Exclusive Interview with Mr. Armando Rosario
Q: What is your full name, title, company name and company location?
Armando Rosario, Director of Mixology Florida & National Accounts, Southern Wine and Spirits, Orlando, FL.
Q: Luis and I had the pleasure of first meeting you at our Rum University 5-Day Rum Course in Louisville, Kentucky. What was your goal for at tending this course?
As a bartender and spirits educator, my goal is to be as knowledgeable as possible about anything related to my position. Since your course is the best Rum course available in the U.S., I decided to take advantage of this opportunity.
Q: One of the things that I really enjoyed each day of the class was seeing a different flag flying outside our classroom representing a country of one of our students. We had a total of 8 countries represented in our class. One day I saw the Mozambique flag flying when I was expecting the Brazilian flag for you. Where were you born? How does Mozambique play a role in your life? How did you end up in the USA and now working for Southern Wines and Spirits?
I was born and raised in Southeast Africa in a country called Mozambique. Mozambique at the time was a Portuguese colony. Sugarcane and its derivatives were one of the main exports of the colony. Therefore, my exposure to sugarcane related products piqued my interest. However, it wasn’t until I graduated from Hotel Training School in 1984, Portugal, that I really embraced the spirits world. I then spent several years working for the Cruise Lines, up in the States, more exactly New Jersey and New York, opening La Cirque 2000. After my tenure at La Cirque, I had an opportunity to open the Wynn Las Vegas in 2005. It was there that I was recruited by Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada.
Q: Consumers who are not familiar with the world of rum and/or Cachaça often mistake them for being the same. After you walked away with a better understanding of the rum industry from the 5-Day rum course, how would you best explain to your consumers the difference between rum and Cachaça?
The fact that Cachaça can only exclusively come from Brazil and is made from fresh cane juice, whereas rum can be made anywhere in the world and the majority is made from molasses. Also, Cachaça has stricter rules and regulations than its counterpart – rum.
Q: Do you think it was a good marketing move for Brazil to have their own category,
Cachaça, rather than joining forces with the rum industry?
It really has nothing to do with marketing but rather the fact that Cachaça was around long before rum and deserves to be recognized as much. Much in the same way tequila is a distinct product of Mexico and cognac from France.
Q: You wrote a book called “Twelve Cocktails” which we reviewed in our June issue, what inspired you to write this book and why twelve cocktails?
Being spirits and mixology educators, my partner Livio Lauro and I realized a book detailing the techniques of making cocktails was missing from the bookshelves. Anyone can make a book with recipes only, but those books do not address how to properly make the cocktails. So we narrowed down the cocktail categories to twelve from which any cocktail can be made. Originally it was ten but then we realized there were 2 categories that really needed to be on their own, hence the Twelve Cocktails.
Q: Of the twelve cocktails you featured, is there one in particular that is your favorite (either for its ingredients or its story) and why?
Cocktails are like your children, I really don’t have a favorite…I love them all!
Q: It used to be that rum was always associated with Coke as a “Rum & Coke”, then we saw a shift where the Mojito became a popular drink followed by the Daiquiri. Coming from the world of mixology, in your opinion, what cocktail best represents rum in today’s world?
Being very involved with casual dining, which is the lion’s share of spirits consumption here in the US, I believe the mojito and the frozen daiquiri categories are still the largest. However, as the craft cocktail movement increases, high-quality aged rums are replacing classic brown spirit cocktails.
Q: If people want to contact you, how may they reach you?
By email at arosario@southernwine.com.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I would like to suggest to the readers that if you really like something do your best to research and educate yourself about that subject. As with anything, the more you know, the more you appreciate it. And if you have the opportunity to attend The Rum University, it will truly make you appreciate this wonderful category.
Margaret: Again Mr. Rosario, thank you so much for this interview and I wish you much success.
Cheers!
Margaret Ayala, Publisher
