Jamaica’s Appleton Estate is among the world’s largest rum brands, with roots going back to 1825 or 1749, depending on your perspective. The history of Appleton; its parent company, J. Wray & Nephew (JWN); and JWN’s parent company, Lascelles deMercado, is an extraordinarily complex tapestry. While working on a project related to Jamaican rum, I... Continue Reading →
Rum regulations (aka GIs) are a favorite topic here on Cocktail Wonk. My ever-growing archive of GI-related stories, including the Jamaica and Martinique GIs is here, and it’s time to add to that list! While Martinique’s appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) has significant mindshare in the rhum/rhum/ron world, the rhum regulations of Guadeloupe, its sister French... Continue Reading →
Rum label transparency is of substantial interest to many enthusiasts. No, not whether you can see through the label or not. Rather, transparency in exactly how the rum was made. While the rum world has made great strides towards greater transparency recently, there’s still a great distance for brands to travel. Information disclosure is still... Continue Reading →
Mrs. Wonk and I are overwhelmed by the response to our book, Minimalist Tiki, which we released a year ago. We’ve got some exciting news to share on that front! TL;DR -- We’re bringing thirty new modern recipes to light, each a modern take on a Minimalist Tiki Classic Thirty recipes like the Mai Tai,... Continue Reading →
Over on the Facebook Rum History forum, I shared some recent discoveries about perhaps the most sought-after rum in the world: Wray & Nephew 17, made famous for its use in the 1944 Mai Tai. For all the obsession collectors and tiki historians have over it, we know shockingly little about this rum. Here’s what... Continue Reading →
For fifty years, the rums that the British Royal Navy blended for its sailors has fascinated enthusiasts and historians. Most stories about navy rum endlessly recycle prior conjecture that's both vague and not particularly accurate. Ponder this conventional wisdom about the navy’s rums: Navy rum was a blend of rums from Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and... Continue Reading →
Stories about the British Navy’s daily rum ration inevitably include imagery of sailors lined up at the grog tub, emblazoned with “God Save the Queen” - or “King”, if you go back far enough. It suggests that sailors were anxiously awaiting their mix of rum and water (“grog”), eager to consume it straightaway. However, sailors... Continue Reading →
July 31st, 1970 -- a day that lives in infamy as Black Tot day. It was on this day that British navy sailors received their final daily rum ration, something dear since its 1731 establishment. These days, every July 31st is an annual occasion for enthusiasts and marketers to tell the remarkable story of British... Continue Reading →
What follows is part two of my interview with Charles Tobias, the U.S. marine aviator, technology CEO, and globe-crossing sailor who created the Pusser’s Rum brand in 1979, based on the British Royal Navy’s rum recipe. Part One of the interview delves into Charles’ background and his approach to the British navy to get the... Continue Reading →
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