Central Ohio Rum Society (CORS)

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Central Ohio Rum Society (CORS) 

What happens when you love rum so much that you want to preach it to the world? You start a rum club. I met Chad White about 4 years ago when he and his then girlfriend (now wife!) came to my bar to enjoy classic Daiquiris. He was excited about rum and although not a working bartender, definitely seemed to know a lot about the category.

Our friendship grew, and one afternoon he called me with this idea of starting a rum club. I at the time was the President of the Columbus chapter of the United States Bartender’s Guild so I had some insight into what he was getting himself into. Chad and I sat down last week to discuss how it went from a simple idea to now a truly wonderful organization, all for his love of rum. 

What made you decide to put together a rum society?

It was 2012. The craft cocktail scene in Columbus was booming, much to the credit of brilliant trailblazers like Cris Dehlavi. Speakeasies, bitters, amari... I was hooked. Then, while in Cleveland on business a buddy and I found a rum bar (for lunch!), casually ordered a “premium” rum flight, and boom... ground zero. I began collecting, tasting, and comparing any rums I could find in Ohio beyond the mass-marketed stuff, often sharing these unknown expressions with friends. Eventually I’d meet my wife, and our mutual affinity for world travel only intensified the hunt.

During this time I realized how incredibly diverse and historically rich yet sadly underappreciated and ridiculously misunderstood the rum category is in the US. While most folks were either enjoying the bourbon craze or still settling on “well” spirits, many of them - consumer and bartender alike - were completely over looking the wonderfully vast world of cane spirits. The task of elevating the rum category in the US is tough enough; doing so in a control state in the Midwest is an even greater challenge. But I truly wanted to introduce my city - from “bourbonites” and amateur cocktailers to professional bartenders - to the rums, rhums, and rones that stand up on their own among the finest whiskies, tequilas, and brandies.

So we decided I needed an outlet, a forum for spirits enthusiasts with whom I could share my passion and - hopefully - create a micro-movement in Ohio with the greater goal of elevating the rum category in the US.

When did you start it and how many members did you begin with?

On National Rum Day 2016, realizing a Facebook group was a bit more reasonable than trying to open my own bar, the Central Ohio Rum Society (CORS) was born. We started with a dozen friends and a few impromptu home tastings - - the aim was really just to provide an access point for the rum-curious. Three months later, with the help of a few fellow rumheads, CORS would have its first official meetup at the Grass Skirt Tiki Room. We now have nearly 300 Ohioans and growing!

You meet once a month, correct? What is the structure of a meeting?

Correct, with the occasional but necessary break. In 2017 we hosted ten uniquely themed meetups at seven of Columbus’ best establishments. We have hosted distillers, global brand ambassadors, authors, and many, many tastings, from comparing entire product lines to deconstructing popular rum blends and sampling each baseline rum individually. The under lying focus is to show how broad the rum category is, celebrate its many provenances and “styles” - particularly from proud Caribbean producers - and demonstrate its versatility in a cocktail with other fermented and/or distilled beverages.

They’ve all been fantastic collaborations, but the meetups that come to mind are those that made up our two-part Prohibition series, which focused on the speakeasy and Cuba, “America’s Tavern.” My personal favorite, titled “Rum, Beer & Revolution,” effectively transformed Columbus’ best brewery into a colonial-era tavern featuring traditional rum & ale “flip” cocktails, rums from Barbados (Washington’s favorite) and New England, communal punch, and, of course, demonstrations of colonial barkeep techniques.

What are your goals for CORS moving forward?

To draw more people to the conversation! And of course to continue our mission to elevate the rum category and showcase the best cocktail talent and establishments in Columbus, which  means more unique collaborations, support of local businesses and, hopefully, more notoriety for CORS as a local special interest group.

In 2018, we really just want to see more authentic rums populate Ohio liquor agency and bar shelves! Velier, for example, a beloved and legendary European independent bottler of quality rums crafted around the world (from Barbados to Fiji), recently hit the US market with a launch event in NYC. Many of their coveted products are considered the Van Winkle’s of the rum world.

We’ve also formalized CORS membership this year ($50 annually or per-event), which will help us contribute more to Caribbean hurricane relief funds, procure rarer bottlings for tasting, and most importantly bring more special guests (e.g. master distillers) to Ohio to share their knowledge and products with our members. All visitors are welcome to attend our events, but annual membership is exclusive to Ohio residents.

All inquiries can be sent to ohiorummers@gmail.com and if you are an Ohio resident you can join the facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/179525435802039/.

Enjoy!!

-Article written by Cris Dehlavi-  

My name is Cris Dehlavi and I am a native of Arizona, but have lived in Columbus, Ohio for the past 13 years with my daughter, Desi. I have been running the bar program at “M”, of the Cameron Mitchell Restaurant group since 2005. I am currently the President of Columbus USBG as well as a consultant for bars and restaurants nationally. In 2013, I attended the rigorous B.A.R. 5 Day Spirits Certification and have been recognized as one of the top mixologists in the U.S.A. I am one of the senior managers of the prestigious apprentice program at Tales of the Cocktail and work as a mentor to many bar tenders around Ohio. My contribution to "Got Rum?" magazine will include everything from reviews of national cocktail events, articles on mixology, garnish trends, recipes and techniques, to interviews with some of the leading bartenders in the industry.