The topic of Spanish, French and French style rums come up frequently in rum discussions. It’s confusing to many, especially newcomers trying to make sense of the vast world of rum. Section Three of my book, Minimalist Tiki, has a…
Tag: rum
Renegade Rum Ascends
Grenada has more sugar cane than it can handle, an unprecedented situation relative to the prior two centuries. From the south to the north, vibrantly green sugar cane stalks rise several meters into the deep blue January sky. The cane…
Remembering Michael Fogg – Conservator of Rum’s Legacy
“My suggestion is that you try to contact Michael Fogg… he is definitely the most knowledgeable living person regarding the early derivation of navy rum.” Historians live for the moment when the heavy curtains of the past briefly part to…
Moving Beyond Rum Categories – A Modest Proposal
I’ve been thinking a lot about rum categories lately, even dropping a rant or two along the way. As I’ve mentioned in my various musings, the problem with most categories is that they’re not applicable in all situations, and for…
Grenada Rum Cheat Sheet
In early 2020 I visited the island of Grenada as a guest of Renegade Rum. While there, I visited all four current and future rum producers on the island in my role as WIRSPA’s Community Envoy. In advance of my…
All Things Demerara Distillers Ltd — Master Distiller Shaun Caleb On the Record
In late 2019 I visited Guyana as the guest of Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL), makers of El Dorado rum and home of the historic Port Mourant, Versailles and Enmore wooden stills. I came away with an enormous quantity of material…
Rum Renegade Mark Reynier: On the Record
In January 2020 I visited the island of Grenada as a guest of Renegade Rum. Originally an independent bottler of rums, Renegade made a hard-left turn recently, building the first brand new, large scale Caribbean rum distillery in over 15…
The Age of Angostura – Part Two
Welcome to Part Two of my look at Trinidadian Rum and Angostura, the last remaining rum producer on Trinidad. In Part One, I reviewed Trinidad’s background and role in Caribbean rum history. I also provided key details about Trinidad’s three…
An Open Letter to Authors Writing About Rum
Hey there! I hear you’re working on articles about rum for a beverage/food/lifestyle magazine/blog/podcast. Rum has certainly become one of the “it” things to cover, so welcome to the party! There are many folks who are passionate about rum, including a…
Talking Rum with John Georges, Angostura’s Master Distiller
In December of 2019 I visited Trinidad as a guest of Angostura. There, I met John Georges, Angostura’s recently retired Master Distiller. Georges had a front row seat for rum history over the last four decades, and I was privileged…