Luis Ayala, Editor
Luis Ayala, Editor of "Got Rum?" magazine, Rum Consultant and Founder of The Rum University.
Rum Alchemy
Alchemy has different meanings in different circles. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, one of the definitions of Alchemy is:
“a power or process of transforming something common into something special”
Much has been said about Alchemical knowledge being applied to the transformation of base metals into gold, but the definition goes well beyond the financially- quantifiable, it extends into the realms of medicine and overall well-being.
I’ve often written about the common transformation of sugars into alcohol and finally into aged rum, as a clear, everyday example of alchemy.
In this issue we explore the first of a series of articles devoted to the subject, starting with the base elements needed by the sugarcane plant to grow and produce–seemingly out of nowhere- an abundant supply of sugar.
But alchemy, as defined above, also plays a role in mixology and in human relations. In the former, it combines individual ingredients, allowing them to transmute into something larger than the sum of the individual parts. In the latter, distilled spirits (straight or mixed) often act as a catalyst during celebratory gatherings, lubricating the gears of conversation, washing away the layers of timidity and replacing them with those of spontaneous courage.
Alchemy is all around us, always has been. Its end result may not always be solid gold, but in the case of aged rum, it is solidly golden!
Cheers,
Luis Ayala, Editor and Publisher