I was intrigued by a recent discussion on Facebook about a tasting that some folks did in which, among other things, white rums were compared to vodka. Note that this was not the purpose of the tasting, nor was it designed to produce definitive results. But it did produce a lot of discussion, along with … Read more
Tomorrow is National Daiquiri Day. That’s silly, of course. But what’s not silly are Daiquiris themselves. In fact, they’re more than a little awesome.
December 1, 2015 – New York, NY – The 86 Company is proud to release Caña Brava 7-Year-Old Reserva Añeja Rum, the f irst dark aged spirit in their portfolio. Staying true to the company’s ethos, it has been made by a veteran master distiller with the input from the professional bartending community on how … Read more
This festive and decadent drink will put you in the mood for the holidays with a delicious mixture of Caffè Borghetti Espresso-Coffee Liqueur (to give you that little extra eye-opening jolt), a top-quality spiced rum like Chairman’s Reserve, and eggnog. You can make your own eggnog — that’s always preferable. But I generally use a … Read more
The Jamaican style of rum — heavy on the “hogo” (funky esters and lush tropical flavors) — is one of my favorites. So it’s always a pleasure to see a new rum from the island appear on the U.S. market. Mezan bills itself as “the untouched rum,” meaning it’s unsweetened, uncolored, and only lightly filtered. … Read more
This is essentially an ad for Novo Fogo Cachaça, but I found it interesting and think it contains a good introduction to the basics of cachaça. Cachaça is a a sugar cane-based spirit, similar to a rhum agricole, that is produced in Brazil. It is by far that country’s most popular spirit, and there are reportedly over … Read more
Ron Zacapa Centernario 23 is a favorite among many rum drinkers, especially those who like their tipple on the sweeter side. It is made in Guatemala from “sugar cane honey,” the first press of the cane that is then boiled down to make it thick and syrupy. After distillation, the rum is aged in a … Read more
The Long Island Iced Tea has one of the worst reputations of any cocktail. For good reason, too. Served by the gallon at every TGI Fridays and Applebee’s across the land, it’s usually made with way too much bottom-shelf booze and chemical sour mix from a bar gun. But it doesn’t have to be that … Read more
Since I wrote recently about the Hemingway Daiquiri, I thought it was time to review the rum associated, albeit tenuously, with the man. Sanctioned by the Hemingway Estate, Papa’s Pilar Rum came on the market in 2013. “Papa,” of course, was Hemingway’s moniker. “Pilar” was the name of his fishing boat (and the nickname of his … Read more
As you may know, Ernest Hemingway was fond of his drink — much in the same way that a Great White Shark is fond of eating seals and surfers. To put it another way: he was a raging alcoholic. As such, he was distinguished by his thirst for cocktails, not his good taste in them. … Read more
Professor Cocktail