Rhum Agricole Cocktails 101

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Rhum Agricole Cocktails 101

The day after Margaret told me that the November issue would be focused on Rhum Agricole, one of my regulars (we will call him Dave) came in with a bottle of Clément VSOP. He had gone to a local liquor store and asked them for a “good rum” and this was what they encouraged him to buy. Dave had only had Bacardi Silver and Captain Morgan up to this point and was excited to try something different. What he didn’t realize is that the world of rum (rhum) is vast and different and that what he was purchasing was nothing like he expected. He got it home, poured himself a dram, and took a sip. He was shocked. This isn’t rum!! He then poured some Pepsi over it and added ice, and continued to be disappointed. He decided to bring it to me, his “Cocktail Sensei” as he likes to refer to me, to get my take on it. I of course was thrilled when he showed up at my bar with this gorgeous bottle of rhum. He proceeded to tell me that it was not rum, and that “they obviously spelled it wrong”, because there is an “H” in “Rum”. HA! This began his first lesson into what Rhum Agricole is and why it’s so different than his Bacardi, and why he should NOT be putting soda into it.

First of all Rhum Agricole has denomination of origin, which makes it very unique.  RUM can be made anywhere in the world. Rhum Agricole comes from the small island of Martinique, and has very strict laws, including when and how the cane is harvested, and how the spirit is distilled. A main difference between the two is that Rhum is made from sugarcane juice, not molasses. This may sound like Rhum is the same thing as Cachaça but that is not the case. Cachaça comes from Brazil, and although it is also distilled from sugarcane juice, it is left to ferment for much longer than Rhum Agricole, boiled into a thick concentrate, and then distilled. As with many spirits, you must also consider the terroir of where the sugarcane is being grown. Martinique is only about 8 miles long, but the Rhums produced there are quite a bit different because of the micro-climates on the island. Martinique also is bordered by both the Caribbean and the Atlantic oceans, and is home to Mount Pelee, a giant volcano. Rhum Agricole is typically described as “grassy” or “vegetal ”, and sometimes even “funky”. When I gave Dave his Rhum 101 lesson, I used Scotch Whiskey as a good analogy, because he is an avid Scotch drinker. Scotch can only be made in Scotland- - but a Macallan vs. a Glenfiddich vs. a Lagavulin are night and day different in flavor. Same with Rum vs. Rhum.

All that being said, my focus is always on COCKTAILS, I wasn’t going to let him leave without tasting that Clément VSOP in something other than Pepsi! The first thing I made him was a classic Daiquiri. Yes, Bacardi makes a great daiquiri, but if you really want to elevate this iconic drink, try it with Rhum Agricole. The herbal, savory notes work beautifully with the fresh lime juice, and in my honest opinion, once you drink it this way you won’t go back to using an unaged rum. He loved it!

The next cocktail I made him was a Sidecar, but in place of the traditional Cognac, I used the Rhum. The VSOP Rhum Clément had more than enough flavor to stand in for the Cognac, and the orange liqueur and lemon were a perfect complement. I am pretty sure Dave’s original intention was to GIVE me the bottle, but after a short lesson and a couple of tasty concoctions, he took it back home with him to enjoy. (P.S. he came in two weeks later and told me he had gone back to the liquor store and bought a couple of other Rhums to play with!!)

-Article written by Cris Dehlavi, Muse of Mixology- 

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.