Born To Rum (video)

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My Mint Tea Cocktail šŸ™‚

Soā€¦ continuing on my previous thoughts on the culinary association of the Caribbean with rum I did some internet trolling. Among my finds (which are now merrily archived for later reference) was an article by Ramin Ganeshram (author of Sweet Hands: Island Cooking From Trinidad And Tobago) on Epicurious.com. Titled ā€˜Born to Rumā€˜ it is a look at the genesis of the liquor, the historical transitions it has made and its current renaissance as an upscale ā€˜designerā€™ liquor.

Excerpt:

When Christopher Columbus first brought sugarcane to the Caribbean, little did he know that he was also revolutionizing the drinking world. It didnā€™t take long for producers to realize that they could ferment the molasses that was a by-product of sugar production then distill it into a high-proof flavored spirit called ā€œrumā€ ??????? most likely a contraction of the word ā€œrumbullion,ā€ meaning strong liquor.

So popular was this new drink that it became the basis for a wide variety of beverages, including punches; the demand for it skyrocketed. The British Royal Navy even issued a private rum to all its sailors. This daily ration of Pusserā€™s British Navy Rum, called ā€œgrog,ā€ was comprised of agricole rums (made by fermenting free-run sugarcane juice) from several locales including Trinidad, Guyana, and the British Virgin Islands. It remained a tradition for three centuries, until 1970, and is available on the general market today.


One example of the new designer trend in rum is 10 cane, a Trinidadian rum from the house of Louis Vuitton! Well this must be a most upscale thing because although I have seen it in American magazines Iā€™ve never seen it on our local shelves. Itā€™s not even listed in the MoreVino catalogue šŸ™

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Oh where oh where could this 10 cane rum be?

Continue reading: Spirits and Alcoholic Beverage Guide at Epicurious.com

I leave you now with Neeshan Prabhooā€™s Chutney Soca Hit ā€œMore Rum For Me (Mr. Shankar)ā€. This joint turns any Trini fete/party/nightclub into a poorly choreographed Bollywood dance scene in .02 seconds flat šŸ˜›