ONCE UPON a time, rum was the most popular spirit in America. Thanks to a number of factors — most notably the detrimental effects of prohibition — interest in the Noble Spirit declined, and for some time, when Americans reach for a spirit — it’s typically vodka or whiskey. That’s starting to change, however. The Mojito has become ...
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Rums That Don’t Need Fruity Mixers
After at least a decade in the barrel, rums such as Clément Cuvée Homère and Samaroli have gained the character and complexity of the best whiskeys FOR MANY, rum is the stuff of boat drinks and sea legs, the clear and anodyne vodka of the tropics. At summer's peak, that may feel like enough, but this ...
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Rhum Clement: A Tasting Through the Years – A Review!
The Rum Collective's mission stated at the beginning of each meeting is: to enhance awareness of and develop appreciation for rum, from the still to the cocktail, in Seattle and beyond. This evening, in our return to Liberty, we did just that...and more. Guests arrived and were properly greeted, not just by the ambience of a room ...
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Habitation Clément: A Journey to the Center of the Agricole World
Shortly after leaving Rhumerie Du Simon, we arrive at Habitation Clément. As I step onto the grounds of Domaine de l'Acajou, its grandeur and historic significance become clear. Perhaps it was the tall, arching trees offering shaded pathways to take in the scene under the Martinique sun. The visitor friendly, open design is welcoming and ...
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Rhum Clement: So Many Great Rum Options, So Little Time
If you want a taste of the Caribbean, rum is the spirit of choice. We're big fans of daquiris and Dark and Stormy cocktails, and you can't do a Hot Toddy, Hurricane, or a Mai Tai without rum. Now that it's officially summer, it's time to break out the bottles whether you're a pirate or ...
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Raising Cane
By Amanda Schuster It begins with a stalk of sugarcane. Cane, the foundation of all rum production, has ancient roots in Asia’s Indus Valley and honorable mentions in early history. Even Alexander the Great marveled at the “grass that gives honey without bees.” In the 8th century, sugar cane migrated west into Spain via the Moors and ...
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Bourbon be damned, it’s time to return to rum
Outside the Grocery, the late afternoon sun shone down from a cloudless sky, but inside the Cannon Street restaurant a storm was brewing. Fortunately, it was contained within a single short-stemmed glass, the bottom half holding a white layer of ginger beer so thick and cloudy that it almost looked like cream. Above it hung a ...
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‘Ti Punch in Martinique: More Than Just a Cocktail
A few weeks ago, Nicholas Feris - rum connoisseur and head of the Rum Collective in Seattle - wrote an article on 'Ti Punch in Martinique. He was kind enough to allow us to republish it here, in its entirety. ------------------------------------------ 'Ti Punch at Restaurant Chez Tante Arlette In Martinique, 'Ti Punch isn't just a cocktail; it's a part of daily life. ...
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Son of Cane – Agricole-style rums hop off the islands
All rum is not created equal. Most of the stuff that’s mixed into Mai Tais is derived from molasses, a byproduct of the sugar industry. But some parts of the rum world do things a little differently: Sugarcane is crushed fresh from the field, and the juice is fermented and distilled. The result? A rum that’s ...
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Ti Punch! – By Warren Bobrow
Imagine you are on the tropical island of Martinique in the French West Indies. The air is soft and tinged with salt. Puffs of volcanic ash sometimes exhale from Mt. Pelée. The earth is dark black from lava flows that give the earth a very specific terroir. No other place on earth has soil quite ...