“ Pistachio nuts give it a much different flavor than when made with almonds .”
Another popular rum cocktail is the Miami Storm , which is made with Flor de Caña rum , pineapple , Giffard banana liqueur , fresh blackberries , Clement rum and lime juice ($ 13 ). Made with rum ’ s cousin cachaça is an upscale riff on the Caipirinha : the Passion Do Brasil ($ 13 ), which combines Soul cachaça , Ancho Reyes chile liqueur , lime juice and passion fruit .
At VASO , Monday finds inspiration in riffing on Tiki drinks . Her Tropi-clea ’ is a riff on a classic fresh Pina Colada with Asian flavor profiles of lychee and lemongrass . The drink combines lemongrass-infused Bacardi rum , coconut , pina , lychee honey , citrus , and is served with a mini bottle of Underberg bitters . “ Adding the herbal bitter liquor as a garnish allows for the drink to change over the course of the cocktail ,” says Monday .
Raised by the Wolves is another riff and an homage to a cocktail called the Bankers Punch on the menu at The Dead Rabbit in New York . “ At the Dead Rabbit they create a raspberry cordial and pair the cocktail with rum , Irish whiskey , port and spices ,” Monday says . “ At VASO we found inspiration to achieve a similar style cocktail by split basing rum and Irish whiskey , but with port , beets and raspberry and winter spices .”
Batching is key part of the bar program at VASO , she adds . VASO offers cocktails for to-go sales , bottled as single-servings and large format . One of the featured to-go cocktails is a Tiki Of The Week .
Stiggins ’ Fancy Pineapple rum , shown with a Pineapple Daiquiri , is one of Maison Ferrand ’ s rums that is made for cocktail programs and promoted as a key ingredient for at-home drinks .
PHOTO CREDIT : MAISON FERRAND
HOME SCHOOLING With much of the business pivoting toward retail , producers are busier than ever encouraging at-home mixology . For cocktails , white , spiced and flavored rums are the usual components , but aged dark rums can also be mixed as well as sipped , say proponents .
In response to more consumers taking on an at-home bartender role in the past year , Don Papa rolled out initiatives to engage with imbibers at home , Rigby says . “ We put out cocktail recipes made with easy-to-find ‘ pantry ’ ingredients .”
For example , Breakfast for Dinner uses orange juice , marmalade and vanilla ice cream and Working From Home calls for leftover coffee and cocoa powder . “ We wanted to make things as easy as possible and offer a bit of comfort during stressful times ,” he notes .
Zaya Rum recently hosted the brand ’ s first live virtual event , with demonstrations crafting a Zaya Mai Tai , as well as a Daiquiri . “ We spotlighted the versatility of our liquid and showcased how consumers can craft a quality cocktail with three ingredients , as well as complex , yet classic Tiki drinks ,” says Foley .
“ Mixability is an important component of the rum category , and definitely for the Plantation line ,” says Lamy . “ Plantation 3 Stars , Original Dark , Stiggins Pineapple and OFTD were made for cocktail programs and are being promoted as a key ingredient to the consumer for at-home drinks .”
Bottles of 3 Stars and Original Dark have a QR code that teaches consumers how to make cocktails at home , with varying levels of difficulty .
“ When many consumers think of rum , their minds automatically go to white rum , namely beach cocktails like a Piña Colada . But the category is far more diverse than that ,” says Geoff Robinson , global brand ambassador for Santa Teresa 1796 . “ We ’ re seeing that consumers are gravitating towards the dark , premium rum category .”
He cites spirit-forward cocktails that express the flavor of the rum , such as a twist on the Negroni called The Right Hand and the Café de Madre , a rum-based cross between a Manhattan and an Espresso Martini .
“ Our spiced and flavor rums offer a foundation for sipping on their own , with a simple mixer like Admiral ’ s Spiced Rum and ginger , or in an easy at-home cocktail ,” suggests Venhoff . As examples , she suggests the Non-Cola Cuba Libre , which simply combines Admiral Nelson ’ s Spiced Rum with lime hard seltzer . The Coconut Colada , a frozen drink that can be easily whizzed up at home with Admiral Nelson ’ s Coconut Rum , milk and pineapple juice .
Covid has had a crippling effect on the on-trade , says Diplomatico ’ s Fellows , and “ there will be choppy waters before we get to that much happier place .” But he suspects many consumers will want to celebrate by treating themselves to high-quality products and intriguing brands .
“ In so many ways the pandemic has forced us all to refocus on what is important including those little luxuries , daily / weekly rituals and sharing good food and drink with family and friends ,” says Santa Teresa ’ s Robinson . “ People are investing more time in moments that matter , whether it is entertaining athome , or safely patronizing local bars and restaurants .”
Thomas Henry Strenk is a Brooklynbased writer specializing in all things drinkable .
www . cheersonline . com Summer 2021 • 45