Martinique’s appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) is perhaps the best-known regulation in the rum world of rum. Less known is that Guadeloupe, its sister French overseas department also has its own regulations, in the form of a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), which I translated into English and summarized here. If that weren’t obscure enough for French West Indies... Continue Reading →
The Cocktail Wonk Top Ten Stories of 2017
As 2017 draws nigh, it’s time for the traditional year end wrap-up, summarizing the highlights of what appeared here over the last 12 months. Some of what follows could be called self-indulgent navel-gazing; reflections on how my writing has evolved. But I contend there’s also value to you, the reader – it provides a broader... Continue Reading →
The French Connection – A Cheat Sheet for French Caribbean Rhums and the AOC
In early 2017, I visited the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe with Spiribam’s Benjamin Jones to tour the distilleries whose products are imported to the U.S. by his company. As a prelude to my individual distillery write-ups, this post introduces the key concepts of French agricole rhum. I’ll build from these topics in the individual... Continue Reading →