The Kraken Black Spiced Rum is a newly launched product from Proximo Spirits that's named after the legendary tentacled sea beast and comes with the catch phrase "put a beast in your belly." The rum is distilled in Trinidad and Tobago with a secret blend of 13 spices, and inspired by the Kraken's legendary strength it weighs in at 94 proof and has a dark black color reminiscent of giant squid's ink. Marketed as both a smooth sipping rum and a mixer for use in drinks like "Kraken and Cola" and "Kraken Bomb," it should be available now at restaurants and retailers for $20-$30/bottle.

Beer might be the iconic way to celebrate American Independence Day, but maybe this year, times call for something a bit stronger.

Like, how about rum? The rum category is second only to vodka in the United States, according to Tommy Bahama, makers of ultra-premium rum. So while it's not exactly fair to make a bad pun about rum being the spirit of America, you'd be far from unpatriotic if you incorporated it into your July 4th plans.

Four reasons to toast with rum this Independence Day:

1. As a spirit, rum was first distilled in the Caribbean -- most likely Barbados -- but it quickly became popular of the northern colonies in the New World. It turns out that the country's founding fathers -- among them Paul Revere, George Washington, Ben Franklin, were no different than most manly men of their time -- they knocked back a few pints of the beverage distilled from sugar cane .
2. Rum wasn't just for Revolutionary War types. From John F. Kennedy who reportedly sipped it over dinner while watching the 1960 election returns, to Ernest Hemingway, who was a big fan of the daiquiri. (Although not for Papa would be the gussied up drinkable-dessert-Slurpees of today -- in Havana, he favored the daiquiri at El Floridita, which he liked to be made with two shots of rum, lime juice, ice, no sugar, and sometimes a touch of grapefruit juice and a few drops of maraschino liqueur, writes Wayne Curtis.)
3. Like most facets of American history, rum's history is complicated. The sugar cane that was used to create the molasses which became rum was produced by Caribbean slaves who existed under brutal conditions, writes Jan Rogozinksi in a Brief History of the Caribbean. Raise a glass in tribute, and in remembrance of a time when independence was not as widespread as it is today.
   
4. Rum innovation continues strong today. The finalists for the annual drink of this year's upcoming Tale of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans were all variations on the julep - the original American cocktail. But while a julep is typically made with bourbon, the winning cocktail was the Creole Julep -- made with rum. It was created by Maksym Pazuniak, bartender at Rambla and Cure. Here's the recipe:
   
   2 1/4 oz. Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum
   
   1/2 oz. Clement Creole Shrubb
   
   1/4 oz. Captain Morgan 100 Rum
   
   2 dashes Fee Bros. Peach bitters
   
   2 dashes Angostura bitters
   
   8-10 mint leaves
   
   1 Demerara Sugar Cube

Atlantico Rum (above), produced in the Dominican Republic, is a unique dark rum that "embodies tradition, sophistication, and handcrafted quality." The process for Atlantico Rum begins with handpicking the finest small batched aged rums in the Dominican Republic. The rums are blended together under the watchful eye of the master blender and placed in small bourbon barrels (private casks) for further aging of 1 to 2 years. Next, the rum is removed from the casks, placed into another set of barrels and aged yet again for 15 to 25 years using the complex solera method.

The weathering elements during the dry and rainy seasons, the topography, and the constant Caribbean sea breeze from the Dominican Republic's coastline all affect the wooden barrels the rum they contain, further developing and enhancing the flavor. Finally, the rum, by now incredibly complex and smooth, is bottled by hand. The bottle design is inspired by vintage Dominican cigar labels, and each one is carefully inspected, approved, and hand initialed by the founders before being placed in its special burlap sack.

Rum and chocolate are a natural match and they get their full expression in a new menus pairing premium St Lucian rum, Elements 8 with Galler chocolates at the Intercontinental Park Lane in London. The Park Lane Selection menu will be served from end of May 2009, for six months. Pairings include the Park Lane which is Elements 8 Gold, white crème de cacao, punt e mes & paire with Galler Volcaniques chocolate which has pepper flavors; the Galler 8 which pairs Elements 8 Platinum, white Crème de cacao & paire with Galler Florales chocolate which has floral flavors, and InterContinental Daiquiri of Elements 8 Platinum, white crème de cacao, lime juice with Galler Marines which has salty flavors, and the Platinum & Gold using both Elements 8 Platinum and Elements 8 Gold, white crème de cacao, espresso & paired with Galler 70% plain, dark chocolate.

Galler sells a variety of interesting chocolates, the most intriguing is the Kaori kit modeled on Japanese calligraphy sets. It has brush-like sticks of chocolate and inkpots containing Orange and Cocoa Nibs, Matcha Green Tea and Poppy Seeds, and Kalamansi. Flavors can be mixed and matched for different taste sensations.

10 Cane, the luxury rum made from the first pressing of virgin Trinidadian sugar cane, has come out with a VIP gift box (above) in time for Father's Day. If James Bond drank rum it would come in one of these babies. A one liter bottle of 10 Cane can be found inside the pristine white lacquered box, gently nestled upon a mirrored interior and surrounded by luxurious felt in the brand's signature orange color. The 10 Cane VIP Box can also be customized with engraving for a personalized message to dear old Dad. Priced at $63.99 (engraving is extra), it's available from Moët Hennessy USA; call 212-251-8200 for more info.

You plan a vacation to Barbados to loll around the beach, sipping a rum punch, two activities that just don't lend themselves to gray, miserable weather. But this eastern-most Caribbean island really doesn't have much terrible weather -- even hurricane strikes are rare -- so much so that the island's tourism authority is willing to guarantee it. Should the average daily temperature fall below 78 degrees, and should rain accumulate at more than a quarter of an inch, travelers that sign up in advance through the Perfect Weather Guarantee program will receive a $100 per crappy day rebate.

There's no cost to enroll in the program, but you have to book it at least ten days before you travel, and you must do so before June 7th, 2009, for travel between May 28th and December 18th, 2009.

Your chances of getting a payout aren't great. According to Weather.com, the average high in Barbados is 85-86 degrees F, and the low is 78-79 degrees F, making it highly unlikely that the average would fall below 78 degrees. There's a better chance of rain during these months, the average monthly rain fall reaches a high of 6.7 inches in October -- but this still averages out to less than a quarter inch a day. Which means you may just have to enjoy a sunny Bajan vacation after all -- perhaps on the pinkish sand beach at The Crane, pictured above.

If you're going to be visiting Yankee Stadium, be sure and check out the new Tommy Bahama Bar just inside Gate Six.

The Tommy Bahama Bar is located in the perfect place for meeting friends -- Gate 6 is the first gate you see when you get off the subway. Better still? They serve delicious drinks made with Tommy Bahama Rum!

Tommy Bahama Rum has been gaining momentum since its release in 2007, especially at the Tommy Bahama Cafes around the world. The rum is handcrafted in Barbados by R.L. Seale, a family owned and operated distillery with four generations of experience. The rum incorporates all natural ingredients -- blackstrap molasses, coral-filtered water, and yeast, and is fermented in small batches. The White Sand version is aged for two years in oak, and then the color is filtered out. The Golden Sun, amber-colored Tommy Bahama rum gets its color from three years of aging in oak. Tommy Bahama Rum is being distributed by Sidney Frank -- the same company who brought you Grey Goose and Jagermeister.

Marrying a sexy, high quality rum with a lifestyle brand like Tommy Bahama is a brilliant move. When you think Tommy Bahama, you think tropical, and what goes in tropical drinks? Rum.

I spoke briefly with Tommy Bahama CEO Terry Pillow about the collaboration and the new bar at Yankee Stadium. Click through the gallery to read the interview and see more of the new Tommy Bahama Bar!

Check out our brother site Gadling for exclusive photos of the new Yankee Stadium.

When the weather finally warms up in these parts we look forward to sitting out in the garden with the sun, the birds, a good book and a tall cool drink. We recently had the chance to try some great new candidates for quaffing - three (relatively) recent entries and one true classic - courtesy of William Grant & Sons spirits. Reyka is the first and only vodka to be distilled and bottled in Iceland. The small-batch, hand-crafted, ultra-pure spirit is distilled in a copper still imported from Scotland using barley, wheat, and spring water filtered through 4,000 year-old lava rock. Milagro super premium tequila is crafted in small batches from estate-grown 100% blue agave hand-selected in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. Using traditional clay ovens, Milagro slow roasts the agave six times longer than most tequilas, and uses a triple distillation process that imparts exceptional smoothness.

Sailor Jerry Rum bears the signature of Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins, the father of old-school tattooing. Distilled to 92 proof, it's a strong, spiced, smooth spirit. Made from Sailor Jerry's personal recipe, it's handcrafted from pure, rich dark molasses, blending Carribean-style rum with vanilla, caramel and various spices. And Lillet, an aperitif blended from 85% wine and 15% citrus liqueurs from France, was established way back in 1872. The wines are carefully selected in the Podensac area and citrus liqueurs are produced through the maceration of cold fruit peels in pure distilled spirits over several months. It's then aged in oak to acquire a soft, rich character. We're partial to the Blanc variety with its hints of honey, candied orange, lime, and mint.

I'd heard about Corona Cigar Co. from several people before I took my trip down to Orlando, FL. A few weeks ago, a visitor to New York from Florida overheard me discussing my then upcoming trip and interjected with some great advice, "Check out Corona." There are three locations; I chose the spot in downtown Orlando (no, not the same thing as Downtown Disney).

The description I was given back home in New York was enough to get me interested, but it failed to capture the enormity of the experience. The South Orange Ave. location offers countless cigars from nearly every manufacturer you could imagine. I took advantage of the lower cigar tax relative to home to pick up an Avo Campanero at what felt like a discount and headed for the large in-store lounge. Sponsored by Diamond Crown, it seats more than 60 people without forcing them to bump elbows. There's also outside seating at both four-top tables and wooden rocking chairs.

Every table has a six-page cocktail menu, so there's a pretty good chance you'll find the right concoction to pair with your preferred cigar. Of course, the fact that the bartender is nothing short of stunning improves both the drink and the smoke.

I tend not to think too much about rum. While other spirits are often showcased through martinis or meant to be sipped straight, rum is often swimming with fruit juice. It would be sacrilege to do that with the 1703 Old Cask Selection rum from Mount Gay. This latest treat from the world's oldest distillery deserves respect and earns its place with the growing coterie of fine aged rums. The 1703 Old Cask Selection comes in an elegant oval bottle with the Mount Gay seal embossed on it and could sit nicely behind the bar with cognacs, bourbons, brandies and other slow sippers.

The rum itself, made of golden sugar cane and the clean water of Barbados, is aged in former bourbon casks. Master blender Allen Smith has used rums aged for 10 to 30 years and his own experience of nearly 20 years to create a rum that has a cognac-like appeal. It is rich but also soft with a hint of something tropical, just a touch of sugary white flower and banana on the nose. The rum has a silken flavor with notes of dried mango and caramel grounded in the spiced earthiness of wood. It calls out for a late evening sunset, a fine cigar and the sort of lazy, meandering conversation that arises when no one needs to wake up early for work the next day. The 1703 will be rolled out next month for around $100 in major markets.

Who could resist an invitation from a woman who says cheese changed her life. Barrie Lynn, the Cheese Impressario is a dynamo in a gold sequined and leopard print apron who hosted a special rum, cheese and chocolate last night. I've been to pairings of wine and cheese and chocolate before but never rum. But specialty rums (especially the rum selections poured by Henry Preiss) worked very well with Barrie Lynn's cheese selections.

One of Barrie Lynn's finds is Holland's Family Farm in Wisconsin.Rolf and Marieke Penterman are first generation Wisconsin dairy farmers who moved from the Netherlands to Wisconsin in 2002. They make incredible aged Gouda with rich and complex flavors. Of particular note is the Foenegreek Gouda which is creamy and distinctive. It's impossible to have one piece without immediately wanting another just to take your mouth on the same journey of surprising flavor again. It would be a rock star on a cheese plate, paired perhaps with dried apricots or grapes. The Burning Nettle Melange Gouda is also far more pleasant than the name might lead you to believe. It has a grassy herbal bite that would make it a great start to a meal.

Tucked into a barn in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts, Berkshire Mountain Distillers is quietly making a new line of craft liquors. An article in the Berkshire Eagle led me to the story of Chris Weld who produces Berkshire Mountain Distillers gin, rum and vodka. Weld's operation is small,he has just one employee, and he sources his ingredients locally when possible, using grain from nearby farms and water from a spring on his Great Barrington farm. Weld, a former physician's assistant is one of many entrepreneurs bitten by the distilling bug recently as small craft liquor lines are popping up around the country and producing high quality spirits, often at prices lower than some of the "prestige" brands.

The first product from the distillery was Ragged Mountain Rum, a traditional pot still style of rum, hand crafted in small batches and aged in bourbon barrels from Kentucky to create a sipping rum. Ice Glen Vodka and Greylock Gin were added to the line and Weld is currently working on Ethereal, a new gin that will have a more heavily botanical slant. The spirits sell for just under $30 and are now for sale throughout Massachusetts with plans to expand into New York.

Next up in the celebrity liquor game, country star Kenny Chesney. Chesney is partnering with Constellation Spirits to create a new premium rum. The rum isn't set to come out until the first quarter of 2010 and it won't be branded with Chesney's name. He will however play a role in marketing and developing the rum. It will be advertised at his shows and Chesney may even work it into a song. Rum is considered a natural fit for Chesney since he spends a lot of time in the Virgin Islands and many of his songs have a beachy feel.

Here's a new twist on high-end rum, so to speak: Ron Zacapa, a rich tipple hailing from Guatemala's mountainous region that's aged at 8,000 feet above sea level.

At that altitude - roughly the same as Aspen, Colorado - there's not only 25% less oxygen, but a very steady year-round temperature of 62° that facilitates the spirit's maturation in flavorful sherry, bourbon and wine casks.

Made from first-crushed virgin sugarcane grown in the country's fertile volcanic soil, rums of between 6 and 23 years go into the final Zacapa blend. Its heritage goes back to the mash of corn and wild fruits the Mayans and Aztecs made into hooch for their religious rites 2,000 years ago.

This is definitely a rum meant for sipping, not mixing, for full enjoyment of its deep, rich flavors. We're also fond of the natty band of woven straw around its midriff, like a sort of vestigial Panama hat.

In our post on the new book Havana Before Castro the other day we reminisced about Cuba before the infamous dictator ruined everyone's fun. Among the many moronic moves Castro made was expelling Matusalem from the island in the '60s, a smooth, rich rum that had been distilled there by a family of Spanish settlers since 1872.

Following the expulsion the company languished for several decades, until it was finally re-established in the Dominican Republic (as were several Cuban cigar brands) using the original secret formula brought from Spain. Today, Matusalem is flourishing once again, with its delectable blend of smooth spirit matured in French oak casks bottled as Matusalem Gran Reserva.

The rum is made using the solera system, which was originally developed to produce Spain's famed wine, sherries, brandies, and cognacs, producing a blend that's somewhere between dark and amber.