Tag: Rum

Brooklyn Rum Festival 2025

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Rum is a distilled spirit made from molasses which is the byproduct of refining sugarcane, or from fresh pressed sugarcane juice. It comes in white, dark, aged and flavored versions.

It’s usually associated with the tropics but is made in non tropical countries as well, including New York State. Most are made from molasses but Rhum Agricole from the French West Indies, Clairin from Haiti and Cachaca from Brazil and made from local, fresh pressed sugarcane juice.

On August 16th I attended the Brooklyn Rum Festival, which was held at BK Loft 26, an event space at 153 26th Street in Brooklyn.

I think that good, aged rum is an underappreciated spirit, compatible with other brown spirits on the market. Rums age quicker in the warm climate of the Caribbean as opposed to the climate in Scotland. While for a Scotch, I would go for the oldest bottle I can get my hands on but with aged rum, I feel that the sweet spot is 10 years of aging.

I have a preference for the Rhum Agrigole, there is so much character in those rums but for some reason, at this tasting there were not many if any of those rums being poured. In the interest of expanding my knowledge base, I decided to focus on white rums a category that I normally bypass at these big tastings because I find most of them, bland and neutral only to be used as a mixer in a cocktail.

I decided to sample some Clairin style rums from Haiti and I was pleasantly surprised at the character and distinctness of the rums I sampled. Clairin rums have their own particular rules and regulations such as the use of local pressed cane juice, the use of indigenous yeast and the pot still method of distillation. I spoke with some of the representatives at the festival and they told me that rum production in Haiti is comparatively primitive compared to other countries so the rum your drink is like the rum made a century ago.

The way I could describe the flavor profiles of these rums is to imagine walking through an open hay field filled with the smell of grass and earth with a whiff of funky barnyard. They are white rums that I would sip on their own.

White Haitian rums from Saint Benevolence, Navat 1804 and Barbancourt (though the Babancourt is not a true Clairin but more of a Agricole style rum).

Producers at the festival:

Mount GayPlanteray
BajanZacapa
Chairman’s ReserveWorthy Park
BacardiOzama
DiamondEl Dorado
EliaBanter Bay

Skurnick Spirits of Mexico & Rum

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Skurnick Wine & Spirits which was established in 1987 is one of the local distributors of wines and spirits in the New York area. In the three-tier system we have in New York State, businesses have to buy their spirits from a third party, a distributor.

On April 2nd they held an event for members of the trade that showcased their rum, tequila and mezcal portfolio. The event was held at Ixta restaurant at 299 Bowery in lower Manhattan.

If was the perfect event to attend on a rainy afternoon. At the tasting, I would say that about three quarters of the spirits were Tequila and Mezcal with the rest dedicated to Rum.

I appreciated that all of the Tequila and Mezcal producers at the tasting were from small, artisanal distillers with limited production as opposed to the Corporate, mass-produced spirits that are usually found on bar shelves in the city.

Something out of the ordinary from Mexico was eau de vie from Endenico, made from tropical fruits, and a liquor from Alamatepec made with Pasilla Mixe chiles.

The rum selection was not as extensive as the spirits from Mexico but they poured an excellent selection of rums. One of my favorite Agricole rum producers, Rhum J.R., had some new products added to their portfolio of rums, which were Fume Volcanique, Terroir Volcanique and Jardin Fruite. Producer Ak Zani poured some very excellent Haitian rum which had a cool artistic label on the bottle.

Some of what I sampled:

Rum

Rhum J.MChairman’s Reserve
R.L. Seale’sHart & Son
Holmes CayElDorado
Emmanuel CamutAk Zanj
Proof and WoodBlack Tot
Probitas

Tequila/Mezcal

SantaneraAlmatepec
SalvadoreeLa Gran
AtanasioTosba
LamataAmatitena
Nuestra SoledadDon Vicente

Jersey City Whiskey Fest 2024

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On January 20th, I attended my first event of 2024, the Jersey City Whiskey Festival.

Similar events including wine and beer are run by the same company and are held around the New York area in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Long Island with many of the same vendors and food stalls. These are consumer-oriented events that a wine/spirit geek might find not as intensive as they would like but they’re guaranteed to have a lively crowd. They held a day and evening session, and I attended the afternoon session.

The event was held at the Harborside Atrium, an event space just steps off the Exchange Place Path railway station in Jersey City. It’s on the waterfront and as a nice bonus, you get a killer view of the lower Manhattan skyline.

The event space itself was big and airy which made it feel less crowded than it was. Usually at these things, I concentrate on the brown spirits followed by rum, with an occasional stab at tequila/mezcal.

Surprisingly, I began the tasting with a shot of pickle juice infused vodka from the Original Pickle Shot brand which wasn’t half bad. American whiskey was well represented with Balcones, Penelope, Yellowstone and Uncle Nearest.

I had some interesting single malt Irish Whisky from Waterford which also poured their Agricole style rum from their Grenada distilled Renegade brand. Natterjack and Dead Rabbit were additional Irish Whisky being poured.

The most interesting bottle had the be the guitar shaped bottle of mango infused tequila from Rock n Roll.

I attended a seminar hosted by Old Line whiskey company based out of Baltimore. They poured their Double Oak Series, Flagship 95°, Navy Strength 114°, American Single Malt and a 7-year Caribbean rum.

New York Cocktail Expo 2023

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The New York Cocktail Expo was held on Sunday, September 20th.

It was advertised as a cocktail competition and awards event with various craft spirit brands and local bartenders serving a signature cocktail.

The event was first held on April 2019 in Rockville Center Long Island for spirit and cocktail enthusiasts and for bartenders, restaurants and bar owner to get some inspiration for their cocktail program.

The last time I attended this event, and actually the last time they held the event was pre lockdown in 2019. That event had three floors filled with spirit vendors and a live cocktail competition.

When I arrived for the evening session and I walked into the room, I was very surprised to see how Spartan the room was and how few vendors there were. I took a quick check of the rest of the venue and found the second floor empty of vendors and the third floor “Rum Room” was as Spartan as the main floor. I don’t think they even had a cocktail competition, surprisingly considering all of the bars and the bartenders who staff them in this city.

A couple of standout sprits was tequila from Esperanto which had a nice selection of artisanal tequila and the rums from Dos Maderas which are rum distilled in the Caribbean and then aged in Spain.

Brooklyn Rum Fest 2023

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The fourth annual Brooklyn Rum Festival was held on August 12 and was held at the event space “The Monarch” located at 23 Meadow Street in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

The event brought together rums from around the world to sample with the opportunity to ask questions from the brand ambassadors on hand.

Rum is a liquor made from distilled sugar cane molasses or sugar cane juice and comes in light, dark, aged and flavored versions. It made around the world but mostly concentrated in the Caribbean where the sugar cane was grown and processed.

It seemed like there were fewer vendors on hand this year than last, but they still had a nice selection of rums from big producers as well as from small, artisanal brands.

Bacardi had an interesting trio of 8yr rums aged in various types of barrels, Rolling Fork Single Cask had a rum from Barbados aged in four different barrels which made for an interesting side by side tasting. Appleton had a trio of 8, 12 and 15yr old rums, Barbancourt was well represented with its 8 and 15yr rums as well as another rum from Hati with a very artistic label. Plantation Rum poured their line of rums from various countries.

Other producers that I sampled from during the event included Rhum JM, Charman’s Reserve, Worthy Park, Myrtle Bank, Pere Labat, Dumas, Rum-Bar and Striped Lion.

Brooklyn Rum Fest 2022

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I missed the New York Rum Fest & Congress which was held on June 18th of this year. It’s the biggest rum festival in the city. Unfortunately (or fortunately for me) it was held on the same day as the Decanter Wine Encounter which was too good of a tasting to miss.

So, I was happy to see that the Brooklyn Rum Festival would be held on August 13th. The event was held at the Brooklyn Monarch, an event space in the outer reaches of Bushwick at 23 Meadow Street.

The great thing about rum is the shear diversity of the styles available. There are white rums, dark rums, flavored rums and rums of various ages. While the industry is concentrated in the Caribbean, rum is made throughout the world, and they were represented here as well.

Every producer poured several versions of their rums and even the mass producers such as Bacardi poured some limited production aged rums.

The event space is a huge warehouse with an outdoor area in the back which had a DJ spinning tunes. There was definitely a “Caribbean” vibe to the event which had about half the number of producers present than in the New York Rum Fest, but there were till more than enough rums to sample that afternoon.

Some of the rums I sample, every producer poured several different.

Dos MaderasRhum Barbancourt
BacardiTrans Continental Rum Line
Plantation RumRhum J.M.
Mount GayRhum Clement
Chairman’s ReserveTen To One
Dan QPasetto 8
EquinoCopalli

Rum Fest 2021

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RumLab is a website dedicate to rum and to the people involved with it. They sponsor a travelling Rum festival stopping in San Juan, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami Beach and after a year hiatus, in New York City on August 21st.

It was a tasting that featured 100+ rums from several countries in all styles. There were also several seminars throughout the afternoon.

The event was held at the popular event space, the Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 West 18th Street in Manhattan.

Rum is made from molasses or free run sugar cane juice which is then fermented and distilled in either a column still or a pot still. Not surprisingly, production is centered in the Caribbean countries though it’s made worldwide as well. The rum comes out of the still clear and aging (or adding additives like caramel color) adds color to the rum. The various styles of rum include light rum, gold rum, dark rum, black rum and spiced rum.

Personally, I save the white rums for the pina coladas and rum and Coke while I believe that aged rum is one of the most underrated spirits in the world. It’s something you sip neat while watching the sun go down with bonus points if you are smoking a good cigar.

I particularly enjoy the Rum Agricole that are produced in the French West Indies. They generally have more character with earthy and grassy notes and a lighter texture than rums made from molasses.

Last years tour was another victim of the pandemic so a good crowd showed to the event to sample what was offered, though I did notice that there were fewer producers on hand this time around than in previous years.

Some rums I sampled:

El Dorado 15yr, 21yrClement 10yr, 15yr
Chairman’s Reserve Legacy, 1931Bounty Officer’s Release, Dark Rum
Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Ron Abuelo 7yr, 12yr
Maggie’s Farm Single BarrelRhum JM 2002, VSOP
Montanya Oro, ExclusivaBarcelo Imperial
Long Pond 15yr Single MaltClement Canne Bleue, XO
Holme’s Cay Guyana 2005, Belize 2006, Barbados 2005Plantation Jamaica, Australia, Trinidad
Don Q Anejo, XO

New York Cocktail Expo 2019

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On August 18th I attended the 3rd annual New York Cocktail Expo. The Expo which began in Rockville Center, Long Island in 2016 has grown to be New York’s premier cocktail festival, “the most attended cocktail event in New York”.

The event was held at the Melrose Ballroom located at 36-08 33rd Street in Long Island City, Queens, a short walk from the “N” train. It’s cavernous (and dark) music venue space where on this day all three floors were full of spirits and cocktails.

The 3rd floor held the “Rum Room” which was decorated in tiki style with many wearing an Hawaiian shirt. The floor was full of rum with many of the usual favorites such as Diplomatico, Appleton Rum, Plantation Rum and The Real McCoy and some off the radar brands such as Soggy Dollar, Stroh and Transcontinental Rum Line to name a few. The two other floors in the rest of the venue were packed with various whiskey, gin, vodka, tequila, cachaça, specialty liquor, beer, cider, and quite a few locally made apple brandy.

There was a cocktail competition and a Tiki Throwdown going on with Mixologists from local restaurants and bars participating so every table had a particular specialty cocktail to sample as well as whatever spirit was being poured. Consumers had the chance to vote on their favorite.

The winner of the Best Cocktail of the Year went to Bartender Leah Moss of Tooker Alley in Brooklyn using spirits from Balcones Distillery.

The winner of the Tiki Throwdown was Paradise Lounge in Ridgewood, Queens using Plantation Rum.

The event last year had one long session and was quite crowded, this year they decided to break the event into two sessions which made for a more manageable crowd size, I attended the evening session.

 

 

 

Rum Fest New York 2019

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Rum is a distilled spirit made from sugar cane juice or its byproduct molasses. Generally, there are three styles of rum based on nationality. Spanish style rums tend to be lighter, English style rums darker and richer and French style rums which are a controlled product governed by an AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlle) and uses only free run sugar cane juice.

Rum Lab is a website that caters to all things, rum with rum themed articles, and interviews with people in the rum business. Their motto is “teaching the secrets and history of rum”.

They also host rum festivals in Miami, San Francisco, Chicago and Puerto Rico. On Saturday June 15th, they hosted the New York City rum fest which was part of rum week in the city.

The event which was held at Metropolitan West, an event space at 639 West 46th Street on the west side of Manhattan.

There was an extensive selection of rums from around the world with an diverse collection of white, aged, flavored rums and rum cocktails. Many of the Caribbean and South American countries were represented but there were rums from countries that are not usually associated with rum production such as the U.S., Sweden and Java.

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Some of what I sampled:

English Harbour (Antigua): 5yr, 10yr

The Real McCoy (Barbados): 3yr, 5yr, 12yr

Mount Gay (Barbados): Black Barrel, XO

Four Square (Barbados): Empery, 2007

Montaya (Colorado): Exclusiva, Aniversaria

Dictador (Columbia): 12yr, 20yr, XO, Perpetual

Centenario (Costa Rica): 12yr, 18yr, 20yr

Karukera (Guadeloupe): Gold, Rhum Vieux Agricole, Rhum Blanc Agricole

Smith & Cross (Jamaica): Traditional Rum

The Funk (Jamaica): Heavy Pot Still Rum

Wray & Nephew (Jamaica): White Overproof Rum

Worthy Park (Jamaica): Single Estate Reserve

Rhum J.M. (Martinique): V.O., V.S.O.P.

Maggie’s Farm (Pittsburgh): Queen’s Share

Don Q (Puerto Rico): Vermouth Cask Finished, Single Barrell 2007

Havana Club (Puerto Rico): Anejo

Admiral Rodney (Saint Lucia): Princessa, Royal Oak, Formidable

Kronan (Sweden): Swedish Punsch

The Scarlet Ibis (Trinidad)

Plantation Rum: Guyana 1998, Trinidad 2009

Diplomatico (Venezuela): Single Vintage 2002, Ambassador

Santa Teresa (Venezuela): 1769 Solera Rum

Pusser’s Rum: Original Admiralty Rum

 

 

 

Rum Fest New York 2018

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On September 29th, the Rum Lab.com held their 2nd annual rum festival in New York City. They have produced similar festivals in Puerto Rico, California, the Midwest and Seattle. The Rum Lab is “focused on becoming the official rum expo throughout the northern east coast.”

Rum is made around the world but most associated with the Caribbean. Generally, there are three principle styles of rum in the Caribbean that reflect the terroir, climate and who colonized the country. There is the Spanish style ron which is molasses based and are generally lighter in body, the English style rum which are also molasses based and tend to be bolder, and the French style rhum agricole which are based on sugar cane juice and have many of the place of origin rules that wine have, they tend to taste of herbs and the earth.

The event was held at Sounds of Brazil, a music venue located at 204 Varick Street in lower Manhattan. There were a good selection of rum from around the world and since I enjoy aged rum, I began the tasting by trying whatever was the oldest rum at the table.

Some of what I sampled:

Montanya (Colorado): Oro, Exclusiva, Anniversaria.

Owney’s (New York City) Distiller’s Reserve, Superior Quality.

English Harbor Reserve (Antigua): 5yr, 10yr, port cask finish, sherry cask finish.

Chairmans’ Reserve (St. Lucia): The forgotten cask, 1931.

Ron Barcelo (Dominican Republic): 30yr Anniversary Reserve, Imperial.

J Bally (Martinique): 2002.

Clairin (Haiti): Sajous, Vaval, Casimir.

Diplomatico  (Venezuela): Single vineyard 2002, Ambassador.

Plantation Rum (Barbados): XO 20th Anniversary.

Clement Rhum (Martinique) VSOP, XO.

Flor de Cana (Nicaragua): 18yr, 25yr.

Rhum JM (Martinique): 1999 Reserve.

Denizen (Jamaica): 3yr, 8yr.

Barcardi (Puerto Rico): Limitada.

Boukman (Haiti): Botanical Rhum.