Post #21602 by KuKuAhu on Sat, Feb 1, 2003 12:36 AM

Long story short... I didn't have even a sip of rum (or any drink with rum in it) for over 17 years and now I can! Whoo-hoo!

Hey! That's great! Congrats!

But, please...be careful. Moderation boyo...moderation.

       It's very helpful to find good suggestions on different brands as I have been buying Bacardi and Myers, pretty much, so far. I was told, by the fella that runs the liquor store behind the office, that there was absolutely no reason to buy an Añejo rum for use in cocktails when Bacardi Gold Reserve would do just fine. Was he full of it?

Hogwash. He is full of it...and then some.

A) It depends on the cocktail. Would I use a 15 year barbancourt in a drink with banana creme, orgeat, and three juices? Probably not. How about with just lime juice and sugar syrup? Hmmm...maybe. I dunno. How decadent do I feel? Mostly the [bold] really [/bold] good stuff is for drinking over ice or just neat. But I have no qualms about mixing with a 3 year or eight year given the right circumstances.

B) It depends on the rum. I can get a bottle of 8 year Barbancourt for roughly 15 clams (USD). That's cheap enough for me to use in anything I suppose, and I'm as broke as bread on sunday.

C) There is much to be said for trying all sorts of rums. They are as varied as the day is long, and I marvel at the number of brands that are out there. I saw a bottle for sale the other day priced @ 156 semolians (still talking USD). That's crazy expensive for my budget, but I'd sure love it if some rich bloke dropped me a bottle. It'd be fun to try it.

D) Once you try 'em, you start to like certain ones. I've ruined a few friends for better rum now. They were all strict "rum is rum" drinkers before my eveil influence....heh heh heh

E) If rum is rum and why bother to get anything for cocktails so long as Bacardi Gold Reserve is available, then whiskey is whiskey, and vodka is vodka, and there's simply no good reason to drink a vodka tonic with Chopin when Popov is available.

Funny how discerning people get with some liqours but not others. Especially charming when it's a grain neutral spirit such as vodka (filtered to be nearly flavorless). Mind you, there are certainly differences in vodkas, but your average drinker couldn't tell the difference if I switched bottles.

....so, that brings us to the following golden rule:

"if you aren't tasting it, your'e wasting it."

I beleive that sums it up nicely...interpret as you will.

Otherwise follow our beloved Berry's advice and just mix them according to the directions. He did go to the trouble to research and write them out for us all, the least we can do is honor his wishes and use the proper rums.

Hats off Berry, you are the kung fu master.

...oh my, I am rambling.

Wanna know why?

'cause I'm drunk right now. Rum of course.

Cheers!

pele

[ Edited by: pele on 2003-02-01 00:51 ]