Cheers

www.cheersonline.com 19 JUNE 2014 | Dustin Parres, corporate bar manager for St. Louis, MO-based Gamlin Restaurant Group, which operates Sub Zero Vodka Bar, Gamlin Whiskey House and Taha'a Twisted Tiki Bar, agrees. "ere's obviously flavor crossover between rum and whiskey— especially bourbon, with those big caramel and vanilla notes." At Cuba Libre, a four-unit, Cuban-themed concept based in Philadelphia, if a customer orders a whiskey, often the bartender will offer them a taste of an aged rum for comparison. "It's easy to convert a bourbon drinker," says Bob Gallo, director of operations and a founder of Cuba Libre. "Distillers are using comparable barrels for aging, and the spirits are taking on similar characteristics." Hawker Fare, an Oakland, CA, restaurant specializing in ai street food, carries about a dozen rums for sipping neat or on the rocks. Popular sippers include Pampero Aniversario and Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, says general manager "A" Senamatmontry. SIP AND SAVOR Aged rums demand sipping and savoring, enthusiasts say. at practice is gaining some traction. At Cuba Libre, the most popular calls for sipping rums are Brugal Anejo and Flor de Caña 7-year-old. "People want to explore the sipping rums, go up the ladder a bit. For most, that means a 5- or 7-year olds; others with a fatter wallet will go up to 10- or 15-year-old rums," observes Gallo. e average rum list in Cuba Libre restaurants is about 70; the Washington, D.C., unit boasts 93 selections. Rum prices range from $8 to $91 a pour. All the high-end rums are served in snifters at Cuba Libre, and at the $50 and above level, the rums are served with great fanfare. e beverage manager pours the bottle in front of the guest and tells the romantic story of the spirit "to intoxicate them psychologically and make the guests feel good about their purchase," Gallo says. Ronería Caracas stocks more than 50 rums; a number of these are Venezuelan because the two owners are from Venezuela. But others come from all over the world, including Brooklyn. Wocher estimates rum sales are divided about 50/50 between sipping and cocktails. Served in snifters, sipping rums are priced from $10 to $14. To make its list less daunting and more approachable, each quarter Ronería Caracas spotlights four different rums under a themed category, such as "rum for whiskey lovers." e featured rums are thoroughly described on the drink menu and illuminated by two themed cocktails. Ronería Caracas also offers flights priced at $22 to $24. e 1-oz. pours each of the chosen four rums are served with varying garnishes designed to enhance the flavors. MOJITOS AND MORE "e Mojito is king at Cuba Libre," declares Gallo. A key differentiator is these drinks are made with fresh sugarcane juice extracted with a guarapo machine in-house, just like in Cuba. "It's the key ingredient in our Mojitos and other cocktails, along with squeezing cases and cases of fresh limes daily," he adds. Cuba Libre's drinks list includes 13 variations of the cocktail; the sales leader is the Classic Mojito ($9.25), made with Don Q Cristal rum, hierba buena, guarapo, fresh lime juice and a splash of soda. Other popular takes on the classic are the Coconut Mojito ($10), mixing Don Q Coco rum, Coco Lopez, hierba buena, guarapo, fresh lime juice and ginger beer; the Grilled Pineapple Mojito ($10.50), featuring grilled pineapple puree, white rum, hierba buena, guarapo, fresh lime juice and a splash of lemon- lime soda; the Mango Mojito ($10), made with Brinley's Gold Shipwrecked Mango rum, hierba buena, guarapo, lime and lemon-lime soda; and the Sandito Mojito ($9.50), with Bacardi Solera Cuba Libre 10-Year Anniversary rum, fresh watermelon juice, hierba buena, guarapo, lime and lemon-lime soda. Cuba Libre's menu also includes an array of Tropical Cocktails priced from $9.50 to $12. One of the more popular of these is "The Mojito is king at Cuba Libre," says the chain's cofounder and director of operations Bob Gallo; this Grilled Pineapple version is a popular choice. MELISSA HOM 18-21 rum CH0614.indd 19 6/3/14 9:59 PM

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