Rum reading
What do you know about rum?
A lot of people associate rum with sugary batch cocktails at a college party, latter day cheeseburger-in-paradise pirates (yarrrr), and headaches that make you want to never drink again.
There's more to RUM THAN COLLEGE PARTY HANGOVERS
One of my favorite books of late is called And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails by Wayne Curtis, who has this to say about rum:
"To track rum to its source -- back though the mojito craze, the Trader Vic interregnum, the Prohibition era, the grim slave epoch, the age of the pirates, and the first European settlement of North America -- is to run to ground the story of America."
According to Wayne Curtis (and he should know), rum has been sold short. Nosing a glass of fine Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, or New England (yup, New England) rum should also tip you off that the quality and complexity of rum can run as deep as the history.
How do I learn more about rum?
There are some great people out there producing high quality rum as well as engaging content on the subject of rum. Many of them are actively promoting their work through interviews, online publications, and social media. It's very accessible, if you know where to look:
- For a good, short read to dispel any leftover misconceptions you might be harboring since darker times in the world of spirits, check out Matt Pietrek's An Open Letter to Authors Writing About Rum.
- To hear Joy Spence, Master Blender at Appleton Estate (Jamaica) explain age statements, check out this short video from Rum Revelations, a website run by Ivar de Laat, self described "guy who loves to talk and promote rum independently".
- Read Microscopic Details On Yeast - With Maggie Campbell From Privateer Rum, also from Rum Revelations, to deep dive on the topics of yeast and how misinformation is dangerous even when you're diving deep on geeky rum topics.
- For how to drink your rum (other than neat), check out Shannon Mustipher's Taste American History With Classic Rum Drinks and Contemporary Riffs on VinePair.
- If you feel the need to experience some of the passion and vitriol rum inspires among its many online aficionados, just type "rum has no rules" into your search engine and hold on to your hat.
Happy reading! We're working hard on our first rum release right now.
