisdom….etc….

I’ve always felt like anything goes in life, as long as nobody gets hurt.  Living life to its fullest and never saying “If I had only…..”  Thank you Jimmy Buffett!

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Read Bob’s daily ramblings about rum, travel and life at BahamaBobLeonard.com

People Profile: Pete Holland

Pete Holland, fine spirits blogger and half of the creative team at The Floating Rum Shack, sits down with us to talk about cane spirits.  Check it out.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?

Rum came up on my radar when I first started dating my future wife to be: Pauline.  This was back in early 1993.  At the time Pauline was going through a Southern Comfort / Gin & Tonic / Alcopop stage (we were both students) and she’ll be embarrassed by me telling everyone this little fact, but it was her rebellious phase, due to being constantly surrounded by rum.  But I guess the first real rum feature was when I went around for my first meal at Pauline’s mum and dad’s house.  I consumed an absolute mountain of West Indian themed Christmas dinner, which was followed by an offer of a glass of rum.  I don’t recall if it was Mount Gay or Cockspur, Pauline say’s it was the former.  I can say that I think at that time I stuck with the beer as I didn’t want to risk making a fool of myself.  But it really was only then a matter of time.

Soon we were regularly getting bottles of whatever was available locally (which wasn’t much in High Wycombe at the time) and generally mixing it with coke and yes, I know that will have the purists tutting, but some rums are made for mixing coke.  Pauline is part English, part Bajan (Barbados) and part Vincention (St. Vincent) as her parents originally came from different islands in the Caribbean.  At that time, St. Vincent rum was only available to those who knew someone prepared to stick a bottle or two in their suitcase on the journey home.  Bajan rum was far more accessible and so I guess I have a soft spot there as it was my first love.

Over the next few years, our holidays in the Caribbean made me realise that rum is no small thing to the average West Indian, but I really had no idea that the scope of the spirit category was so wide.  The summer of 2008 changed all that.  Pauline and I felt like we wanted to start a project – something to take us away from the hum-drum of normal life and we settled on rum.  The idea was to find out what we could and then record our sugar cane spirit journey on our newly registered website: www.TheFloatingRumShack.com – not a lot happened initially, but by a complete fluke, lucky break if you will, a few months later we happened to be in London on the same weekend as RumFest and the rest as they say was history!

Our journey so far seems to have been blessed by the Rum Gods – we’ve got lucky so many times – meeting so many interesting people, that I can’t help but be a little amazed at our good fortune. RumFest made me realise that the world of rum is vast and mostly located in hot and sunny locations which is of course a bonus.  I’m genuinely interested in all aspects of the drinks industry – I’m as happy being told about particular aspects of distillation as I am about how to best mix it in a cocktail.

Picture 31How many rums are in your collection?

We have about 90 different rum expressions at the moment.  Our collection is not one for simply looking at, its one for enjoying.  The flipside to the fun is that the bottles tend to run empty quite quickly…  I’d say we have a lot of half empty or half full depending upon your point of view, bottles right now, but as there are not many that are irreplaceable, I don’t feel I have to be overly sensible.

We have a bottle of Appleton Exclusive Estate Edition rum – that tends to be stored away from the main stash if only because it cost us a lot of money.  Friends and family are free to have a sip or two, but I’d rather it didn’t end up in a Mai-Tai or accidentally mixed long with coke at one of our house parties.  Actually – scratch that – if one of my mixologist friends was to make me a Mai-Tai with it – I think that would be ace!  Just the one mind you – can’t go too mad.

If I end up picking up something rare – I may have to think hard before pouring a measure – but I bet I’ll still pour it anyway.

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

That’s a tough one to answer.  The thing is that whilst I have found a few rums I don’t like – it’s not so easy to identify a rum that I could class as a ‘go to’ in all situations.  I’m particularly interested in Central and South American rums at the moment and I’ve already said that I have a soft spot for Bajan rum – Mount Gay specifically – but genuinely and seriously – I just couldn’t put one above another.  Anything that comes out of Foursquare or St Lucia Distillers is likely to be fab – but then Diplomatico and Santa Teresa make some special rums and don’t get me started on Zacapa and Appleton and Havana Club and Flor De Cana and El Dorado and Atlántico and so on…

Looking at it the other way, I guess I’m training myself to appreciate cachaça and agricole rums more these days.  The aged expressions are no problem, but the younger ones carry flavour notes that at times are too much for me.

Do you have a favorite rum bar?

Several favourites I’m afraid – once again I can’t be drawn on just one.

Best because it’s furthest from home: Speakeasy Inn and Rum Bar, Key West.  I love the thought of sittin’ in there with a glass of rum in front of me – simply because it’s such a great place, but also because we’d be thousands of miles from home at that point.  With the lousy English weather we have right now, I’d happily teleport myself to 1117 Duval Street if I could.  I so miss the warm of sunshine on my skin right now…

Best because it’s luxurious and you get treated so well: Artesian Bar at the Langham Hotel, London.

Best because it’s got a massive selection: (a tough call between) Cotton’s Caribbean Restaurant and Rhum Shack & Trailer Happiness, both in London.  Both have different vibes though – so best to go to both.

What is your regular cocktail?

I default to a daiquiri.  I find it the simplest and quickest to make, that still allows all the character of the rum to come though.  I make them when reviewing a rum unless it’s a definite sipping rum.  Fairly recently we tried a rum that was manufactured to be so pure and smooth that to be honest, there wasn’t a lot of flavour left.  In this case all I could taste was sugar and lime – the rum was completely lost.

A Rum Old Fashioned with something like El Dorado 12 is great.  A properly made Mai Tai is fab as are so many other tiki cocktails.  But I’m equally happy with a mojito.  I guess I’m just an easily pleased fella when it comes to cocktails that are well made.  It’s going to sound a little daft – but a cocktail has to be made properly otherwise I’ll just take my rum neat.  There are a lot of bars out there who employ people who simply aren’t trained.  I’m happy to send back a bad cocktail – life is too short for lousy drinks!

I’ve got a Mount Gay Eclipse daiquiri on the go right now – the proper Bajan version of the rum, not the poor man’s version we get here in the UK.  Made along the lines of 2.5oz Mount Gay Eclipse, the juice of a whole lime, which is pretty much 1 oz anyway.  Add to this 1 oz of 2:1 sugar syrup – all shaken very hard over lots of ice and strained into a martini glass.  I prefer mine a little sourer, but as I was making one for Pauline as well I kept it on the sweeter side.

Where is the best place to buy rum in your area?

The off-licences around here are very poor, the supermarkets sort of OK for mainstream brands – but I guess if you want proper choice, then you have to go to London – either Gerry’s or The Vintage House in Soho, or The Whisky Exchange which is not far from London Bridge.  Nine times out of ten I’ll buy online via The Whisky Exchange or TheDrinkshop.com.  The convenience of delivery to my door goes a long way in my book!

Which rum would you travel to buy?

I guess it would now have to be Lemon Hart 151 as we can’t get it here in the UK – it’s an important part of a number of tiki cocktails.  I guess I’m lucky that here in the UK, it’s easy enough to get all manner of spirits and for the most part I’m sitting back, waiting for them to turn up.  Because I’ve not been on the rum scene for so very long – there is still a whole load of readily available ones for me to chase just now.  Ask me again in a couple of years.

When did you launch The Floating Rum Shack.com and what is your focus?

31st January 2009 was when the site went properly live.  Just in time for our first trip to Rum Club at Trailer Happiness.  Couldn’t turn up there claiming to be a rum blogger, not without actually having a rum blog!  We set ourselves a mission statement which was to use the site to record our learning’s on our rum journey and to look to raise UK consumer awareness.  So many people don’t know what they are missing in this spirit category – all the complexities and nuances of Whisky, but contained in a drink that will surely raise a smile and make you think of sunshine and good times.  Here’s a test for you: try saying “rum” without ending up smiling.  Not so easy eh?

What should we watch out for from The Floating Rum Shack in the coming year?

Mostly more of the same…  In that I’m going to continue to look for and help promote events that will allow the consumer to get involved with this spirit category.  We will soon be travelling to Miami for the Rum Renaissance Festival – our aim this year is to write this up in ever increasing detail and make people absolutely gutted that they haven’t found the time to come along.

We will definitely be carrying on our Rum of the Month competition as the reaction has been just fantastic.  We have a number of brands pledging their support in the coming months.  Appleton and El Dorado to name but two…

I’m continuing to learn how to express myself when I taste a rum.  So many flavour experiences happen on your tongue when you take a sip that without the right words I find myself defaulting to ‘it’s lovely’ far too often.  This is an area that I’m personally keen to develop and I’m sure will come through on the website.

Words of wisdom……

Be prepared to try something new.  The world of rum is far too varied to say “I don’t like rum”, I just couldn’t let anyone get away with that.  I’m straight away asking, well what do you drink and trying to tease out a starting point in the rum world albeit a spiced, aged, white or golden rum.  The variety of flavours is so wide that to be honest, if you tried to draw up a specification of the spirit category you’d fail because of all the rule bending going on.

Anyone reading this of course is likely to be a rum fan anyway – so to the reader I say: why not look to convert one of your ‘vodka and cranberry’ friends to rum in the next few months.  If we all spread the good word, bit by bit we’ll raise the awareness and profile of this fantastic spirit.

If you’re on Facebook, stop by our page by searching for TheFloatingRumShack.com and say ‘hi’ – we are always on the lookout for more rum buddies!

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Check out more from Pete at The Floating Rum Shack.com

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People Profile: Tatu Kaarlas

Tatu Kaarlas, our drinkin’ buddy and the brain behind Refined Vices.com, sits down with us to talk rum and good times.  Check out the full interview right here.

How and when did you become interested in rum?

Many years ago at my brother’s bachelor party when smoking indoors was still acceptable.

His friends and I had booked him a “cigar school” at a local cigar bar called Little Havana and this basic but educational session consisted of a cigar, three good port wines and a dram of 12 year old rum from Trinidad, Angostura 1824 as I recall.

Back then I was already a whiskey drinker but I had little experience with decent rums and even less knowledge about them. I had bad memories about Captain Morgan and I had read something about the world’s best rum being wrapped in royal palm leaves, but that was about it.

Having gone through the port wines it was time to have a sip of the 12 year old rum and to my amazement it was actually really good and not the horrific blasphemy I had wrongly assumed it would be.

Listening to the man talk about cigars and rum as we were smoking our Cuban cigars, I was convinced to find more good rum.

Eventually I made a decision to buy a bottle of Havana Club 7 for my brother’s wedding party as recommended by the man in Little Havana.

Since then I have been on a constant quest for finding new rums and rums I have never even heard about from the internet and from dusty old liquor shops in Europe and more recently, Australasia.

How many rums are in your collection?

It’s a sad story actually. When I left Finland I had to leave behind my entire rum and whiskey collection I had amassed over the years. Of course it is all safe and stashed in a dark corner, somewhere out of the reach of sunlight and sticky fingers.

I’ve started a new collection here in Australia, which now only consists of about 20 bottles. I am slowly acquiring more but alcohol here is expensive, even more so than it was in Finland so I can’t buy large quantities at once.

Doing what I do I also get the occasional bottle in mail, which helps in fighting off ‘the drys’ so to speak.

What is your favourite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

I’ve got a favourite rum for every mood and occasion and even then its usually not the same one.

Usually for my Mojitos I prefer Havana Club Añejo Blanco, for other cocktails that require a little more flavour I might use Mount Gay Eclipse, Appleton Estate V/X or gold rums from Havana Club.

On a hot evening and if I prefer a slight smack in the mouth I might go for Plantation Rum Jamaica 8 Year Old. Cruzan Single Barrel if I’m feeling for something simple but pleasant.

I’ve also got a bit of a thing for rums from Venezuela like Santa Teresa 1796, Cacique 500, Cacique Antiguo and Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva.

I have a love affair for Demerara rums such as El Dorado 15 and some of the Silver Seal Demerara rums. One of my newly discovered favourites is definitely the Black Tot Last Consignment.

I could go on but there are really too many rums to name!

Do you have a favourite rum bar?

My favourite rum bar of the extremely limited bars that do serve rum in Finland is Little Havana, a nice little place with Cuban atmospherics, though the place has suffered since the new smoking law.

In London we always gather up at Cotton’s in Camden, it has got a huge selection of rums, fantastic Jamaican style food and excellent cocktails. Trailer Happiness, Mahiki and Portobello Star are of course always on the books when in London.

In Australia one of my favourites is 1806, which has a nice selection of rums and some of the best cocktails I’ve had. I’ve been to Sydney once and there were some excellent bars and I would name them, but that trip was a bit of a blur if you know what I mean!

Australia has a lot more to offer in terms of rum, but I haven’t got around to visiting all the bars that I want yet.

What is your regular cocktail?

Mojito and Daiquiri are my benchmark cocktails whenever I go to a new bar and I always give a hard time to the bartenders about what goes into my Rum Old Fashioned.

At other times it can be Cuba Libre, Mai Tai or Zombie if I’m feeling adventurous. I stick to the classics and it’s usually rum based, though depending on the mood I might go for whiskey cocktails or a nice jug of sangria or something flammable like the Black Blazer in 1806.

Where is the best place to buy rum in your area?

Coincidentally when I first came to Australia I found a great place called Nick’s Wine Merchants on the same street I was living at and only a stone throw away. They stock a great amount of rum as well as whiskey and wine as the name suggests.

There is another one in St. Kilda called Acland Cellars if I remember correctly. They stock a lot of imported beer and have a nice selection of rum and occasionally stock some slightly rarer stuff that most places won’t have.

Which rum would you travel to buy?

If I could afford it, it would have to be a bottle of Black Tot Last Consignment or a bottle of Appleton Estate 30 year old and Appleton Estate Exclusive in Jamaica.

Perhaps some of the rare Caroni single barrel bottlings available only in the Italian rum market.

There are plenty of indie bottlings around that I would love to get my hands on and if I could find somewhere that stocks Blackbeard’s Reserve 24 Year Old, I’d be there in a flash.

If I were to go to these places it would be for the whole experience, not just for the rum.

When did you launch Refined Vices.com and what is your focus?

I started planning Refined Vices soon after my brother’s bachelor party when I had decided I needed to find more good rums. I was asking about them and looking for them on the internet, but a lot of the time I couldn’t find adequate information or pictures.

How would I know what type of bottle I’m looking for if I don’t know what it looks like?

That is when I got frustrated and decided there needed to be a solid source where you can find in depth information and good pictures of rum.

This is also the time when I started experimenting with product photography, which has now evolved to be somewhat of a hobby and the occasional source of money.

When I’m not drinking rum I’m hunting people who have ripped off my photos for their own commercial and non commercial websites.

In 2006 I had the basic concept ready and the website was already up, but officially I launched Refined Vices in August 2007.

Since then, Refined Vices has served as a source for people like us, consumers, bartenders and restaurants looking for new rums to try as well as being my own personal rum library and hobby.

Recently I’ve found myself doing a lot of consulting for different companies.

What should we watch out for from Refined Vices in the coming year?

I’ve got many plans and ideas for Refined Vices but for now I’m just going to keep you informed with upcoming events and publish more rum and whiskey reviews, interviews and articles with a few aces up the sleeve.

You should also expect to read more about Australian rum and whiskey, bars and events in Australia and hopefully about Australian distilleries.

Words of wisdom……

Let it never be said that one has an expensive or inexpensive taste, he merely knows the true worth of his satisfaction.

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Check out more from Tatu at Refined Vices.

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Profile: The Bennett Brothers

Steve and Patrick Bennett travel the Caribbean, discover interesting places, take cool photos, drink great rum and write about it!!  Check out our interview!!

How and when did you become interested in rum?

Steve Bennett – We’re from St. Croix, home of Cruzan Rum, so basically our interest in rum started the minute we were born.  Rum is ingrained in the culture of just about every Caribbean island, especially St. Croix where Cruzan Rum’s worldwide fame is a point of local pride. Plus back in our teenage years, rum was actually cheaper than beer or even coke. During our perpetually broke teenage years, rum was the easy choice.

Patrick Bennett – I second that. I remember (barely) too many nights spent drinking Cruzan as a teenager on the beach, in the bush, or at the Sunny Isle gas station… And the associated shenanigans that resulted. Rum is in our blood.

How many rums are in your collection?

Steve – You always want to accept pet-sitting duties for someone traveling to St. Croix, because invariably they will always bring you back some rum. I have six bright and shinny new bottles of Cruzan aged rum, hand-delivered straight from St. Croix, at my house right now. I also have bottles of Royal Oak and Forres Park, both from Trinidad, El Dorado from Guyana, Rhum Clement from Martinique and even a bottle of Cave Rum from the Turks & Caicos. Oh yeah, and a bottle of Sea Wynde, which is a pot still rum that’s a product of Jamaica and Guyana.

Patrick – Collection is such a funny word… I don’t collect rum, I drink it! A bottle doesn’t last long in my house. It doesn’t matter if it’s Ron Zacappa 23 años, 1919, El Dorado, Chairmans, Scarlet Ibis or Cockspur V.S.O.R Vintage Blend—rum is too delicious for me to collect.

What is your favourite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

Steve – As a born and bred Crucian, I am all about Cruzan Rum.  Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum tops my list, of course, but I also really like the rhum agricole blends from Martinique.  They’re very different from molasses-based rums like Cruzan, offering a nice change of pace.

Patrick – I second the Cruzan Single Barrel praise, but with our Trinidadian heritage I’m not ashamed to say that Angostura 1919 rum is a close second. It’s not the most expensive in my “collection”, but this anejo blend is tops for me.

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Do you have a favorite rum bar?

Steve – I probably have too many! High on my list would have to be the lobby bar at the Hotel Bakoua in Martinique.  It sits in the hotel’s main building, which is a former plantation house dating back to the island’s colonial era.  There’s lots of furniture emulating the rich history of the place with rich mahogany and wicker everywhere.  The big draw, though, is the view.  You’re up on a bluff looking over an infinity pool across the bay at Martinique’s capital city, Fort-de-France.  It’s a gorgeous view, especially at night with the twinkling lights of the city in the distance, and a great place to enjoy a Ti-Punch, the island’s signature drink.

Patrick – Most definitely, too many. Right now, I like visiting Cienfuegos while in New York. When I’m in the islands, I love the small rum shacks like the ones that line the roads of Barbados.

What is your regular cocktail?

Steve – Nothing says home, as in St. Croix, more to me than a nice, strong rum and coke.  When I get together with my Crucian friends, that’s pretty much all we drink, and it always feels like we never left the island.

Patrick – My favorite way to drink rum is straight. On ice, if it’s a hot day. Any great rum should be delicious just as is… though I have been known to brave a well crafted dark and stormy on occasion…

Where is the best place to buy rum in your area?

Steve – I live in South Florida, so there are lots of great places.  Big Daddy’s, Crown Liquor, Wine, Spirits & More — all have great selections.

Patrick – Yeah, it’s the same for NYC. Great rum is in any liquor store worth it’s salt.

Which rum would you travel to buy?

Steve – Right now it would have to be Cruzan 9, the new spiced rum that just came out last week.  It’s not on shelves here in the states yet, but if I heard it was available in St. Croix, well, that’d be as good an excuse as any to head home.

Patrick – I can buy pretty much any rum in NYC, so travel is really unnecessary except in the case of a new rum like Cruzan 9. I’m really intrigued by this successor to their Cruzan Clipper rum, so yeah, I’d head down to STX for this one rather than wait for it to reach NYC.

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When did you launch Uncommon Caribbean.com and what is your focus?

Steve – We started Uncommon Caribbean back in February, and it officially launched March 1, 2010.  Our whole intention is to spotlight special/surprising, yet virtually unknown aspects of Caribbean travel and culture that we think might appeal to today’s young and adventurous traveler.  You know, educated and globally aware travelers who appreciate foreign cultures and travel in large part to experience them, not just to get a bitchin’ tan.

Patrick – Stephen basically said it all, the only thing I would add is that we take a very personal approach to educating people about the Caribbean (it is our home after all) and I think that makes a big difference. You might be able to learn about roti, or Ting, or goat racing, or surfing in Barbados somewhere else, but you’d be missing the perspective we bring having grown up there.

What should we watch out for on Uncommon Caribbean in the coming months?

Steve – For one thing, more rum and inventive cocktail creations from our resident mixologist, Jesse Card.  For another thing, more travel and on-site reports.  So far this year we’ve traveled to Nevis, Martinique, Tobago, Barbados, St. Lucia and Jamaica, filing stories on the uncommon things we’ve found along the way.  In the next few months, we hope to visit St. Maarten/St. Martin, Aruba, Montserrat, Grand Bahama, Puerto Rico, Belize, and maybe even squeeze in a trip home to St.Croix.  These on-site reports are definitely our most popular stories as they give readers a true, “here and now” sense of what uncommon things they might want to explore on their next trip to the Caribbean.

Words of wisdom….etc….

We post new bits of wisdom on Uncommon Caribbean every single day… Tune in…

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Website: www.UncommonCaribbean.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/UncommonCaribbean

People Profile: Brad Beach

Brad Beach, the globe trotter behind BeachOutpost.com, sits down with us to talk rum, travel and whatever else comes to mind.  Check out the full interview.

How and when did you become interested in rum?

Rum has always had an impression on me ever since I was a child reading “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson. I used to sing the sea shanty Dead Man’s Chest chorus with my younger brother exclaiming, “Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum.” The song did not make much sense until I raided my uncle’s liquor cabinet with my cousin a few years later. It was then I discovered why this spirit is so widely celebrated.

How many rums are in your collection?

Right now? I have one half-bottle of Bacardi Superior. For me, it is very difficult to keep enough bottles of rum on hand long enough to merit a collection. If I purchase a bottle or two, the rum is usually gone after sundown. Especially when friends are visiting.

What is your favourite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

I love to consume Cruzan Estate Light or Havana Club for mixing cocktails. If they are not available, I tend to lean to Bacardi as a standby. I really enjoy Appleton Dark for spiking my cola drinks. However, one of my favorite drinks is the Caipirinha from Brazil. This is not made from rum, but from cachaça. My favorite, Pirassununga 51 Cachaça is very difficult to find in North America. Costs roughly $7 for a full bottle down in South America. Sagatiba Pura is more widely available up here but does not taste quite the same.

Do you have a favorite rum bar?

The “Daiquiri Shack” in Nassau, Bahamas will always have a place in my heart.  Also, a rum bar along the Atlantic Coast of Argentina called “Cienfuegos” always has great people serving up mean drinks in a fantastic atmosphere along the beach. Their Caipirinha is simply amazing. They make everything fresh and use about one quarter of the bottle per serving.

What is your regular cocktail?

The mojito is definitely one of my top choices. I actually prefer to personally make my mojitos, among other rum drinks, at home since many bartenders are too lazy to make one properly. A little piece of me dies every time I see a bartender use a bottle of mojito premix. If I cannot enjoy a properly made mojito, I will settle for a rum and cola just to get something made more quickly. How difficult is it to screw up a rum and cola, anyway? Mojitos need to be individually made with love, care and attention and never mass produced.

Where is the best place to buy rum in your area?

Royal Liquor Merchants, Liquor Depot or Willow Park Wines and Spirits always have a great selection of rum.

Which rum would you travel to buy?

Nassau Royale Rum.

When did you launch beachoutpost.com and what is your focus?

Beach Outpost was originally founded in July 2008 after my wife and I were married on Love Beach in the Bahamas. My main focus for Beach Outpost is to document as many beaches as possible. As much fun as this sounds, this is a very large task to undertake.

Today, Beach Outpost is based on everything beach related including photos, news, beach etiquette, education, stories and of course, rum cocktails that deem a worthy, refreshing beach drink. The website even has a Beach Wiki but needs more new members to sign up to add their favorite beaches. As much as I would love to travel the world to visit and document as many beaches as possible, the idea is very financially demanding. That is why having members sign up and add their beaches to the wiki would make this task a lot easier.

My goal is to make Beach Outpost the world’s source for everything beach related. It is a place to visit for inspiration and for readers to mentally escape from the usual demands of everyday life. Recently, Beach Outpost experienced some minor complications so I decided to pull the site and start developing something new. In the mean-time, beach fans can still interact with the official Beach Outpost Facebook page and Twitter.

What should we watch out for on Beach Outpost in the coming months?

Since Beach Outpost is undergoing major renovations, I plan to encourage more user involvement where people will have the opportunity to sign up and add their favorite beaches for others to enjoy. Further future prospects, I want to offer beach fans clothing, including custom cabana shirts and T-shirts. Clothing perfect for the beach.

Words of wisdom….etc….

Rum is an experience on its own. Whenever I buy a rum I have never tried before, I always sip a taste to discover its unique, individual qualities before mixing it into a drink. I believe that every rum has its own distinct flavor and personality where one should always be experienced on its own before anything is added to it. This makes it easy to identify its presence once it is mixed, especially in those special cocktails where you can barely taste the alcohol. I like to consider myself a very effective rum consumer. This would probably explain why I lack a large collection.

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Website: http://beachoutpost.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/beachoutpost
Twitter: http://twitter.com/beachoutpost

People Profile: Rum Shop Ryan

My brother in rum, Ryan VanDenabeele (AKA Rum Shop Ryan,) sits down with us to sip spirits and tell his story.  Read the entire interview here.
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RC: Welcome, Ryan.  Tell us how and when you became interested in rum?

Ryan: I’ve always liked the taste of different rums, but I’d say watching a History Channel show on the history of rum really soaked my soul to find and taste more of this Caribbean water.
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RC: How many rums are in your collection?

Ryan: Not all that many, I end up drinking all of them. That’s the point right?
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RC: What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

Ryan: I’ve always been a fan of the Cruzan rums, no coconut flavored rum for this pirate.  Give me the dark and spicy please.
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RC: Do you have a favorite rum bar?

Ryan: I do, it’s called Pontoon Jimmys. It’s a little tiki bar my buddy built and I supply the PainKillers for all to enjoy!
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RC: What is your favorite cocktail?

Ryan: Sails up and hands down the PainKiller. I fell in love with them in the Virgin Islands. I also seem to enjoy too many RumRunners with a 151 floater at the Lani Kai on Ft. Myers Beach.  Those things will sneak up on you quick style!
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RC: Do you have a favorite spirits shop for buying rum?

Ryan: Here in the States you pretty much had to go to a big spirits stores like ABC Liquor or Total Wine and Spirits to get a good selection. It’s not like sailing up to a new island and indulging in the local rum.
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RC: Which rum would you travel to buy?

Ryan: Mt. Gay rum of Barbados.  What better place to enjoy rum at a local rum shop.
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RC: When did you launch RumShopRyan.com and what is your focus?

Ryan: RumShopRyan.com was thought up last August (09) and really started to consistently post in November. It’s a passion project.  I grew up in the land locked state of Kansas and had always wanted to get out and live where people vacation. So that’s what I did.  I didn’t know a single person in Naples, FL when I upped and moved. The tropics/sun/sand and bikinis in December just seemed to call to me.  So why not write about it and share this world. I know there’s an audience for it…Mr. Buffett seems to be doing pretty well singing about it.
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RC: What should we watch out for on RumShopRyan.com in the coming months?

Ryan: We are always doing something new. We just did a very successful photo contest. Drinking rum and corona tends to supercharge the creative juices so who knows what’s down the road.  I know we will keep posting the island webcams and Boat Drinks each week.  It’s important to be creative with your rums and to keep a voyeur eye on those special islands we all love.
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RC: Words of wisdom?

Ryan: Drink Up and follow your dreams!
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RC: Damn, those are words to live by, Ryan!!  Thanks for sharing.  Cheers!
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Don’t forget to check out Ryan’s website for a daily dose of the islands.  RumShopRyan.com

People Profile: Forrest Cokely

Southern California-based rummy, Forrest Cokely, shares some insight into his love affair with cane spirits.  Take a look at our interview.

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How and when did you become interested in rum?

As a child, there was a family across the street who had a full bar built out in their garage.  I had many opportunities to go in there and ‘mix’ drinks.  I found out at an early age that rum needed less to become more and surprisingly became more than you could ever expect with the slightest bit of imagination/insight.

My love only grew from there.  As time passed, I have been fortunate to meet many like minded individuals, who willingly shared their time, their passion and their rum.

How many rums are in your collection?


First off, let me say that I am not a collector.  I drink my rum (and other things).  I am quite happy to run out of something knowing that I only have a memory to inform me when I am granted another opportunity to taste something that I have previously enjoyed. Needless to say I attempt to give the utmost attention to nuance/ detail/ specificity, but primarily to enjoyment.  If I taste a glorious specimen and then I am not afforded the opportunity to try it again for many years, I still remember the pleasure of the experience (and usually some details!).  That being said, when i counted my rums, the total was a paltry 71 (different rums, there are multiple doubles).


What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?


Well to use an often quoted phrase “My favorite rum, is the one in my Hand!”

Right now some current favorites are:

Picture 22White Rum:

Crusoe –so crisp and clean, with full ‘sugar’ flavor, a sumptuous mouth feel and an excellent finish.

El Dorado 3 Year- this one is still vibrant, active, exciting flavor that have been subdued with aging/filtering to become a magnificent demonstration of grace and complexity.

La Favorite-Dry, cane, bamboo and raisins how could you resist?

Of notable mention and exquisite quality there is also Matusalum Platino, Diplomatico Blanco, Clement Premiere Canne, Rhum JM . . .wait I think I could go on forever—did I mention that I really love rum?

Amber/Gold:

Clement VSOP—so ridiculously sexy, elegant tropical fruit to milk chocolate, yum!

Ron Botran Oro- this one is my work horse.  It does most of the heavy pouring at my home bar, we have it for such a great deal and the clean spicy, smoky sugar cane goodness works in just about anything.

El Dorado 5—gorgeous. Full bodied, dried fruits and leather—heck I could use a glass right now.

Ron Matusalem Classico—creamy gold goodness with a clean finish.

Some notable mentions: Plantation Grand Reserve (Barbados), Ron Abuelo 7, Mount Gay Sugar Cane, Bacardi 8.

Dark/Blackstrap/Navy:

Corruba, Cruzan Black Strap

Aged:

One of favorite rums ever was the Bristol Classic 15 Year Demerara or Cadenheads 25 Year Old Demerara.  Since I can’t get anymore of that I have been deeply enjoying: Zafra, Ron Matusalum, Clement (all of them) Appleton (all of them), Rhum JM (all of them), El Dorado -any of them, Mount Gay Extra Old & 1703, Diplomatico, Dos Maderas 5+3 & 5+5, The entire Plantation Single Plantation line—again to many to mention.

Spiced/Flavored:

Crusoe Spiced, Castries Rum Cream, El Dorado Rum Cream, Kracken, These all enjoyable easy drinking . . . I just had some Horchata Rum Liqueur that was tasty. These things aren’t really my bag but who doesn’t like a sweet tasty now and again?

Overproof:

I’ll admit it, I like over proof. J Wray is tasty, bright, dry and estery.  While we are talking estery—that Smith & Cross is a palate adventure.  An old favorite, that is now lost, is the Matusalem Red Flame—oh yeah!  Cruzan and Goslings over proof are the preferred products out of their entire line and Bradah Kimo’s is da bomb!

I’m sure I left a bunch out and what little list i have made has been painful.  Choosing is so hard when there is so many great rums.  If you are a rum producer that I didn’t mention, send me a bottle and I will review it!  My head hurts, I need a rum.

Do you have a favorite rum bar?


Well the best selection, coupled with excellent food and service would be Eva’s Caribbean Kitchen in Laguna Beach, California.  As a matter of fact it would be doggone difficult to beat their selection and one day I may even get past trying the rarities and have a cocktail.  Wait a minute, I did have few rum punches that were delicious—that counts.


What is your favorite cocktail?


I love a Daiquiri in it’s many forms, and for rum, to me it is tops.

Do you have a favorite spirits shop for buying rum?


This is kind of an unfair question.  I work at Hi Time Wine Cellars in the Spirit Department and, as far as I have seen, we have the best selection around and great prices too! [Though I haven’t had much cause to look elsewhere]

Picture 21Which rum would you travel to buy?


I used to regularly travel to Mexico to get Cuban rum before the quality (and price) of rum available in US began vastly improving.

When did you launch your website, A Drink with Forrest.com, and what is your focus?


January 1st, 2009. Originally I launched it because I was asked to join the Rum XP and needed a place to post my reviews. Since then I have been arbitrarily posting on a variety of spirits, cocktails, events and whatever else tickled the fancy.  I do intend on achieving a better structure in the future, posting more and would definitely like to review more rum / rum drinks because they are so near and dear to me.

What are a few trends that you see in the rum market?


Well, on a couple of fronts I see innovation.  Smaller distilleries are making wonderful ‘local’ rums (Leopold Brother, Montanyo, Crusoe, Charbay). Larger corporations are trying to environmentally cleanup their act.  The availability of products has definitely improved and the understanding of and embrace of rum as a spirit of high quality, value, usefulness and deep enjoyment is growing in leaps and bounds.

On the down side, the corperatization of the market place is disheartening.  Monolithic behemoths acquiring brands, forcing homogenization and dumbing down the the beauty of the product, forcing artisan producers out of the marketplace and saturating the common market with bullshit, bubble-gum, lame-o brand extensions.

Words of wisdom……


If you can’t be with the rum you love, love the rum you’re with.

People Profile: Pauline Holland

Pauline Holland is one half of the crew at The Floating Rum Shack, the UK’s premier cane spirits blog.  Check out our interview.

How and when did you become interested in rum?

To be honest I don’t actually remember becoming interested in rum.  It’s always been there, what with having a Bajan mum and a Vincy dad, rum has always featured whether it was Bacardi or a bottle with no label.  A long time ago it was impossible for Dad to get a bottle of Sunset rum – he had to make do with what was available.  It’s only recently, that it seems to be possible to stick solely to a rum from your own island.  This I have seen with a number of dad’s friend.

I can remember when I was quite small hearing a story about one of dad’s friends having brought back a bottle of rum from St Vincent in his suitcase some of the bottles had broken and had disintegrated their labels everyone laughed saying he should have wrapped the bottles more.

Now when we travel we make it our business to seek out the local rum and bring back some sunshine, (ok bottles!) home for our friends to try.  Generally the rum has a story to tell and that’s what makes it interesting for us and our friends when we tell them all about it.

How many rums are in your collection?

It’s a joint collection with Pete (we are married and what’s his is mine and what’s mine is me’ own) and at the moment we have 74 bottles from all over the place some are from the Caribbean, South America and even the Philippines but strictly speaking not all of them are full (i.e.; empty) and next pay day will be looking for something new.  We are hoarders/collectors and like to keep an empty bottle as a keepsake.  Does an empty bottle constitute a valid part of a rum collection?  I’d like to say that the angels share was a lot bigger in this case.

We have tried loads more though and just never made a point of recording them!

Research
Research

What is your favourite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

That’s a tough question.  Sometimes a flavour works well for me and other times the opposite is true.  Rum Ambassador (Ian Burrell), say’s ‘whatever is in my glass’ and I sort of have to agree. There really aren’t many that I don’t like and I’m not naming those so…

White – Havana Club Blanco.  This rum works really well for me in mojito’s (especially when Pete makes them for me) and even my occasional drink rum and pineapple.

Golden – Mount Gay Eclipse and Appleton VX.  Chairman’s Reserve seems to be excellent value and a great drink.  I’ve been adding these rums along with apple juice to my mulled wine and they taste fantastic.

Aged rums – Mount Gay Extra Old and pretty much any of the El Dorado range and XM  Royal Demerara all these are excellent pour a rather large glass and then just chill.

Both Atlántico and Ron Zacapa Centenario are solera rums and so the age statement is a little difficult to put your finger on.  Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva is not really old but the style is just fantastic – we get through a lot of this in our house.  So my final three named rums are in a special class I’ve just invented called “lovely rums”.  Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, Atlántico and Mount Gay Extra Old.

Do you have a favourite rum bar?

I really wish High Wycombe had a rum bar.  We noticed that the Glasshouse (bar) now has Pampero!  Nothing out of the ordinary you think, but for us here outside London – it’s pretty exciting.  If I become Prime Minister, the first act will be to make Public Houses have a legal minimum of rums available.  It’s time that vodka’s and whisky had some competition in the bars.

I like Trailer Happiness in Notting Hill a lot because of rum club and they are a really cool bunch there.   We get down there fairly regularly because of Rum Club, but really would like to hang out there a bit more.

There are other bars which I must mention such as Floridita, Cottons and the Artisan.  The list is growing of other bars with a large selection of rum which I want to visit like Mahiki and Kanaloa to name a few so it looks like 2010 will be getting busy for the Holland’s.

Picture 10
All in the name of serious journalism

Do you have a favorite cocktail?

Well most people that know me will know I love a good Mojito.  Unfortunately I have had plenty of bad ones in our local bars, but still it does not put me off the next one.

I have been known also to stray to other cocktails.

1. Pina Colada at one point I used to drink so many of them Pete used to call me Pauline Colada.

2. Cuba Libre – a classic, especially when in doubt with the dubious cocktail making skills of some of our local bars.  You can’t go wrong making this.

3.Cotton Mouth Killer (Trailer Happiness special!) – caution required there though!

Do you have a favourite spirits shop for buying rum?

If in London we usually visit the Vintage House or Gerry’s otherwise they are purchased online from the Whisky Exchange or thedrinkshop.com.  Heading to Soho and making a purchase of a new rum is still a treat.

Which rum would you travel to buy?

I would certainly travel for Atlántico.  Thanks to a couple of US based friends recently visiting the UK for Rum Fest we got another bottle of Atlántico to replace the one we had just finished.

Can I just say that the sooner Atlántico get a UK outlet, the better?  We’re starting to run out again!

When did you launch TheFloatingRumShack.com and what is your focus?

By accident or coincidence whichever way you look at I chanced on Rumfest while looking for something to do on a weekend in London.  It was fun discovering and trying different rums and just chatting to like minded passionate souls who were from either behind and in front of the bar.

When we returned home we tried to look online we couldn’t really find any UK based sites; the majority of the sites were US based and some of the brands mentioned were not relevant to the UK market so we decided to write a blog for fun and as they say the rest is history.  To be fair, we have only been going since last February.  It took a few months to get going and the real spur, was our first rum club meeting at Trailer Happiness – it would have looked a bit odd – us turning up, claiming to be bloggers a not having a site.  As it was, Pete pretty much worked his socks off through the Sunday before hand.

The focus of our website is our joy of rum and all things related.  We just want to spread the rum word to everyone in our own little way.  If it inspires someone to try something new then we have done something right.  It gets us out to parties and always meeting someone new.  It’s been the best social thing we’ve done for ages and it even took us to Miami earlier this year.  We’ve plans to go to Rum Renaissance again in 2010.  You don’t get that sort of event taking up knitting or just staying at home.

Pete does the majority of the writing.  I on the other hand do the proof reading and try to be the voice of reason.  Sometimes he needs reining in as he goes off on one (in a good way!)

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Pauline & Pete

2010 will include our upcoming visits to Jamaica, Miami Rum Renaissance, and more Trailer Happiness Rum Clubs and of course Rumfest 4.

New additions will be competitions & giveaways, more reviews of new products and those yet to be reviewed on our site.  Basically a big drive to fill www.TheFloatingRumShack.com with consumer news and events and trying to get people involved whilst doing this.

Words of wisdom….etc….

Always have an open mind.  I have heard so many times people who say they don’t like rum but how can you say that, there are so many different brands strong, sweet, dark, golden, light etc you are bound to find a rum you like as well as maybe one you don’t!  But at least you should have fun trying!

So don’t knock it ‘till you try it!   This is what we are trying to do with www.TheFloatingRumShack.com – education, education, education – to quote a former PM!

People Profile: Paul Yellin

Paul Yellin is known by many as the Rhum Chef.  He’s the author of the Mount Gay Cookbook, rum advocate and chef to the stars. Check out our interview.

How did you become interested in rum?

I grew up in Barbados, in the Caribbean.  Rum is not just a beverage {there}…it is a lifestyle.  It is everywhere.  Cane borders the roads outside of the city and towns.  The roads literally cut thru cane fields.  On the way to the beach you pass by and see the canes being cut with a machete, by hand, as it has been for over 300 years.


You’re known as the Rhum Chef.  When and why did you start cooking with rum?

Like all good stories, it started by accident…and cost.  French brandy is quite expensive,  as are the ingredients in other desserts.  Little by little I started substituting rum in recipes that called for brandy or whiskey or even wine.  

Tell us about the Mount Gay Cookbook.

I was asks by an exec from Mount Gay Barbados (Geoffrey Markle) to provide some sample recipes for a promotional event.  Over a few weeks I thought about the project and asked a graphic designer to help me make a mock up to take to Mount Gay Marketing.  It happened to coincide with the 300th anniversary for Mount Gay Rum and the time was right!!  They went for it!


Which rums are best for cooking?

I have a weakness for Mount Gay Eclipse and XO.  They provide the perfect amount of wood and sugar flavor to marinades, sauces and even desserts


Rhum Chef
Rhum Chef

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?

White – St. James, Martinique  for the perfect Ti’ Punch
Gold – Tommy Bahama Golden Sun 
Aged – Hmmmm.  Mount Gay XO, El Dorado 15, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva and Ron Zacapa 23 are some of the finest examples of aged rum on the market.

What is your favorite cocktail?

Double XO and coconut water (fresh , not canned!!)

Do you have a favorite rum bar?

A favorite?  There are some nice places, but my “favorite” rum bar hasn’t been built. YET.


Do you have a favorite spirits shop for buying rum?

There you go with that “favorite” thing again.  I know a great store in downtown DC.  Central Liquors on F Street.


What is a rum that you’d travel outside of the US for?

A bottle of rum found on the wreck of a suspected pirate ship, still sealed and unbroken, over 250 years old.

Entertaining
Entertaining

Are the world’s best rums really made in Barbados? 😉

Well, yes.  Easily the most consistently made and pleasing rums are produced by specially designed and unique sugar cane and pure, natural limestone filtered water combined with hundreds of years of know-how and practice.  But South American rums are really impressing me lately.  Now, to be fair, each country that produces rum will have loyal fans of it own rum.  Therein lies the fun.

What else?

It’s not a secret (to industry people) that rum is making a comeback.  I say comeback because during WWII, US Troops were stationed in the Caribbean and brought rum back with them after falling in love with it and mixing it with the quintessential American pop, Coca Cola.

Stats in the industry show that rum sales are up.  Bartenders can testify that people are requesting varieties of rum instead of just a choice between 2 (dark/light).  Rum seems to have the same affect as Chapagne.  It lightens peoples mood.  It makes them think happy thoughts.

We at the DC Rum Club are going to :

1.  Gather our troops who have been wanting to fight
2.  Recruit or convert new soldiers
3.  Take DC by sweet storm 
4.  Spread out to Infiltrate and convert the rest of you

Visit us at www.RHUMRUNNERS.com to sign up and see where we are and where we are going to be …

People Profile: Gerard Heidgerken

Gerard Heidgerken is the rum-loving President of Bilgemunky Enterprises, an outfit that focuses on the research and appreciation of pirate culture.

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Gerard’s website, Bilgemunky.com is known as one of the webs top pirate sites and includes a healthy dose of information about cane spirits.  He sat down with us recently to talk business, pirates and RUM.  Here’s what he had to say.

How and when did you become interested in rum?
I suppose I didn’t really think about rum much – indeed, I wasn’t much of a drinker at all – until 1998 or so, right after I got out of the Navy. I started playing a pirate video game called Seadogs during my evenings, and had a bottle of Captain Morgan’s Private Stock that I’d come across. I tried drinking it by itself, and found it rather tasty- it seemed like a fine thing to drink while playing a videogame that involved sailing, plundering, and pillaging. It wasn’t long before I was ready to remove the “training wheels” of spiced rum and explore other, finer choices.

How and when did you become interested in pirate culture?
All my life. Hanging on the wall of my office, tucked away amongst maps, flags, and an obscene number of pirate hats, is a wooden cutlass which I’ve had as long as I can remember. My grandpa – a carpenter – made one each for my brother and myself, and as such we grew up yelling “arrrr” and smacking the tar out of each other with these things. Of course, this is only one
part of a larger equation – growing up on the sea, frequent trips to Disney World and Disneyland (always with multiple trips through the Pirates of the Caribbean ride), a love of any movie or book involving pirates… all these things added up to where pirates were just a part of the American dream, right there with cowboys and astronauts.

When did you launch the website and what is its focus?
Bilgemunky.com launched in November of 2003. From the beginning it was
intended to delve into the pop-cultural aspects of piracy, meaning movies,
books, videogames, and yes, rum. Historians of course point out the many
flaws in our modern interpretation of pirates as being some sort of
swashbuckling heroes. But I think that the inspiration that fictional and
quasi-fictional pirates have provided us has value in itself, and it’s this
that Bilgemunky.com focuses on.

What other ventures are involved in Bilgemunky Enterprises?
Bilgemunky.com itself focuses on news, reviews, and commentary on a wide
range of pirate subjects. On Monday nights I host Bilgemunky Radio, a three
hour online program that features pirate-themed music from nearly every
genre you can imagine (yes, there are pirate metal bands, pirate punk,
pirate rap, pirate rock, and so on.) Over the past year I’ve also been
engaging in more “real world” efforts, including live pirate DJing, managing
hired pirate performers for various events, and assisting with rum events
(particularly when they overlap with a pirate theme.)

What is your favorite rum (or rums) in each category and why?
I’m going to be a pain in the ass on this one and forgo the categories –
it’s not that they aren’t appropriate, but rather my enjoyment of rum is a
bit more particular. I know that many people who love rum make a point of
enjoying ALL rum, but rum has become so diverse that I don’t feel at all bad
about having a strong preference for rums that taste like, well, like rum.
Meaning oaky, molassesy, dark and none-too-gentle – these are all qualities
that for me are as much a necessary part of the rum experience as is that it
comes from the sugarcane plant. There’s nothing wrong with white, gold, or
flavored rums – some are indeed very, very good. But they make for a
distinctly different experience, and aren’t what I stock my shelves with.
Sea Wynde I adore for its sharp, peppery kick. Mt. Gay Extra old is another
favorite when I’m looking for something a little gentler. As to what rum I
couldn’t go without, that’s hands down Goslings Black Seal, which I believe
dollar-for-dollar is the best rum in existence – a true, “core” rum that’s
not too fancy, not too gentle, tastes great by its lonesome, and costs only
a fraction of most of my other favorites.

What is your favorite cocktail?
I’m partial to Dark&Stormy’s – taste great and it’s easy to remember all the
ingredients. I’ve never been bit by the Mojito bug, as I have an aversion to
fresh mint.

Do you have a favorite rum bar?
Being in Milwaukee, rum bars are preciously far away. I did have the
opportunity to visit Rum Jungle in Las Vegas and enjoyed it considerably, as
I did Rum Barrel in Key West. That said, I’ve begun to hear rumors that one
of the strip clubs in Milwaukee also boasts a considerable top-shelf rum
collection, although I’ve yet to find it. If any of your readers know the
truth of the matter, perhaps they’d be willing to share.

Do you have a favorite spirits shop for buying rum?
Ray’s on North Avenue in Wauwatosa has a fantastic selection of rum. If you
know where to look, many Wisconsin stores actually have surprisingly good
rum selections.

What is a rum that you’d travel outside of the US for?
I honestly don’t know, as every rum I’ve ever tasted can be bought somewhere
in the States (with one exception, which may or may not involve a trade
embargo.) I would love the opportunity to try some of my favorites in their
native lands, though – I’ve heard that they’re often quite different from
what you can get in the US. As such, visiting Bermuda, Barbados, and Jamaica
would be at the top of my list.

What do you think about rum’s increase in popularity?
I think we all know that rum has been enjoying a new moment in the sun of late,
and this is certainly a good thing. It’s resulted in something of a re-branding to
make rum appear hip, crisp, and modern – and rum can be all of these things. But
as you most likely have figured out by now, my strongest
love for rum is in its native
form – dark and aged, and looking straight
from an oak cask. Rum at its best
should be in a corked bottle with old and
peeling labels, and able to be enjoyed
free of mixers from a wooden mug or
cast tankard as easily as any fine crystal. This
is the side of rum that I
adore, and it’s this side that I hope isn’t overly buried and
forgotten as
rum finds its way more and more into fashionable nightclubs and
fancy
restaurants.

Who was the most ass-kicking pirate of all time?
There are several worthy contenders for best pirate, and many others for
most successful – great minds may disagree as to the champions. But I think
any and all would have to admit that for the title of “most ass-kicking
pirate”, Blackbeard is the hands-down victor. With his manner of dress and
behavior – to say nothing of the lighted fuses braided into his hair – the
man turned intimidation into an art form. By holding the entire town of
Charleston under siege simply to acquire some medicine (presumably to treat
his crew’s vd acquired in a tropical port), he showed he had stones. And in
that it took 5 bullets, 20 stab wounds, AND a decapitation to bring him down
in battle, well, if that’s not kick ass, I don’t know what is.

People Profile: Juan del Busto

Meet Juan del Busto, an enthusiast from South Florida who has been on a quest for the world’s best rums for more than 35 years. Check out our interview!

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With a personal stash of more than 300 rums, Juan del Busto boasts one of the most extensive collections we’ve seen. We sat down with him recently to get some insight into his favorite rums and passion for collecting. Here’s what he had to say.

RC – How did you become interested in rum?

Juan – I became interested in rum at a young age when my father and his cousin during the Christmas holidays would have a “Cuba Libre” and talk about “Bacardi” and “Habana Club” rums they used to have in Cuba. I also started traveling to the Caribbean in my early twenties and was intrigued by all the varieties and started purchasing rums in all the countries I visited.

RC – When did you start collecting?

Juan – As I mentioned earlier, I was always aware of rum and in my late teens, I started collecting domestic rums and in my early twenties I started collecting internationally.

RC – How many rums are in your collection?

Juan – I have over 300 different rums from around the world, including places such as India and the Philippines. I also have 23 different Cuban rums and, of course, many domestic as well as from the Caribbean. While I have over 300 varieties, my collection totals between 450 and 500 bottles and there are many duplicates of the ones that I really enjoy!

RC – What are some of your favorite rums?

The Collection
The Collection

White:

Bacardi-Light – Puerto Rico

Tommy Bahama-White Sand – Barbados

Ruby Rey-Single Barrel – Puerto Rico

Gold:

Bacardi-Gold Reserve – Puerto Rico (discontinued)

Pyrat-Planters Gold Reserve – Anguilla

Havana Club-Barrel Proof – Cuba

Aged:

Appleton Estate-21-Year Old (Blue) – Jamaica

Zacapa-Centenario XO Extra Old – Guatemala

Barbancourt-Reserve du Domaine 15-year old – Haiti

Other:

Havana Club-Añejo Reserva – Cuba

Mount Gay-Extra Old – Barbados

Captain Morgan-Spiced Rum – Puerto Rico

Pampero Ron Añejo Anniversario – Venezuela

RC – What is your favorite cocktail?

Juan – My favorite cocktail is the traditional “Cuba Libre” with the exception of diet coke. You can use many different rums in the original recipe and obtain a great variety of tastes.

RC – Do you have a favorite rum bar?

Juan – My favorite rum bar is the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas. It’s called “Rum Jungle” and has a great atmosphere and a tremendous amount of rum varieties. There you can sample numerous rums and then acquire the ones you like to add to your collection.

RC – Do you have a favorite spirits shop for buying rum?

Juan – There are various shops around the world where I usually shop for rums as well as in various cities in the United States. As a Miami resident, locally, I buy a lot of rums at Sunset Corners; they have a great variety and great customer service.

RC – What is a rum that you’d travel outside of the US for?

Juan – I travel extensively around the world and I am always looking for new brands and new varieties. I even looked for rums in Estonia, Lithuania and Croatia, but no luck. Of course, you have to travel outside the US to obtain Cuban rums. Rum is a fun passion. When traveling around the world and you find a new rum that you have never seen or heard of, it is like winning a jackpot on a slot machine or finding that missing coin for a collection! It is always fun to try a new rum.

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Thanks, Juan for sharing!

People Profile: Paul McFadyen

Paul McFadyen is one of the most in-demand spirits professionals around. We caught up with him in Miami to talk business, life, travel and rum.

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By June Coleman

As I mingled last week at the Rum Renaissance Festival, I found myself in the land of “Pauls!” It seemed as though everyone I met was named “Paul.” Seriously, it was strange. There was Paul “Rum Daddy” Artrip at the American Rums booth. There was Paul Imbesi with North American Beverage, the new distributor of Barritts Ginger Beer. There was Paul from Bacardi and Paul from Ohio and even Paul-ine from TheFloatingRumShack.com (she was cool.) Then there was the interesting and eccentric fellow from the UK, Paul McFadyen. With a permanent smile and self-assured personality, this Paul could usually be found swiveling his way through parties and events with a captivated crowd of enthusiasts at his elbow.

As it turns out, Paul McFadyen has plenty to smile about. He is passionate about the drinks business and has been a major player in the UK scene for quite some time. For nearly a decade he has been affiliated with IPBartenders, a training and branding business that he co-owns with well known cocktail guru, Ben Reed. Put simply, they train bar owners, bartenders and industry reps. about drinks preparation and presentation. They also provide top-notch bartenders to some of the most exclusive parties in London and host a few large-scale events of their own. Much of their business is conducted from their bar / library / clubhouse called The Space. It houses 1300 bottles of spirits, 300 of which happen to be rum. As if that wasn’t cool enough, The Space also houses the largest library of cocktail books in all of Britain.

For the past 2 years Paul has been busy organizing and hosting The Rum Experience along with his partners Ben Reed and Ian Burrell (UK Rum Ambassador-Cotton’s Restaurant.) As you may have guessed, Rum Experience is an annual festival celebrating the culture and lifestyle of rum. The event offers a two-day rum tasting along with endless musical performances, island inspired cuisine, art, dance and a very popular tiki competition. In just two years the event has become wildly successful.

Paul and IPBartenders also organize the Appleton Bartender Challenge. Mixologists from across the UK compete in a spirits knowledge test, free pour test and create 4 classic rum drinks and an original cocktail within 6 minutes. Three finalists compete in a Grand Finale in Jamaica. This year’s winning contestant was Joe Stokoe, who tends bar at All Star Lanes in London. The star cocktail was a “Jerk Daiquiri” made with Appleton Rum, Jerk Sauce, lime and sugar! Master Blender, Joy Spence, who was in attendance at the Grand Finale, raved about the concoction!

As if Paul wasn’t busy enough, he’s also a frequent presenter and speaker at cocktail festivals in Europe and the US. He hosted two sessions at Rum Renaissance and both were well done. The “Your Perfect Rum” session focused on the rum making process and delighted attendees with a tasting of different styles of rum from around the world, some of which were not available at the Grand Tasting. “London Calling” was a lively workshop about London’s legendary bar culture with a few very nice drinks presented and consumed.

So what’s next on the agenda for Paul? Well, The UK Rum Experience is quickly approaching and it promises to be the largest and most successful yet. Another jaunt to Jamaica for the Appleton Challenge is already in the works for 2010 and it will surely be one of THE parties to be at. There are also plans to expand the rum-loving adventures of IPBartenders throughout Europe and then on to Singapore! What’s next on the agenda for this roving reporter you may ask?… To check on flights to Singapore, baby!!!