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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/524520
www.cheersonline.com 15 June 2015 • Yo, ho, ho, hmm. Rum seems perpetually on the cusp of breaking big. That piratical favorite has a lot going for it, including a wide range of styles and fl avors, a repertoire of classic cocktails, aged versions meant to be sipped, great stories for hand-selling, and a tremendous price-value. Rum also has a few challenges: Untutored customers think it's too sweet and know it as the base for fruity, frou-frou drinks. And, of course, rum is not whiskey—that current sought-after darling of the spirits scene. But that is precisely the point, say rum's proponents. You can drink a 20-year-old rum for a fraction of the cost of similarly aged brown spirits. A number of operators are highlighting rum's unique personality and carving out a prosperous niche as a destination for quality rums and exciting cocktail programs. "Rum has a bad-boy image—that old association with pirates," says Damian Windsor, general manager at the recently relaunched Power House, a popular Hollywood drinking establishment since 1947. "But it's actually a very approachable spirit." The Power House stocks just 20 rums due to a shortage of backbar space, but the wide- ranging selection includes some rare rums from Australia. "Rum is versatile, not just from a fl avor standpoint, but also from a price perspective," Windsor says. Indeed, "the great thing about rum is that it's not really that expensive, especially compared with Scotch and bourbon," points out Robert Ferrara, bar director for The Rum Line. An al fresco bar atop the Loews Miami Beach Hotel that opened this past fall, The Rum Line already boasts a selection of 136 different rums. The spirit is actually a byproduct of the sugar-making process, distilled from molasses, which partially accounts for rum's lower cost. "Aged rums are amazing values compared to whiskeys of similar maturity," Ferrara says. "There's a dramatic discount in purchasing rum across the board; the value of the product is high compared to the cost," says Andy Himmel, founder/co-CEO of Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar in Beachwood, OH. "By comparison, it must be hard to handle the inventory of a Scotch or tequila bar." Each of the upscale-casual chain's six locations offers 60 to 80 rums. Bomba Tacos & Rum, the company's recently opened, smaller and more casual concept, will focus on rum even more, says Himmel. MATURITY WINS OVER GUESTS Whiskey, of course, is hugely popular these days, both on- and off-premise. But fans say that rum can be a brown spirit, too, sharing similar characteristics that appeal to whiskey drinkers. And it is exactly those aged rums that are June 2015 • The Miami Beach-based Rum Line's cocktails include the Tug Boat (far left), with Mt. Gay black barrel, Wray & Nephew overproof rum, allspice dram, ginger, lemon and honey; and the Tye's Revenge Daiquiri, made with Don Q rum, carrot juice, lime, Maldon sea salt, black pepper and tarragon olive oil.