Rum Rides Again

As spirits go, New York is in a vodka era, but the rum lobby is hoping to make up some ground – and its hope lies in rhum agricole. This white unaged rum is similar in appearance to clear standard rum like Bacardi, though the comparisons stop there.“When you’re drinking it for the first time, you notice the sugar cane flavor,” importer Ed Hamilton said. “Most rums are made from molasses. These are made from sugar cane juice wine, which is a lot fresher.”“There’s a greater depth of character than you would normally expect from silver rums,” the editor of the newsletter Spirit Journal, F. Paul Pacult, said. “It’s not a heavy rum, which is a large part of their charm. What’s nice about rhum agricole is that there’s a heft in flavor, but it’s light.”Bartender Dale DeGroff, the author of “The Craft of the Cocktail” (Clarkson Potter), predicts a bright future for this newer spirit. “In the last year, five or six rhum agricole products have come out on the market from Martinique, the Dominican Republic, and Trinidad and Tobago,” he said. “It was once the most popular drink, and it could be again.”But the days when rum was no. 1 were quite a while ago. The long trend for preferring rum over any other spirit ended after Prohibition, when clear spirits like gin, vodka, and commercial white rum came into fashion, according to Ian Williams in “Rum: A Social and Sociable History of the Real Spirit of 1776” (Nation Books). His research leads through the French and Haitian revolutions, then jumps to the start of Prohibition.The mainstream power of companies like Bacardi may have actually contributed to a decline in interest for more high-end rums during the 20th century. A cuba libre with white Bacardi rum was easy enough for bartenders to toss together, and bland enough for drinkers to swill quickly. Better, darker aged rums such as the Barbancourt line from Haiti have been a favorite with more educated fans for some time.But rhum agricole offers a different taste altogether. Brands of rhum agricole include Rhum Neisson from Martinique, as well as La Favorite and Clement. Mr. Hamilton im plores drinkers not to attempt mixing rhum agricoles with anything else: “Do not mix it with Coca-Cola,” he said. “It’s awful. It’ll taste terrible.”New Yorkers can try these new rums the right way at bars including Pegu Club (77 W. Houston St., between La Guardia Place and Wooster Street, 212-473-7348), Flatiron Lounge (37 W. 19th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-727-7741), and Brandy Library (25 N. Moore St. at Varick Street, 212-226-5545). The Pegu Club bartender steered me toward a traditional Caribbean concoction called a Ti Punch, which is only successful with the best rhum agricole (in this case, they used Rhum Neisson). The bartender swirled a drop of sugar cane syrup into a lowball glass and swirled it around, then squeezed the tiniest amount of lime juice in before pouring two ounces of rum. He then aerated the drink with a swizzle stick, and filled the glass halfway with crushed ice. As he passed our drinks to us, I leaned over and took a big sniff: It smelled like clean, pure sugar cane juice, without a trace of alcohol in its scent. But don’t be fooled: It is one strong drink, meant for leisurely sipping.

Rum Rides Again

Rum Rides Again

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