Rum Hunter

I tried search, but putting "rum" in the search engine here is like typing "boobs" into google. (5,250,000 results)

BevMo has failed me in the past few quests, and I can't tell you how many strip mall liquor stores think Capt. Morgan and Bacardi are the only rum distillers. I am looking for Demerara Rum, and Falernum. I can only mix so few things out of Grog Log and Intoxica properly due to a lack of proper ingredients!

Anyone know some good online liquor stores, or places in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area that are known to stock the "good stuff"?

Tikimonkey -

You can get Falernum from DaVinci's in Seattle. Mail Order is:

http://www.davincigourmet.com/

A good online liquor source is the fabulous Sam's Wine in Chicago. They have just about everything:

http://www.sams-wine.com

Aloha,

Vic

*On 2003-05-10 02:58, tikimonkey wrote:*I am looking for Demerara Rum, and Falernum. I can only mix so few things out of Grog Log and Intoxica properly due to a lack of proper ingredients!

Mollie Stone's market in Marin (Corte Madera) has Lemon Hart Demarara in 151 proof only. I have not found the regular proof in the area for a while. I stocked up last time I found it but I'm running low. Make a list from the Grog Log and scour old liquor stores. Once in a while you might find an old bottle or 2. Rum and most liquors keep forever. I just found an old bottle of Parfait Amour (in a couple drinks in Intoxica) and it cost me half the price of the Marie Brizard brand that Bevmo stocks.

Try these online sources:

http://www.internetwines.com/index.html
They have El Dorado Demarara

http://www.liquorama.net/
They have Lemon Hart 80 proof and 151, as well as El Dorado

The DaVinci's falernun is the only one left in the US. It is non-alcoholic unfortunately, but it's going to have to do for now until someone has the bright idea of importing it again from barbados. There was some talk that it might be happening again, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Try John J Walker spirits on Sutter in San Francisco. They sometimes have 80 proof Lemon Hart, as well as other interesting things.

-martin

Ya know, a good friend of mine owns an import/export business trading wacky things like ketchup packets from Sweden for film from Saudi Arabia. I'll ask him about importing hooch.

According to this site, John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum, 11.5% Alc. By Vol. (23 proof) is imported by The Spirit of Hartford, LLC, Avon, CT.

I remember reading about that Vegas product launch- thanks for refreshing my memory.

WHOA...STOP THE PRESSES>>>

I just had a nice conversation with the distributor in CT. The first container full of John D Taylor's Velvet Falernum left Barbados on 5/9 and is on its way to the USA!!!! Wooohoo! It will then be distibuted to warehouses across the US, including one warehouse in California. At this point, she does not know which retail outlets will carry it, but she did tell me she's had inquiries from at least five retailers in San Francisco alone.

You can expect to see REAL Falernum on the shelves in 30 to 60 days!

Rejoice, my brothers and sisters! The dry spell is about to end!

I'm on her email list so I'll post updates as I get them.

-martin

And for those of you who'd simply like to make their own Falernum, here's a recipe.

(It even looks easy enough for me...)

Velvet Falernum

Until Velvet Falernum is available in spring, DeGroff's recipe to create it at home is as follows:

Zest from 10 limes

10 cloves

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

One bottle white rum

Marinate first three ingredients in the rum for 24 hours. Strain and bottle the rum. Store in a cool place.

To make syrup, add 8 ounces of rum marinade to 1 quart of simple syrup. Adjust to taste.

Rachel Perlow, one of eGullet's site coordinators, adapted the recipe to make a smaller amount:

1 cup white rum

3 to 5 cloves

Zest of 3 limes

Marinate lime zest and cloves in rum for 24 hours. Strain and add the rum to 1 quart of simple syrup. Add 2 to 3 drops almond extract.

On 2003-05-12 18:06, martiki6 wrote:
I just had a nice conversation with the distributor in CT. The first container full of John D Taylor's Velvet Falernum left Barbados on 5/9 and is on its way to the USA!!!! Wooohoo! It will then be distibuted to warehouses across the US, including one warehouse in California. At this point, she does not know which retail outlets will carry it, but she did tell me she's had inquiries from at least five retailers in San Francisco alone.

I stopped in Sam's here in Chicago last week (see their link above), and they still didn't have it, had never heard of it, and it didn't show on their computers.

I sent them the web link to the Falernum site, so hopefully by the time of Exotica 2003 they will have it in stock.

tikibars -

I just picked up a few bottles of Falernum from the Fabulous Fee Bros. If it's an emergency :wink: I can hook you up with a bottle.

BTW -- had a Martini (Plymouth Gin) with Orange Bitters from FB last night. Unbelievable, man. If this is how they used to make 'em back in the day no wonder they used to have "3 Martini Lunches".

ALoha,

Vic