The American craft rum scene is blessed with several high profile women at the helm of the company. Having started Montanya Distillers eleven years ago, Karen Hoskin is legitimately a pioneer among them. I recently sat down with her in…
Tag: rum
WIRSPA Chairman Komal Samaroo: On the Record
NOTE: This interview originally appeared on the ACR-Rum web site. However, it’s of relevance to rum enthusiasts here on Cocktail Wonk, so it’s also shared here, with permission from WIRSPA. As Chairman of the Executive Board of the West Indies…
Kerrygold Chocolate Chile Cocktail
This post was made in partnership with Kerrygold Irish Cream. Recipe and ideas are my own. When I speak with friends and readers about what they’re drinking this summer, I’ve gotten a lot of answers along the lines of simple, at home…
Still Life: Saint Lucia Distillers
Every few months, a tanker ship pulls into Saint Lucia’s Roseau Bay, and anchors. A diver drops into the water and attaches an 8-inch flexible hose to the ship. The hose is connected to a 12-inch pipeline that runs for…
Spiribam’s Benjamain Jones – Director’s Cut Interview
In February 2019, I sat down with Spribam’s Benjamin Jones at the Miami Rum Congress to talk about all manner of wonky rum topics. Jones has been essential to bringing rhum agricole to the North American market over the past…
Tiki Oasis 2019
Walking down a bustling street with car horns blaring, sun glaring, and people brushing past, you stop to open an unmarked door and are instantly thrust into another world. Jungle bird calls and exotica music float through the air. Lush…
Classic Daiquiri Popsicles
I know, I know… “classic Daiquiri” is not usually in popsicle form, but since I’ve committed to bringing all of you more boozy popsicles this summer, you’ll just have to give this to me. And since today is National Daiquiri Day…
Imbibers’ Summer Reading
It’s summer, the workload lighter and the chance to have an afternoon off to relax with a book is significantly higher. Alcohol is a tasty subject and here are five books that serve up a dash of drink history. They…
How the Financial Crisis of 2007 Reshaped the Rum World
In the course of researching various rum-related topics, there’s some recent history that I keep bumping up against. Between 1997 and 2009, one company purchased several extremely important rum companies such as Angostura and Appleton. It then went bankrupt during…
The Curious Tale of a Pineapple Press and the West India Docks
Researching distilled spirits history is a bit like panning for gold—lots of work for the occasional grain of gold remaining in your pan. But there are also jaw-dropping moments when a sizeable nugget suddenly appears. These “A-ha!” moments motivate you…