• Rum Journal: HSE Porto Finish

    By Monday, November 23, 2015

    It’s no secret we’re big fans of Martinique’s Habitation Saint-Etienne, or Rhum HSE. It’s a distillery we’ve often praised for its creativity, particularly for its pioneering work in finishing traditional rhums agricoles in barrels like sherry and malt whisky. The sherry-finish editions, particularly, were particularly good. So we were delighted to discover that the company had added a ...

  • True Caribbean spirits: Rum distillery tours that rock

    By Thursday, October 29, 2015

    Nothing beats discovering rum on its home turf. Shaken and stirred with some of the finest spirits in the world, there is no shortage of rum-fueled cocktails and rummy punches in the Caribbean. Although they're popular crowd-pleasers, those familiar fruity watered-down concoctions served in coconut shells can get old. For something a little stronger, head ...

  • Rum Journal: A Sweet Ti’ Punch in St Martin

    By Thursday, August 27, 2015

    Another take on a Caribbean classic GRAND CASE — There is another way to make a Ti’ Punch, the simplest, purest, greatest cocktail in the West Indies. The usual way is with brown sugar, lime and rhum agricole blanc. Or, perhaps simple syrup in lieu of the sugar. But Philippe Auger, who has managed the bar at the ...

  • Asheville Bar Girl: Exploring Rum and Rhum at Storm

    By Tuesday, August 25, 2015

    Eva Kovacs (aka Asheville Bar Girl) enjoys exploring Asheville’s cocktail scene and learning about its drinks and venues, both old and new. She posts photos and news of her adventures on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook as @avlbargirl. In her new series of online stories with Xpress, she promises to sample hearty whiskeys and tall fruity ...

  • Where to Sip on Columbus’ Rum Renaissance

    By Monday, August 17, 2015

    Think all rums pour clear and taste sugary-sweet? Think again. Bartenders are making the most of products new to Ohio because they’re familiar to our whiskey-trained palates. Here are three styles that have bartenders across town talking. Rum Diplomatico (Venezuelan) Flavor profile: Diplomatico offers four labels, with 6-year-aged Blanco ($32) and 12-year-aged Reserva Exclusiva ($40) being most ...

  • The Postmodern Tiki Movement Is Upon Us

    By Thursday, July 30, 2015

    When news broke that New York City nightlife hitmaker Ravi DeRossi, of Death & Co., Mayahuel and Amor y Amargo fame, was transforming his literally sinking Gin Palace into a tiki-inspired bar, the expectation of umbrella-festooned Mai Tais and Scorpion Bowls was high. And with its billowing curtains, curvy booths tricked out in bird-patterned upholstery ...

  • An Introduction to Ti’ Punch

    By Tuesday, July 28, 2015

    The rum world is a place of multifaceted beauty, and one of the more captivating styles of the spirit is the category of rhum agricole, traditionally made in the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Our July/August issue touches on a few ways talented bartenders are using rhum agricole in cocktails, but this flavorful type ...

  • A Comprehensive Beginner’s Guide to Rum

    By Tuesday, June 30, 2015

    Understanding the oft-overlooked spirit. In the United States, people buy more rum than bourbon, Scotch, gin or tequila. Statistics from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) show that in 2014, over 25 million 9-liter cases of rum were sold across the country, compared to approximately 19.3 million 9-liter cases of bourbon, 9.4 million ...

  • Ginger-Lime Shrubb with Rhum Agricole and Salty Lemonade

    By Tuesday, June 9, 2015

    From Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails by Warren Bobrow (Fair Winds, 2015) In recent years, shrubs—in which fruit and vinegar flavors are combined—have experienced a resurgence in popularity, both on their own and as elements of cocktails. And the right combinations of flavors can venture into unexpected places. As Warren Bobrow noted about this recipe, "Ginger ...

  • Rhum Running

    By Thursday, May 7, 2015

    When is rum not really rum? When you add an “h” – making it RHUM Agricole. “That’s crazy!” you say? But it’s not crazy. And there’s even precedent. Just like the extra “e” in whisk(e)y immediately connotes the difference between an Irish whiskey and Scotch whisky, for instance, providing a shorthand for all those unique qualities ...