Rum in the News
MONTANYA DISTILLERS
V&B, a high-end curated boutique in France that sells spirits, wine, and beer, now sells Montanya Distillers in 180 of its locations. Montanya’s Oro and Platino are both available in V&B’s 150 stores and its 30 tasting bars as part of V&B’s “Born to Be Craft” portfolio. The rums are shipped in bulk to Spain where they are bottled and then shipped on to France, helping to make the overseas partnership a business and environmental success. According to Mintel, which tracks and analyzes new CPG products, more than half of consumers in France find craft distillers more appealing than larger brands. This demand stems from excitement for authentic, less processed, and more distinctive spirits. “Montanya is an ideal fit for what the market craves in France, and much of the EU, right now,” remarked Karen Hoskin, co-owner and co-founder of Montanya Distillers. “V&B really sets an international trend with how they approach beer, wine, and spirits, so we’re honored to partner with them. They take a really unique, millennial-style approach. Instead of paying for something you’ve never tasted, they’ve set up tasting bars focused on exposing consumers to new things. It’s a totally different and exciting experience than what we often find in the U.S.” At V&B, tastings are held around large tables to encourage conversations and connections, you won’t find tables and chairs. They also host tasting workshops, parties, concerts, and sports rebroadcasts. Montanya Distillers is one of only a few American craft spirits sold at V&B, thanks in part to Montanya’s simple ingredients, which includes non-GMO sugar cane, mountain spring water, and yeast; nothing artificial. Montanya’s fresh approach to rum also helps. Montanya’s style of rum is generally lighter, drier, less funky, and more oak forward than many pot-distilled rums. Next up for Montanya, distribution into the UK, which Montanya slates for later this year. www.montanyarum.com
BANDITTI CLUB – GLASGOW SPICED RUM
Banditti Club is the latest addition to Glasgow Distillery’s growing range of award-winning premium brands such as Makar gin and 1770 whisky. Banditti Club refers to a collection of enthusiastic partygoers that would meet in local public houses in Glasgow in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s to sing, eat, play music and, of course, drink into the wee hours of the morning. Banditti Club is made using rum distilled from freshly pressed sugar cane juice on the Island of Madeira. The rum is then matured and spiced in Glasgow. Aged for up to 12 months in oak casks, the rum is spiced with a selection of fresh tropical fruit and exotic spices, including pineapple, orange, cacao and allspice. Natural sweetness and warm spice on the nose, Banditti opens up to toasted pineapple and orange on the palate with notes of clove and anise that lead to a long spicy finish. Mike Hayward, co-founder of The Glasgow Distillery Company, said: “The city of Glasgow has a strong historical connection with rum and therefore it felt right that we bring our own brand to market. We believe now is a perfect time to join the growing number of rums in the market, as consumers seek to further explore and discover new drinking experiences. Banditti Club offers a premium, all-natural product with no added sugars or colorings, which we believe stands up strongly alongside the best spiced rums currently available.” www.glasgowdistillery.com
MOUNT GAY RUM
Mount Gay has marked its 316th anniversary as the world’s oldest operating rum distillery by showing appreciation to its valuable staff members, clients and customers. The company celebrated in fine style with a series of events including visits to clients and customers at bars and rum shops, a staff appreciation event and a massive product sale for the public. Speaking at the staff appreciation, Managing Director Raphael Grison said that 316 years was a great accomplishment and explained that the company wanted to say a huge ‘thank-you’ to all who made it possible to mark the significant milestone. “The rum shop crawl gave us the opportunity to meet with our customers one-on-one to thank them for pushing our brand and to also get a better insight into what is happening in the trade,” he said.
“The sale at our distribution center was our way to say thanks and give-back to our loyal customers and clients, by providing the opportunity for them to purchase their favorite products at a reduced price.” Stressing that the celebrations could not be complete without acknowledging Mount gay’s dedicated staff members for their contribution throughout the years, Grisoni told them, “I want to sincerely thank each of you for your input and commitment. It is truly appreciated. Three hundred and sixteen years are significant and cause for celebration. Each of you has played a very important role in getting us to this milestone and we should all be very proud.” he added, “There is a pioneer mindset at Mount Gay and we intend to keep that going. Yes, we are the oldest but we do not intend to rest on our laurels. We intend to continue to be innovative, engage our customers and keep our brand visible as we look forward to celebrating many more years.” https://www.mountgayrum.com/
RHUM SAINT JAMES
After three years of development, Rhum Saint James has released Saint James Aromatic Cocktail Bitters. It is created using a base of sugarcane alcohol, which is macerated with plants and spices such as wormwood, gentian, quinquina, angelica flower, caraway, coriander and ginger. Stephen Martin, Brand Ambassador, researched historical pharmacist, distiller and bartender manuals to develop the final recipe. The new product was showcased at ProWein in Düsseldorf last month at the stand of brand owner La Martiniquaise/ Bardinet. Produced in Martinique, Saint James is the world’s best-selling agricole rhum, with a distribution footprint in more than 50 countries. http://www.saintjames-rum.com
TIPPY COW RUM CREAM
To continue the momentum from a sales jump of more than 25 percent in 2018, Midwest Custom Bottling has introduced a whole new look for its complete line of nostalgic flavors, which includes Orange Cream, Chocolate Shake, Vanilla Soft Serve and Shamrock Mint. “The new dressed- up packaging better communicates Tippy Cow’s quality and provides a bottle display that really stands out on a back bar. The new look increases consumer recognition of the brand as a high- quality cream liqueur while colorfully conveying each of Tippy Cow’s long-loved nostalgic flavors found inside every bottle.” Blended with the finest Caribbean rum and the freshest real dairy cream from wisconsin, Tippy Cow flavors like Orange Cream, Chocolate Shake, Vanilla Soft Serve and Shamrock Mint are reminiscent of iconic sweet creamy flavors. Consumers say they remind them of a Dreamsicle, a Wendy’s Frosty, a Dairy Queen Soft Serve and a Shamrock Shake. http://tippy-cow.com
AMERICAN DISTILLING INSTITUTE
The 16th Annual American Distilling Institute Craft Spirits Conference & Expo was held March 18-21, 2019 here in Denver. The competition recognizes excellence in the glass from distillers and blenders that are producing some of the world’s finest artisan spirits. ADI Judging has expanded to accept us and international entries in all classes and categories of distilled spirits, RTDs, cocktail bitters, aperitifs and fortified wines from small and medium size producers. Spirits awards are handed out in classes including agave, brandy, gin, liqueur, rum, specialty, vodka and whiskey. The scoring of spirits is based on a 100-point system and each judge assigns an overall score which is correlated to a medal recommendation or no medal recommendation for each spirit. Below 70 no medal is recommended, 70-79 for a bronze, 80-89 for silver, and 90-100 for gold. After all the spirits in a flight have been scored the entire panel awards double gold, gold, silver or bronze medals for spirits judged worthy of recognition. It is not uncommon for no spirit in a flight to receive a medal. Once all the spirits in a particular spirit category have been judged, the “Best of Category” designation is awarded to a spirit the judges identified as the best example of that category entered into the entire competition. For example, the Best Classic Gin, the Best Blended Bourbon, the Best Citrus Liqueur, etc. once all of the spirits for a particular class have been judged, the “Best of Class” designation will be awarded for both us and international spirits in a particular spirit class, such as Best US whiskey or Best International Brandy. To be eligible for a Best of Class award, a spirit must have been awarded both a gold or double-gold medal and “Best of Category.” This year, the Best of Class awards for Blended Rum went to Virago Spirits for their Four-Port Rum. Best in Class for Distilled Spirit went to Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries for their Rum 105. Best of Category for Flavored Rum went to Eastside Distilling’s Hue-Hue Coffee Rum. Best in Category for Column Still Rum went to Heritage Distilling Company for their Cask Club Distiller’s Reserve Rum. Best in Category for International Pot Still Rum went to Proof and Wood for their The Funk Rum. NJoy Spirits Distillery won a Gold Medal for their Mermaid Rum, an overproof rum. Cutwater Spirits won a Gold Medal for their Barrel Aged Rum, a blend of Pot & Column Still Rums. Islamorada Distilling won a Gold Medal for Reserve Rum Single Barrel, a Pot Still rum. https://distilling.com/
SHOTS BOX
Shots Box, a monthly subscription box featuring spirits samples, has launched, connecting craft distilleries to people nationwide, providing consumers a new way to discover and taste craft spirits in sample sizes before making the commitment to buy a full-sized bottle. With Shots Box, consumers have the opportunity to taste unique spirits first and then can purchase a full- sized bottle from the Shots Box website or retail store, allowing them to affordably discover their drink of choice. The company’s goal is not only to help consumers discover new brands but also offer local distilleries, who may not have wide distribution or marketing, the opportunity to reach a wider audience.
“The best spirits, in my opinion, are from craft distilleries which is why i am excited to announce the launch of Shots Box,” said J.C. Stock, CEO and co-founder of Shots Box. “Our subscription service delivers samples of the best liquors from around the country and connects our subscribers by letting them share experiences and thoughts online. We want consumers to discover new favorites and enjoy the process of becoming a better-informed alcohol consumer.”
Subscribers will have the opportunity to exchange authentic reviews of products and share their thoughts, recipes and more across the Shots Box online platform. Their selection will include all spirits, including rums. Coming soon they will have 4 craft rums coming from a craft brand in Mexico. https://shotsbox.com/
DRUNK MUNK TIKI BAR
The Drunk Munk, a Tiki Bar and restaurant that serves Polynesian-themed food and drinks has opened in old Towne Scotsdale in Arizona. Drunk Munk will serve dinner seven days a week and offer weekend brunch and lunch. The restaurant is located on the corner of 6th Avenue and Stetson Drive, in the building occupied for 21 years by Cowboy Ciao. Drunk Munk’s dinner menu offers everything from pot-stickers to Mexican street corn, though most dishes take a tropical approach, even if just in name. Starters include sweet coconut shrimp with sweet chile orange sauce, Huli Huli chicken, shrimp or short rib skewers, Beachcomber spinach and artichoke dip, and Tuna tostada with sweet soy, scallions, guacamole, green salsa, pickled onion and sliced jalapeño. The rest of the food options include salads, burgers and sandwiches, raw sushi rolls and signature plates. Cocktail selections include frozen drinks like Almond Joy made with coconut rum, almond liqueur, coconut cream and pineapple and the Horchatalada made with horchata vodka and topped with cinnamon. Partygoers also will have the option to indulge in large-format cocktails. The list includes The Grotto, a clam shell filled with rum, orange, pineapple, lemon, lime and blue curacao. The shareable drink is priced per person and each shell can hold up to 160 ounces of booze. https://drunkmunk.com/
THREE NEW COCKTAIL BOOKS
I found three new cocktail books on Amazon last month and with a few quick keystrokes, the dark prime delivery truck had them on my doorstep in two days. I love mixing new drinks for friends at small dinner parties, but when summer comes and the parties grow in size, one can get stuck at the bar all night. The first two books deal with batch cocktails, which sounded like the perfect solution (no pun intended) to this problem.
Batch Cocktails: Make-Ahead Pitcher Drinks for Every Occasion by Maggie Hoffman is from Ten Speed Press. It is 9-1/4”h x 6-1/2”w and has 160 pages. The 65 recipes are divided among seven chapters: Herbal & Floral; Fruity & Tart; Spicy; Savory & Smoky; Bitter; Boozy and Alcohol Free. There are sections on Tools & Tips and simple syrups. During a recent blizzard in Colorado, we enjoyed a batch of the spicy Fya Ball, a combination of Smith and Cross, pineapple juice and Thai Chile syrup. Maggie Hoffman is the author of The One-Bottle Cocktail. She writes about cocktails, wine, and beer for the James Beard Award-winning website Serious Eats, where she founded the drinks section in 2011 and served as managing editor. Hoffman has written for Wine Enthusiast, the San Francisco Chronicle, and San Francisco magazine, as well as the websites of Saveur, Food & wine, and others. https://maggiejhoffman.wordpress.com/
Batched & Bottled: Cocktails to Make Ahead by Max & Noel Venning is from Quadrille Publishing, an imprint of Hardie Grant Publishing. it is 9-1/2”h x 6-3/4”w and has 192 pages. It’s 50 recipes are divided among four chapters, one for each season, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Max & Noel are brothers from Manchester and owners of the Three Sheets bar in Dalston, London. Their recipes are inventive and introduce (at least to me) some interesting ingredients. I was amazed how many times I had to google this item or that. They cover exciting cocktail-making techniques like carbonating, fat- washing, clarification and fermentation without using expensive, scientific-type equipment.
Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails by Shannon Mustipher is published by Rizzoli International Publications. It is 8-1/2”H x 6-1/2”W and has 192 pages. The 95 recipes are assembled in nine chapters; Foundational Drinks (the jumping-off point for all Tiki drinks); Essential Tiki Classics (Planters Punch, Mai Tai, Zombie, etc.); Sours (some of the earliest examples of craft cocktails); Long Drinks and Coolers (spirits being lengthened by juices, carbonation or both); Fiery, Savory & Bitter (edgier, more adventurous drinks); Frozen and Blended (these are the drinks that made Tiki both famous and infamous); and Communal Drinks (bowls and punches, Tiki version of batch drinks). The book closes with notes on rums, ingredients, tools, techniques and music. I liked this book. It won’t replace my two copies of Martin & Rebecca Cate’s Smuggler’s Cove (an autographed copy sits on the book shelf and the working copy rests behind the bar, scuffed, stained and with a few pages stuck together), but it does have a nice collection of recipes, from traditional to experimental, from simple to complicated, from safe to adventurous. Shannon Mustipher is a spirits educator, cocktail consultant, and expert on the topic of rum and cane spirits. She has poured cocktails in settings ranging from neighborhood pubs to Michelin-starred restaurants, and is a founding member of the Cane Club Collective, which fosters knowledge and appreciation for rum through educational seminars for the consumer and trade. Her writing and recipes have been featured in a number of publications, including Punch, Esquire, New York magazine, The Village Voice, and Liquor.com. www.shannonmustipher. com
-----Article written by Mike Kunetka-----
