Luis and Margaret in Madrid Spain
Luis and Margaret Ayala (Rum Consultants), standing by the parking garage elevator on Calle de Ayala in Madrid, Spain.
The Joy of Returning To Your Roots
It gives me great pleasure to announce that this issue marks the first anniversary since the re-launch of “Got Rum?”. We have seen big changes throughout the past year with some amazing new rum products and an increase in the interest in this wonderful distilled spirit that we fell in love with almost 20 years ago.
I want to thank all those who granted us exclusive interviews: thank you for your time, for helping us keep our readers educated about the industry and its practices. It is so nice to see the tender loving care that Master Blenders and Master Distillers have put into creating their rums. I also want to thank all who submitted their rums, photos and cocktail recipes for review in our Angel’s Share section.
In this issue we are featuring rums from Spain which makes this month extra special for me: I was born in Madrid, Spain and my mother is from the region called “La Mancha” where the famous Don Quixote story was born. I left Spain at an early age and visited very seldomly.
It was on a special trip last year in November to Madrid that I got to take my husband, Luis, for the first time to my birth place. It brought back so many fond memories and thanks to Javier Herrera and the members of the Rum Club International we got to sample many rums in Spain. I was so excited to see the diversity and taste the range in flavors.
The trip back to my home country and the introduction to the many rums sold there is what inspired Luis and me to do this feature on Spain. Thank you so much Javier and all of the members of the Rum Club. This month’s feature would not have been possible without you!
It was all of the research, tastings and tourist attractions that made me fall in love with my country all over again. I am delighted to share with you all of the rums Spain has to offer along with its beautiful culture and delicious cuisine.
Cheers!
Margaret Ayala, Executive Editor