Rums Rebellion
The first rule of rum club is... there are no rules. Rum does whatever it wants without any strict regulations on how it should be made, explains celebrated Sydney mixologist Jason Crawley
Rum is exactly what it wants to be and funnily enough there have never been any strict guidelines for making the stuff. There is no international watchdog, or any appellation control, as you get with champagne, tequila and cognac. And rum's taste and production methods are as random as speed dating with cats while eating prunes. This kind of leaves the rum market to sort out its own favourites so, to clear up any confusion, here's an easy guide to understanding and appreciating the good stuff.
The only definition of rum is "if sugar cane or its by products are involved in the distillation process, you can call it rum".
Distillation is key to making refined alcohol, as it simply turns fermented sugar cane (rum) or grain (whisky) or indeed grapes (brandy) into your spirit of choice. The word ‘rum' is believed to have originated in the mid-17th century on Barbados, home of the world's oldest rum Mount Gay, and it might be a derivative of other words such as ‘Rumbullion', ‘rumbo', and perhaps ‘rumscullion'.
What is important is that rum is a survivor and a true chameleon of cultural change when it comes to drinking. Rum has gone from swill to swank, from bogan tipple to society mingle in Sydney's finest bars.
Looking at the label is the best starting point. From here you can the see the country of origin, how old it is, how strong it is and whether it is light in body: amber or dark and heavy. You can then decide how you wish to drink it, be it in mixed drinks or drunk neat, as you would a Cognac or single malt.
Generally speaking, un-aged light rums are great in mixed drinks as they provide a fabulous backdrop for citrus flavours and tropical fruits without being too overpowering, as in your classic Daiquiri or rum sour. Dark aged rums are generally best enjoyed neat or in aromatic cocktails with sugar and bitters that show off their deep caramel hue and vanilla-driven strength. But there are no rules, of course, only that you try it.
To taste rum properly, pour it into a snifter - that'll focus the aroma. Swirl and judge the colour of it, remembering of course the longer the rum has been aged, the darker it will be. Be careful of inhaling young rums as they can burn your nasal passages, but mellowed aged rums should be a delight to sniff. When it comes to drinking rum, you should be looking for a wide variety of flavours such as sugar, butterscotch, tobacco, leather, caramel and of course vanilla, which comes from the barrels of all aged spirits.
Some fabulous rums you should seek out - in no necessary order - are Ron Zacapa Centenario (Guatemala) for ridiculous deep oak and tobacco notes (get it at Bayswater Brassiere on Bayswater Road in their mango rum punch) or the superb Mount Gay Extra Old (Barbados) with its spicy, dense fruit and a great toasty finish. Finally, try the great all rounder Aussie made ‘Inner Circle Green Dot' which is intense and almost prune-y.
Do the rum-bar crawl in five small but boozy steps
1 Dark and Stormy Using full bodied Bermudan Rum. Ask Mikey Enright at The Lounge in The Ivy to make it. The Ivy, 320-330 George St, 2000. (02 9240 3000).
2 Daiquiri Using Mount Gay Eclipse. Get Dylan at Hugo's Bar Pizza to make it and ask for it ‘up'.
33 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross, 2011. (02 9332 1227).
3 Mai Tai Using a Jamaican amber rum. Go to Bayswater Brasserie and get Charlie Ainsbury to put this together.
32-34 Bayswater Rd, Potts Point, 2011. (02 9357 2177).
4 Hemingway Daiquiri Ask Blake Head at Lotus to make you one.
22 Challis Ave,? Potts Point 2011. (02 9326 9000).
5 Hoptoad This little gem has found its way onto the drinks list at Hugo's.
33 Bayswater Rd, Kings Cross, 2011. (02 9332 1227).