Komal Samaroo has played a pivotal role in the extraordinary changes in the rum industry over the fifty years he’s been a part of it, starting with Booker’s Rum Company in 1969. Today, he’s the Executive Chairman of Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL), one of the largest Caribbean rum producers, and home of El Dorado Rum.... Continue Reading →
To my great delight, interest in rum from bourbon enthusiasts has gathered steam recently. As a writer I’m keenly aware that many topics in the bourbon world are well-tread ground, while rum has far more undeveloped land, so to speak. Many of the recent stories here on Cocktail Wonk have focused on rum, but it... Continue Reading →
Without sugar cane, there is no rum. While some rums are made directly from fresh pressed sugar cane juice, the overwhelming majority of rum comes from molasses, one of the outputs of sugar cane processing. An extremely simplified description of sugar cane processing is: Input: Sugar cane stalksOutput 1: Sugar crystals – The primary output,... Continue Reading →
This is part two of a series about Demerara Distillers Ltd. In Part One I covered the history of Guyana’s rum industry, how Demerara Distillers came to be, and their operations today. Much of it is necessary background for what follows. There’s lots to cover here, so I won’t be reviewing material given in Part... Continue Reading →
In Roald Dahl’s classic book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the plot hinges upon a handful of golden tickets tucked into chocolate bars, granting undreamed-of access to a mysteriously magical candy factory. That story came to mind one day as I scanned a newly arrived email—my own golden ticket! But rather than an invitation to... Continue Reading →
In the annals of rum history, Puerto Rico often gets short shrift. While the stories of Barbados, Jamaica, and Martinique rums are well trod ground for writers, Puerto Rico’s rum story is far less known despite being today’s largest producer of Caribbean rum. One reason for the lack of attention among enthusiasts is that the... Continue Reading →
In September 2019, Demerara Distillers Ltd (aka DDL) brought me to Guyana to tour their facilities and meet key members of their staff. I came away with many things to share, which I’ll spread out over several stories. While there, I conducted several interviews. The first one was with Sharon Sue-Hang, Director of Quality Assurance... Continue Reading →
One of my favorite things about writing Cocktail Wonk is the opportunity to sit down with key people in the rum industry and go deep with geeky questions of interest to rum enthusiasts. Without any space constraints, I can let them really elucidate their unique perspectives. While these interviews are long, you really get a... Continue Reading →
It’s time once again for my year-end roundup of the most important Cocktail Wonk stories of the year - 2019 Edition! Despite my lest frequent posting in 2019, it was an extremely busy year, and my first full year focusing entirely on writing, education, and research. No pesky software job to keep me away from... Continue Reading →
Picking out a gift for a friend or family member who loves rum, but you’re not a rum expert yourself? This short guide has your dilemma in mind!In what follows, you’ll find concrete recommendations for readily available rums that have a much greater chance of delighting the giftee. I can’t promise you that every bottle... Continue Reading →
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