A New System For Rating Rums – Part 1

A New System For Rating Rums – Part 1 post image

Is one 4-star rum always as good as another 4-star rum? How much better is a 5-star rum than a 4-star rum? Really, what’s the mathematical value of these stars or barrel or toenail clippings that we reviewers like to use for saying something is good or bad or average, anyway? This is a problem [...]

Pagan Holiday

I have a thing for Thai food. I love the mixture of flavors like basil with spice and cooked fruit. One of my favorite Mojito riffs is to make one with Stiggins Pineapple Rum and basil instead of white rum and mint. It’s delicious. You should try it. So when I needed a recipe for [...]

Le Latin

In the Craft Cocktail world, bartenders tend to be creative types. They work hard to build style that is fast, efficient, and pleasant to watch. They work tirelessly on perfecting technique while memorizing hundreds of recipes filled with esoteric ingredients from around the world, and – ultimately – they desire to create a cocktail of their own [...]

Frank Dedieu Wins Bacardi Legacy 2015

Note: This article was originally written to appear in Tasting Panel Magazine. In the world of rum, there are iconic drinks that never seem to lose their luster. The Daiquiri, the Mojito, the Mai Tai – all are drinks that have survived fame, deterioration of cocktail culture, and the cocktail renaissance – as greats that [...]

Lost Spirits Cuban Inspired 151

Lost Spirits Cuban Inspired 151 post image

There are probably some of you asking what the heck I’m doing reviewing a 151. “Isn’t that just drunk juice? Who cares how it tastes?” Bryan Davis at Lost Spirits Distillery has a thing or two to say about that concept though. Here he has carefully crafted a spirit that is more than what most [...]

Jon Hamm’s Briefcase

Jon Hamm’s Briefcase post image

Sometimes we just have to accept that our creations do not remain our own. We put them out into the world and we know not what will become of them until it has already happened. Of course I’m talking about a drink. What else would I be talking about? Jon Hamm’s Briefcase (aka Dead Last) [...]

Ride, RumDood! RIDE! (A charity challenge)

Most people probably don’t know this, but in 2008 I found myself at a fork in the rode, debating whether to drop the cocktail blogging for cycling and blogging about that. I got really into it for about 12 months and then found other things to do, as is my wont. One of the goals [...]