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BARTENDER'S
SPIRITS EXPLAINED, by George Delgado |
RUM
by George Delgado |
I think it is safe to say that most of us bartenders have made a rum cocktail or two at some point or other--whether it was the simplistic rum & coke, or the potent yet easy drinking Planter's Punch, or the more challenging Mojito. These three distinct rum examples alone show the tremendous versatility of this spirit. I am sure that some of us have dozens of rum cocktails in our repertoire, but how is this spirit made and where does it come from?
In 1492, Columbus discovered the eastern Caribbean Islands. Since then, historians have been quick to criticize the explorers for all but depleting these islands of their riches. Ironically, any economic stability that these islands would experience for the next 500 years was thanks to what Columbus and the succeeding explorers brought in to the islands-the sugar cane. By 1502, sugar cane was being planted from Puerto Rico to Brazil. Rum is produced directly from the sugar cane juice, or cane syrup, but it is more commonly made from molasses. Molasses is the brown syrup that is left after all of the commercially producible sugar has been removed. Using the molasses to make rum is the obvious economic choice because both, sugar as well as rum can be had from each sugar cane stalk. The molasses retains fermentable sugars, so after fermentation, it is distilled to become rum. As distillation spread throughout the world, each country or region would use whatever the respective agriculture offered. The Caribbean climate is conducive to the sugar cane; therefore, it will be rum that comes from these tropical regions.
It should come as no surprise that the best tropical cocktails are made with rum. So when you are trying to create a new rum drink, do as I do, look to islands. There will be no better interplay of ingredients than that of the sugar cane and the fruits that share the same island.
Here is my version of a popular drink from Old San Juan, Puerto
Rico:
THE DRAGONFLY PUNCH
1 1/2 oz. Bacardi Limon
3/4 oz. Alize Gold
1/2 oz. Ginger Liqueur
1/2 oz. Fresh lime juice
2-3 oz. Cranberry Juice
Shaken and strained into an ice-filled all-purpose wine glass.
Splash of ginger ale.
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