With All The Vodka, Tequila and Whiskey Available in Bars, This Blogger Wants to Know Where’s The Rum!?
Blogger’s note: This was originally published a couple of years ago and guess what – it’s happened!
Go to any bar – be it a dive or a high-end nightclub – and brands and kinds of vodka are plentiful, there’s a choice of tequilas and there is likely also a variety of bourbons or whiskeys. But try and get a rum drink, and the options are almost non-existent.
Every place has Bacardi, Captain Morgan (best for those who like spiced rum which are not hard-core rum drinkers) and maybe Mount Gay. That’s it. About the only rum to be mass introduced and marketed lately is Sailor Jerry. And that’s hardly a high-quality product.
With all the other spirits being trendy, when does rum get to join the party?
Rum is great. It’s the critical ingredient in some fantastic drinks, not the least of which is the Mai Tai. Jimmy Buffett sings about rum quite often and one of his signature songs is Boat Drinks.
In the Caribbean, rum is cheaper than the mix. Drink enough of it, and it even holds off the pesky mosquitoes.
It was actually the preferred liquor of choice of the Founding Fathers, at least initially.
A good rum drink is refreshing. Mix it with juices – using OJ as primer – and it’s refreshing. It’s ideal for a daytime beach or pool party and equally effective at night.
Bartenders – or mixologists, to use a current industry buzzword – could have a field day with rum. Like vodka, it mixes with just about anything. In fact, even more (ever try a a vodka and Coke?) Rum is as versatile as Cam Newton. (And a heck of a lot less volatile). And bartenders, don’t be geeky and put those touristy little umbrellas in it. A garnish of fruit will suffice just nice.
One of the best places to get an outstanding rum drink is at the appropriately-named RumFire in Waikiki Beach. If you’re lucky, bartender Charlie is behind the bar and not working the waitress station. But if the latter is the case, take a seat outside by the pool, overlooking the beach and Diamond Head, and enjoy the rewards of a great rum drink in a perfect island setting.
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