Fred Minnick - Rum Curious: The Indispensable Tasting Guide to the World’s Spirit

2017 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

Text 2017 Fred Minnick

All photography Fred Minnick except as noted otherwise.

First published in 2017 by Voyageur Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group, 401 Second Avenue North, Suite 310, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA. Telephone: (612) 344-8100 Fax: (612) 344-8692

QuartoKnows.com

Visit our blogs at QuartoKnows.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and no responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or missing information in a subsequent reprinting of the book.

Voyageur Press titles are also available at discount for retail, wholesale, promotional, and bulk purchase. For details, contact the Special Sales Manager by email at or by mail at The Quarto Group, Attn: Special Sales Manager, 401 Second Avenue North, Suite 310, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA.

Digital edition: 978-0-76035-776-7

Softcover edition: 978-0-76035-173-4

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017933002

ACQUIRING EDITOR: Jeff Serena

PROJECT MANAGER: Madeleine Vasaly

ART DIRECTOR: Laura Drew

COVER AND INTERIOR DESIGNER: BTDNYC

ON PAGES 23:Sir Henry Morgan, namesake of Captain Morgan rum, defeats Spanish warships blocking the mouth of Lake Maracaibo in 1669. BRIDGEMAN IMAGES
ON THE FRONTISPIECE : Vintage promotional poster for Mauritius. BRIDGEMAN IMAGES
ON THE DEDICATION: A vintage advertisement by iconic Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha.

ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

DEDICATION

To my beautiful wife, Jaclyn.
Rum just wouldnt taste the same without you.

DISCLOSURE

The majority of the rums tasted for this book were free media samples.

ITS HARD TO UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF RUM . Indeed, there has scarcely been a moment in the last three centuries when rum hasnt been at the center of commerce, nation building, wars at sea, or wars in court. No other spirit can tell so many tales of triumph and tragedy on its long journey alongside the development of the New World. It has transformed itself to match regional tastes, consumer demand, and commercial pressures. Often it has soared; at times it has fallen. It has enslaved and liberated. It has been a hero, a villain, and a scapegoat. But the story of rum goes on.

Its perhaps a clich to declare that rum is at a crossroads. But today, in rums fourth century, the dominance of a handful of players is being challenged. Beneath the headline-grabbing stories of rum wars between enormous producers over the fate of Cuban rum, youll find a small but vocal handful of traditional Caribbean distillers raising their voices against what they see as the spread of homogenized industrial production globally. Youll find a diverse collection of American microdistilleries, now numbering in the hundreds, all keen to add their unique vision to the world of rum. And youll find independent and merchant bottlers dedicated to sourcing some of the most interesting and unique casks in the world to showcase the products of traditional stills that seem ever endangered.

In this volume, Fred Minnicks concise history lays bare the complex evolution of this remarkable spirit and provides a clear guide to how we arrived at the intricate world of rum today. Minnick nicely illustrates the struggles and passions in the world of rum. But importantly, he is also unafraid to address the controversies in the industry directly. From regulatory questions to the cover-over tax, false or misleading age statements, sugar and other additives, and much more, no contentious issue goes unaddressed. Consumers will benefit from a greater understanding of these issues; beyond the debates, they will also benefit from some clear explanations of the methods of production and how they affect taste, character, and body. Often, there is so little to glean from vague and minimal labeling that you can find yourself at best guessing the contents of a bottle. And Minnick and I share a passion for abandoning the hoary shibboleth of white, gold, and dark as a rum classification method. Hopeless and outmoded, it does nothing to explain the distillation methods used.

1960s advertising for J. and S. Violet. BRIDGEMAN IMAGES

For those of us who, as retailers, are faced daily with decisions about what rums to present to our guests and what rums work best in our cocktail programs, information and transparency are sometimes rare but always vital components of our efforts. At Smugglers Cove, the hundreds of members of our rum club, the Rumbustion Society, are passionate about understanding both the art and the science that underpin the spirit in each bottle, and its my responsibility to help them become the most educated consumers they can be. Were proud to have worked closely with many of the brands discussed herein to make that a reality.

There is clearly a struggle for the soul of rum. And books like the one in your hands are vital for consumers to better understand the magnificently diverse but often baffling nature of this wonderful spirit. Yet, despite the confusion, rum has a way of creating the most ardent devotees. Even a cursory glance at many of the online forums dedicated to it will reveal powerful emotions and fervor for the spirit. Its the passion that surrounds rum that makes it so engaging and exciting for many around the world. Let this book help ignite a fire in you. Each sip contains multitudes. Drink it in deeply.

MARTIN CATE is the author of Smugglers Cove and owner of the San Francisco bar of the same name.

les des Saintes, Guadeloupe. SHUTTERSTOCK

A seventeenth-century engraving depicting a sugar refinery in the French Antilles. BRIDGEMAN IMAGES

INTRODUCTION

RUM: THE SPIRIT OF THE FUTURE

RUM EVOKES A CERTAIN VACATION MINDSET. Your toes in the sand with a stiff, fruity rum drink in your hand, the ocean breeze cooling your skin, or wearing a Hawaiian shirt while looking over a cruise ships bow thats the rum life. No spirit embodies a sense of place like rum. Much of the good stuff is distilled, aged, and bottled within a quick drive from the ocean, so this sense of place is genuine and organic to this beautiful spirit.