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Cocktails 101: Shopping for Rum
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Rum is a spirit that is often overlooked by serious cocktail and spirit drinkers. Perhaps this is because rum is often consumed in large quantities by college aged girls and middle aged moms on vacation. The prevalence of the pina colada, Bahama mama, Miami vice, et al, and the ensuing hangovers that follow the consumption of those drinks, may frighten cocktail lovers away from rum entirely. This is a sad case, because there are many delicious rum drinks that highlight the subtle floral and molasses qualities of this spirit. It is important to remember that, as with any good cocktail, the chief goal is to achieve balance. In the case of most rums, some acidity is needed to balance the natural sweetness and richness of the spirit.
When choosing a rum for cocktails, there are three basic types: Light, Aged and Spiced. Most shoppers either buy clear, un-aged rum or spiced rum. There are probably many reasons for this, but most likely it has to do with brand recognition. the most highly advertised brands of rum are, of course, Bacardi and Captain Morgan. I don't know about you, but when I'm shopping for a spirit, especially one that I'm less familiar with, I tend to gravitate toward recognizable names. In addition, these rums are a good representation of their respective styles, so it makes sense that people would choose them. Unfortunately, these two styles are not best suited to making most rum drinks and they are, for all of our purposes, mutually exclusive in terms of application. This means that if a shopper buys spiced rum for a party and arrives to find that the host thought they were making mojitos, they would be up a creek with no booze. Likewise, a drinker who enjoys the zip of spiced rum in hot apple cider or in a tea-based cooler would be disappointed with the lack of complexity in a light rum.
The important thing to remember when choosing a rum is that just because a rum looks dark, doesn't mean it's spiced. Aged rums are dark because they've been sitting in oak barrels or casks for a period of time. They are sometimes referred to as gold rum. Spiced rums can be dark because of the botanicals, herbs and spices that have been added. Many spiced rums also add additional brown sugar alcohols and molasses for richness and color. A lightly aged rum will be the color of caramel candy and have a rich taste without being overly sweet or smoky. It will make an excellent mojito, daiquiri, rum runner or Cuba libre. If the rum is too dark, the complexity of it will be wasted and the drink will be impossible to balance. Very dark rums are meant to be enjoyed like cognac or brandy: straight up and sipped. Many of the liquor stores in the area have excellent rum selections and the proprietors will assist you with your selection if you ask nicely. They might even offer you a sample if you play your cards right. As with any spirit, personal taste is the ultimate determining factor, so you'll have to taste a bunch before you settle on a favorite. One of my favorites is Old Mill Gold Rum. It's from the Pacific Northwest and it's aged for two to four years in charred American Oak barrels. It's smooth, creamy and blends well into all types of cocktails.
It's rum month here at the examiner, so check back weekly for rum drink recipes, tips and recommendations. Feel free to post comments and/or email me with questions about rum drinks, where to buy rum in Austin or with suggestions for future articles.
