Rum

Rum from Colorado just sounds a bit “off.”  Who in their right mind would decide that the Rocky Mountains is the right place to plop down a distillery to make the favored spirit of the Caribbean? Karen and Brice Hoskin would. They started Montanya in 2008 with the idea of making rum using fresh, American-grown [...]

American rum is a tradition that goes back to the early colonial days when the tricorn hat was still en vogue. While the cyclical nature of fashion has not yet brought back the tricorn (for reasons that still escape me), American rum has been making quite the comeback.

Granted, if you were to consider where American rum would be made a few places might cross your mind. New England has historically be the center of American rums (think Medford Rum). New Orleans and Hawaii sort of jump out at you too. Colorado, on the other hand, probably doesn’t crack the Top Ten list for “Where do I think American rum comes from?”

Montanya Rum is made in Silverton, Colorado. Yes, rum in the Rocky Mountains.

As we come to the end of Jeff “Beachbum” Berry Week it just so happens that we are not only celebrating the any-day-now arrival of Jeff’s newest book, Beachbum Berry Remixed, but also the Bum’s own birthday!
There are so many great drinks to actually choose from.  The Miehana, the Coconaut, the Bum’s Rush, the Kiliki Cooler…

Are you tired of Tiki drinks yet?  I sure hope not because we’re still rolling with Jeff “Beachbum” Berry Week as we prepare ourselves for the arrival of Jeff’s newest book, Beachbum Berry Remixed.
Jeff, of course, is considered the man at the front of the Tiki Revival that we’re seeing today.  Beyond reviving long-lost recipes and repopularizing drinks that had fallen out of favor Jeff has also introduced a few drinks of his own, ranging from the blatantly Polynesian to the more subtle tropical drinks like the Ancient Mariner.

It’s been all Jeff “Beachbum” Berry all the time here for the past few days as we celebrate the impending arrival of his newest book, and we’re still rolling with even more fun from J-Triple-B.

The Miehana is one of Jeff’s original Tiki recipes. A fantastic drink with pretty much the easiest ingredient ratio ever (here’s a hint: use the same amount for all of them), the Miehana combines three fruit juices with three different liquors (two, of course, are rums) to create a drink that is a great tribute to the city down the street from my doorstep.

Jeff Berry, the leader of a worldwide cult of Tiki, has a new book coming out. Beachbum Berry Remixed is his latest effort to bring the best of Tiki to the masses. The book contains more than 240 drink recipes – some classics, some new creations by today’s best barfolk – along with classic artwork and original drink photography.

Using all of my incredible connections in the industry, along with not-so-veiled threats to start encouraging people to make Mai Tais with Amaretto and orange juice, I was able to secure a little bit of Jeff’s time and ask him about his book, his history and which Zombie recipe is the best.