rum

When Havana Was the "Paris of the Caribbean"

Filed under: Books

It's now somewhat synonymous with decay of both a socioeconomic and physical nature, but there was a time before the Socialist revolution when Havana was known as the "Paris of the Caribbean," a place where Americans came to hang out in nightclubs, gamble, smoke cigars, hit on showgirls and drink copious quantities of rum. This prelapsarian paradise is celebrated in Peter Moruzzi's brilliant new book, Havana Before Castro: When Cuba Was a Tropical Playground (Gibbs Smith, $30), filled with hundreds of photos, brochures, postcards, artifacts and other ephemera.

From Hemingway hangout La Floridita, where the daiquiris flowed like water, especially during Prohibition, to the Tropicana and other casinos that were cutting edge in the 1950s thanks to the interest of American mobsters, Moruzzi provides a gorgeous and engaging glimpse of an all but forgotten era. See the gallery for a preview.

[via Men.Style]

Gallery: Havana Before Castro

Ernest Hemingway celebrates his Nobel Prize in 1954 with a daiquiri

Tags: Casinos, Cigars, Cuba, Daiquiri, Ernest Hemingway, ErnestHemingway, Fidel Castro, FidelCastro, Havana, Prohibition, Rum

Skybar Miami's Cool New Cocktails

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits

The poolside Skybar at the luxe Shore Club in Miami Beach (above) has revamped their chic cocktail menu in time for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week swimwear shows (check out a sizzling slideshow of bathing beauties here). The indoor/outdoor oasis, which is comprised of four different settings - the Redroom, Redroom Garden, Sandbar, and the Rumbar, which has 75 different varieties of rum - is intertwined with lush gardens ad secret passageways. Check out the gallery for photos and recipes of the new libations, but you'll have to actually go there to get the special Skybar Bento Box prepared by the Shore Club's own branch of Nobu.

Gallery: Skybar Miami Cocktails

Tags: Cocktails, entertainment-awards, Hotels, Mercedes, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Mercedes-benzFashionWeek, Miami, Nobu, rum, Shore Club, ShoreClub, Skybar

Liquor Exec: Top Shelf Sales Will Hold Steady

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

With the economy in its current state of disrepair, you'd think the premium liquor sector would be getting a little worried wondering whether people will continue to shell out for the good stuff. No doubt it's a big topic of discussion at Tales of the Cocktail, the big industry fest currently taking place in New Orleans. We asked one attendee, Rob Bryans of top-shelf 10 Cane Rum, for his thoughts on the subject. Premium liquor remains a "must-have" for consumers, he insists, despite the added strain on purchasing power.

Bryans, the brand's VP, says that 10 Cane for one insulated itself from market forces to some extent by striving for an excellence that consumers would consider indispensable. The "luxury rum" is made from the first pressing of virgin Trinidadian sugar cane in place of the molasses, a sugar byproduct, used by most others, and the process is overseen by Jean Pinneau, the Master Distiller of Hennessy in France. "Every step of the production process is painstakingly geared towards quality," Bryans tells Luxist. "This is an artisanal approach to rum making."

Instead of worrying about the economy 10 Cane is focusing on new ways of marketing its brand, such as the deluxe Mojito Kit they've come out with for summer, featuring a mixer from our personal favorite, Stirrings. Sounds like good business practice to us; there's nothing like a great drink for a temporary respite from economic pressures.

Gallery: 10 Cane Rum

Tags: 10 Cane, 10Cane, Hennessy, Rum, Stirrings, Summer cocktails, SummerCocktails, Tales of the Cocktail, TalesOfTheCocktail

A Great Day in Cocktail History

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Looking for an excuse to celebrate? July 19 is National Daiquiri Day. The drink many people associate with author Ernest Hemingway was in fact invented in 1898 in the small iron mining town of Daiquiri near Santiago, Cuba by an engineer named Jennings Stockton Cox.

He came up with the drink, a simple blend of lime juice, sugar and local Bacardi rum (est. 1862) over cracked ice as a way to boost the morale of mine workers during the sizzling summer months. It was such a success Cox not only received a generous stipend from the mining company but also a monthly gallon of Bacardi.

Hemingway (above, hoisting a daiquiri) later helped to popularize the drink. Of course in Cox's day there was no question of freezing or blending. See the gallery for a traditional hand-shaken daiquiri recipe and some historical images pertaining to this classic cocktail's origins.

Gallery: National Daiquiri Day

Daiquiri inventor Jennings Stockton Cox.

Tags: Bacardi, Bacardi Rum, BacardiRum, Cuba, Daiquiri, Ernest Hemingway, ErnestHemingway, National Daiquiri Day, NationalDaiquiriDay, Rum

The Perfect Summer Cocktail Party Companion

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

We could hardly be called big fans of pre-mixed drinks, so we were not overly enthusiastic when a bottle of Bacardi's new "ready to serve" Classic Mojito cocktail first arrived. Its atypical clean design and high-quality ingredients - Bacardi Superior rum, the kind they've been making since 1862, and natural mint and lime flavorings - softened us a little, however, so in the spirit of journalistic inquiry we decided to give it a try.

We love Mojitos but if you've every tried making 'em for 12 or more ravenously thirsty guests -- as we have on more than one occasion, exhausting the local supply of mint, limes and patience in the process - you'll realize the appeal of such a product if done properly, and we were pleasantly surprised by this one.

We think the late, great Kingsley Amis would approve, especially as he advocated expediency in matters of dispensing drinks to several people at once. Take heed of the following however: crushed ice is essential as is fresh mint and lime for the sake of verisimilitude. A quarter of a lime and a sprig of mint per drink should do it, a fraction of what the handmade version calls for, and there's no need to get muddled.

Gallery: Bacardi Superior Rum

The signature bat inside the distillery.

Tags: Bacardi, Cocktails, Kingsley Amis, KingsleyAmis, Mojito, Mojitos, Rum, Summer cocktails, SummerCocktails

Stirrings of Spring

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits

When the weather finally warms up in these parts all we want to do is sit out in the garden with the sun, the birds, a good book and a tall cool drink. But this spring we're going on a quest for better cocktails - not crazy new recipes or exotic infusions, just better quality quaffing. We tend to consume a lot of tonic water for one thing, mixed with gin, of course (but also vodka and rum; if you've never had a Mt. Gay and tonic with lime, you don't know what you're missing). The well-known tonics that are readily available however not only have a medicinal, metallic taste, but we hate to abuse good gin by insinuating it into the same glass. Ditto the other muck cluttering up the drinks section in our local supermarket.

So this season we're banishing the big-name brands and stocking up on all-natural ingredients from Stirrings, the Massachusetts-based company dedicated to improving America's drinking habits. They cost a little more, but like the best things fitting that description, they're well worth it, and made entirely without the aid of artificial colors and flavors, corn syrup, and preservatives. Stirrings' tonic is made with triple-filtered water, Cinchona bark extract (a source of quinine), and a little cane sugar; infused with "champagne-like" carbonation, it's crisper, cleaner and lighter than the stuff we've been poisoning ourselves with these long years.

We're also going to lay in some of their all-natural club soda, made with triple-filtered water and a pinch of hand-gathered fleur de sel from France, and their other excellent sodas. And if we get really adventurous, we might try their mixers, garnishes, essences and syrups, including authentic grenadine made with real pomegranate. We'd tell you more, but we've suddenly been struck with a powerful thirst.

Gallery: Stirrings Cocktail Classics

Tags: club soda, ClubSoda, cocktails, gin, mixers, Mt. Gay, Mt.Gay, rum, Stirrings, tonic water, TonicWater

The World's Most Expensive Rum

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Usually when we are talking about the world's most expensive spirits we are either dealing with some form of wine or with whisky but what about the humble bottle of rum? The bottle shown here, bottled in the 1940s by the Jamaican distillers Wray and Nephew, and containing blends that date back as far as around 1915 has the honor of being what is believed to be the world's most expensive bottle of rum. The bottle which is being displayed at Europe's first rum festival, RumFest, is valued at £26,000. The bottle, which is one of four unopened bottles of the stuff in the world, represents the lost tradition of the Wray and Nephew Rum. The popularity of the Mai Tai cocktail drained their rum supplies in the 1930s. In order to keep up with demand, the distillery changed their production methods. The bottle therefore represents the chance to the Mai Tai as it was originally conceived. That is, if anyone ever opens the bottle.

Source

Tags: alcohol, jamaica, mai tai, rum, rumfest, spirits

Tommy Bahama Rum

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

What spirit would the Tommy Bahama brand, famous for selling a relaxed island-style second-home chic, choose to brand with their name? Rum of course. This spring will see the introduction of two Tommy Bahama rums: Tommy Bahama White Sand and Tommy Bahama Golden Sun (otherwise known as the white one and the dark one). The rum is from Barbados and uses blackstrap molasses, water naturally filtered through coral stone and is fermented using a yeast imported from the wine-growing regions of South Africa. The rum is aged small batches in American white oak barrels. The white rum is aged for at least two years and the dark rum is a blend of rums aged a minimum of three years. The rum is easy to spot since it features the Tommy Bahama logo and palm trees. Often rum is packaged in less sophisticated bottle shapes, the look of this one is pleasingly modern.

Source

Tags: alcohol, liquor, rum, spirits, tommy bahama

Essential Drinks for Holiday Entertaining

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Epicurious is offering up a couple of tips for the must-have bottles for your bar this holiday season. Spirits are a little more - dare we say it? - spirited and make the season more festive than another bottle of time will. They say that "stocking your liquor cabinet is the gift that keeps on giving" which is at least true until you run out and the party is over. The top picks for the season are:

Bourbon: sweet and a must-have for eggnog. Try the Wild Turkey line of Kentucky Straight Bourbon (101 Proof, $23)or the A.H. Hirsch 16-Year-Old Pot-Stilled Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($75)
Scotch: fruity and woody flavors are very Christmasy. Try Glenmorangie 12-Year-Old Burgundy Wood Finish ($50) or the Caol Ila 12-Year-Old ($40)
Rum: clear, light rums are perfect for mixing into punch. Try Don Q Cristal ($16),or Mount Gay Eclipse ($18).
Brandy: warming on its own and great in a Sidecar. Rémy Martin Fine Champagne VSOP ($25) or Boulard Pays D'Auge Grand Solage ($35)
Eau-de-Vie: light and fruity, ideal for accompanying desserts. Forget partridges and stick with pear flavors, like Fassbind Poire William ($49)

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Tags: brandy, eau de vie, Epicurious, holiday, poire, rum, scotch

Havana Club Rum Now On Sale In The United States

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Havana Club, a rum that has been not been available in the U.S. because of the trade embargo, is now back on the market. Bacardi has begun shipping cases of Havana Club in the United States. The rum is based on a recipe which was created by a Cuban company in 1935. After Castro's rise to power, the family-owned company plant and the trademark were seized by the government. The Cuban government has continued to produce rum under the Havana Club label since 1960 and it has been sold all over the world.

Bacardi bought the recipe and the Havana Club name from the Arechabala family in 1994. The rum was sold in the U.S. for a few years but a legal battle over who owned the name erupted and the rum was pulled form the shelves. Last week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ruled against government-owned Cubaexport saying Bacardi has the right to the name. The patent office says that the timing is not related to current events. Bacardi's version of Havana Club is made in Puerto Rico from black-strap molasses that is fermented and then distilled five times and aged in oak barrels. The rum takes three years to age so Bacardi has been preparing for a relaunch for a while.

[via AP]

Source

Tags: alcohol, cuba, havana club, rum, spirits

Cabana Cachaca

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

It's hotter in the U.S. than in Brazil right now, how about a Brazilian drink to cool off? Cachaca, the key ingredient in a delicious drink known as the caipirinha, is making a play for U.S. drinkers. Cabana Cachaca is a new cachaca with a sleek design to tempt the unfamiliar into testing it out. The liquor is fermented and distilled in Brazil directly from freshly pressed sugarcane. The spirit is distilled in small batches to create artisanal rum with a citrusy nose. Cabana Cachaca is now available in a variety of locations and will be availably nationally at the start of August. It sells $34.99 per 750-milliliter bottle. The question is do enough U.S. drinkers know about cachaca to make this a hit spirit?

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Tags: cabana, cachaca, rum, spirits

Oronoco Rum

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The new rum from Diageo, Oronoco Rum sure has snazzy packaging. The rum is made from Brazilian mountain cane and comes in stylish bottle with a recycled leather wrap. The rum is triple distilled by column and copper pot stills and blended with aged South American rums. It is aged in Brazilian amendoim wood casks to round out the flavor. The bottles are batch numbered and sell for around $35.

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Tags: alcohol, diageo, liquor, oronoco rum, rum, spirits

Utkins Fair Trade Rum

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

We've seen fair trade coffee and fair trade chocolate now Organic Spirits Company is promoting a new fair trade rum. The white rum will be sold in the U.K. under the Utkins name. Utkins is already famous for creating an organic vodka. The white rum is also 100% organic and sells for £11.99. The rum will benefit 800 sugar-cane farmers in Paraguay who will receive a fair price for their produce and a cut of total sales. The Utkins rum will be exported to Europe, Australia, the US and Hong Kong.

Source

Tags: alcohol, fair trade, new liquor, new products, rum, white rum

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