www.cheersonline.com
14
• June 2016
14
• June 2016 June 2016
www.cheersonline.com www.cheersonline.com
June 2016
www.cheersonline.com
"THERE IS A RUM FOR EVERYBODY,"
says Justin Roberts, bar manager at La Descarga in
Los Angeles. "We have rums that translate well for
whiskey drinkers, rums that translate well for vodka
drinkers—and everybody in between."
The Cuban-themed speakeasy, part of the
Houston Hospitality group, boasts more than 120
rums from around the world. Roberts and his team
strive to create rum converts by offering tastes to
the undecided. Says the bar manager, "99% of the
time they say, 'Wow.' They have a revelation. That's
fun to witness."
Rum's wide range of expressions and fl avors make
it fl exible, and it's that adaptability that is helping the
spirit carve out a place on the modern backbar.
One operator is so convinced that rum is all you
need that rum is all he offers. "We have a different
perspective than other places with rum in their
name; rum is exclusively what we do, it is the only
spirit we offer," says Dwayne Allen, co-owner of
The Breadfruit & Rum Bar in Phoenix.
When the Caribbean-style restaurant fi rst
opened in 2008, only about 30 varieties of rum were
available in the state, The bar's curated collection
now includes over 150 examples. Every bottle is on
display along a "wall of rum" and listed in the Rum
Manifest. The manifesto includes The Breadfruit's
cuisine, too, with signature dishes like Appleton
Rum Sea Scallops and Rum-Glazed Prawns.
> > > >
Operators are raising rum's profi le with sophisticated cocktails,
eye-catching presentations and top-shelf expressions
