Wherever Tiki geeks collect, one query invariably arises, “I’m new to Tiki; what rums ought to I begin with?” It’s comprehensible as a result of the sheer amount of various rums known as for in recipes can simply overwhelm the newcomer.
A while in the past, I took a stab at answering the query for recipes originating in tiki’s golden period.” My article, The Six Important Tiki Rum Classes, is excerpted from the statistics-based method I adopted when writing the Minimalist Tiki e book. (Golden period refers back to the mid-20th century when Don the Beachcomber and Dealer Vic loomed giant.) Nonetheless, occasions and rum manufacturers change. At present’s tiki hotshots use rums that weren’t accessible many years in the past. Thus, it’s price periodically revisiting the query to account for present manufacturers and recipes.
What follows are 9 rum kinds price proudly owning if making a large spectrum of Tiki/tropical drinks is your mission. You may make virtually any tiki recipe with affordable constancy in case you have at the least one bottle from every model.
I devised the 9 kinds by extensively reviewing a whole bunch of recipes from 1934 to the current, together with these in immediately’s widespread recipe books. I then positioned the 9 kinds into two teams: Fundamentals and Past the Fundamentals. I recommend beginning with the six Fundamentals kinds and increasing into the Past the Fundamentals kinds afterward.
I present quite a few examples for every model to assist make the standards clear. Whereas the rums inside a mode will definitely have taste variations, the tip outcome can be shut sufficient for many palates as soon as they’re intermingled with the opposite daring flavors in tiki recipes.
The choices are biased in the direction of manufacturers and expressions that ought to be fairly accessible in main markets, together with the US, the UK, and the EU. The expressions listed are additionally biased towards rums which might be totally as much as the duty whereas fairly economical. Appleton Signature and Appleton 21 Yr are each aged Jamaican rums, however the 21 prices a number of occasions greater than the Signature. The refined nuances revealed whereas having fun with Appleton 21 in a snifter can get misplaced within the cacophony of lime juice, orgeat, and passionfruit. Likewise, El Dorado 5 Yr and 15 Yr are each aged Demerara rums, however the 5 Yr will get the job completed and is extra budget-friendly. If you wish to make a “Millionaire Mai Tai” utilizing Appleton Legend, go for it! Simply perceive that my ideas are rums you may discover commonly utilized in a craft tiki bar’s nicely.
The set of rums listed for a mode isn’t all-inclusive. Nor will each rum below the solar fall into one in every of these classes—that is anticipated. The main focus is simply the rums that may discover essentially the most frequent use in tiki recipes.
The kinds introduced right here aren’t rigorously outlined by technical manufacturing standards just like the Smuggler’s Cove classification makes use of, e.g., pot nonetheless, column nonetheless, blended, and so on. As an alternative, the kinds beneath derive from the flavour profiles most frequently utilized in tiki recipes, no matter how they had been distilled and blended. Readers of Minimalist Tiki will be aware that the Fundamentals kinds largely map to the e book’s kinds, whereas the Past the Fundamentals kinds got here into use within the fashionable Tiki period.
Concerning model names: The model names are chosen to convey what differentiates every model from the others. They’re not quick and catchy like “white rum” or “Black Jamaican rum,” however it’s well worth the effort to really perceive what the model encompasses relatively than falling again on worn-out tropes like white, gold, darkish, and overproof.
Tiki Rum Fundamentals
These six rum kinds get you began making golden-era recipes just like the Mai Tai, Zombie, Navy Grog, and Three Dots and a Sprint.
Be aware 1: throughout the golden period, “Martinique rum” was not rhum agricole, i.e., cane juice rum. As an alternative, the Martinique rum accessible to bartenders was molasses-based and described by Dealer Vic as near Jamaican rum in taste. Thus, rhum agricole isn’t among the many Fundamentals kinds beneath. When an previous recipe requires a Martinique rum, you’ll be able to fairly substitute a moderately-aged Jamaican rum.
Be aware 2: Many fashionable recipes name for “151 rum” with out further {qualifications}. It is a horrible concept. Nonetheless, Demerara rums at 151 proof are distinct sufficient and known as for sometimes sufficient to be their very own model.
The six Primary kinds comprise:
- Jamaican – Reasonably aged
- Jamaican – Caramel ahead
- Frivolously Aged and Filtered
- Reasonably aged
- Demerara – Reasonably Aged
- Demerara – 151 proof, flippantly aged
Jamaican Rum – Reasonably aged
Rums of this model have a average quantity of the “funk” or “hogo” that Jamaican rum is known for. They aren’t high-ester taste bombs like Hampden Property DOK.
The goal ABV for rums on this model is between 40% and 46% ABV.
Showcase cocktail: Traditional 1944 Mai Tai
Major Examples
- Appleton Signature / Appleton 8 12 months
- J. Wray / Kingston 62 Gold
- Plantation Xaymaca
- Monymusk Traditional Gold
- Rum-Bar Gold
Smith & Cross is conceptually inside this model. Nonetheless, due to its increased power (57% ABV), you must alter how a lot you employ except the recipe particularly requires Smith & Cross or one other high-strength aged Jamaican rum.
Jamaican Rum – Caramel ahead (“darkish”)
This model is expounded to the reasonably aged Jamaican model above however with a key distinction. Rums on this model use sufficient caramel coloring to affect the flavour considerably and switch the rum darkish. These rums are sometimes called “darkish Jamaican rum” or “black Jamaican rum” and are sometimes discovered floating atop a less-than-authentic “Mai Tai.”
Defining Jamaican caramel ahead rums as a distinct model could elevate questions in some quarters. Previously, Jamaican rum makers had been typically a bit heavy handed with their house-made caramel coloring, and the affect on taste was noticeable. Lately, most coloring makes use of a distinct kind of caramel that’s utilized in lesser quantities and doesn’t change the flavour as a lot. My take is that there’s room for old-school, caramel-heavy Jamaican rum and fashionable Jamaicans like Appleton Signature and Plantation Xaymaca.
Showcase cocktail: Hurricane
Major Examples
- Coruba Darkish
- Myers’s Authentic Darkish
- Worthy Park 109 (however alter for power)
- Hamilton Jamaican Black (unaged)
Frivolously Aged and Filtered
These rums signify what “white rum” meant many years in the past earlier than cane juice rums and blended multi-style blends got here on the scene. At present, “white rum” isn’t a superb description for any previous rum that occurs to be clear.
All rums on this model are aged, even when just for a 12 months. After getting older, they go by way of carbon filters that take away the colour whereas retaining most aging-induced flavors. Many articles mistakenly discuss with this model as unaged rum.
Frivolously aged and filtered rums are a signature model of Spanish-heritage rum makers and are the right model for making a basic daiquiri or mojito. Nonetheless, rum makers outdoors Spanish-heritage nations additionally make wonderful rums on this model. Assume Trinidad, Barbados, and Guyana.
The goal ABV for rums on this model is between 40% and 46% ABV.
Showcase cocktail: Traditional Daiquiri
Major Examples
- Bacardi Superior
- Havana Membership 3
- Diplomatico Planas
- Don Q Cristal
- Flor de Caña 4 Additional Seco
- Selvarey White
- El Dorado 3 Yr
- Diamond Reserve White
- Doorly’s White
- Angostura White Oak
- Bounty White
- Chairman’s Reserve Silver
- Cruzan Property Diamond Mild
- Captain Morgan White
Reasonably Aged
Some rum kinds carry daring and distinctive flavors that stand out in a recipe. Different kinds present the rhythm observe beneath, current, however not essentially taking the lead function. The reasonably aged model is the latter.
Rum of this model have sufficient getting older to be mellowed however aren’t as refined as their longer-aged siblings. The flavour of those rums derives extra from getting older than from unique fermentations. I name these rums getting older ahead. Image vanilla and oak relatively than overripe banana and grassy flavors.
Reasonably aged rums of this model are usually partially or totally column distilled. This doesn’t imply that the uncooked distillate is flavorless, nonetheless. Many producers mix a flavorful medium-bodied column distillate (“aguardiente”) with lighter rums.
The goal ABV for rums on this model is between 40% and 46% ABV.
Major Examples
- Bacardi Gold / Cuatro (4 12 months)
- Don Q Gold / Reserva 7 Yr
- Havana Membership Especial / 7 Yr
- Cruzan Aged Darkish
- Tanduay Gold
- Brugal Añejo
- Flor de Caña 4 Añejo Oro
- Angostura 5 Yr
- Doorly’s 5 Yr
- Mount Homosexual Eclipse / Black Barrel
- Bounty Premium Darkish
Demerara Rum – Reasonably aged
Rums from Guyana, aka “Demerara rums,” are well-known for his or her signature taste profile. These flavors derive from a number of elements, together with using wood pot stills, which make an uncommon and simply identifiable distillate. The mineral content material of Guyana’s groundwater and the nation’s longtime use of caramel coloring additionally contribute to Demerara rum’s distinctive taste. Many golden period recipes particularly name for Demerara rum due to these flavors.
The goal ABV for rums on this model is between 40% and 46% ABV.
Major Examples
- El Dorado 5 Yr
- Diamond Reserve Darkish
- Lemon Hart 1804
- Hamilton Guyana (86 proof)
- Pusser’s (Blue Label)
- Skipper Outdated Demerara
Demerara Rum – 151 Proof, flippantly aged
This model is expounded to the reasonably aged Demerara model above, however with two essential distinctions past simply alcoholic power. First, the 151 Demeraras are rougher across the edges as a result of they’ve not aged as lengthy. Secondly, they have a tendency to have extra caramel coloring flavors and a darker colour due to, nicely… extra caramel coloring!
The goal ABV for rums on this model is 75.5% ABV. See right here for why this specific power was chosen.
Showcase cocktail: 151 Swizzle
Major Examples
- Lemon Hart 151
- Diamond Reserve Demerara 151 (not the “white” overproof)
- Hamilton Guyana 151
- Pusser’s Choose Aged 151
Past the Fundamentals
When you can go far with the rums within the Fundamentals kinds above, you’ll inevitably need to add extra to your portfolio. These Past the Fundamentals rums primarily discover use in tiki revival period recipes. The Past the Fundamentals kinds comprise:
- Jamaican Rum – Overproof, unaged
- Cane Juice Rum – Unaged
- Blended Multi-Area Rum – Clear
Jamaican – Overproof unaged
Jamaican overproof rum is sort of totally different than the 2 Jamaican kinds within the Fundamentals set. They’re fermented to include excessive quantities of esters/funk, are devoid of any getting older refinements, and are bottled at 63% to 65% ABV. Jamaican overproofs are as refined as an air-raid siren, so many recipes name for under a half-ounce or much less. They weren’t accessible to Vic and Don throughout the golden period however have discovered immense reputation with immediately’s tiki practitioners.
Showcase cocktail: Jasper’s Punch
Major Examples
- Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum
- Rum Hearth
- Rum-Bar White Overproof Rum
- Monymusk Overproof White Overproof Rum
Cane Juice Rum (“Agricole”) – Unaged
Simply as Jamaican rums are immediately recognizable from their fermentation flavors, so are cane juice rums, though a really totally different taste typically described as “grassy.” The rhum agricoles of Martinique and Guadeloupe are flagship examples of this model. Nonetheless, cane juice rum from different areas has turn out to be extra frequent previously 5 years.
Cachaça, Brazil’s nationwide spirit, can be constituted of cane juice. Whereas I received’t say that rhum agricole and cachaça are indistinguishable, the excellence could matter much less within the tide of tart citrus, fruit syrups and spices. Don’t hesitate to get each, nonetheless!
Be aware: This model is explicitly unaged rums. Whereas aged rhum agricole and cachaça work nicely in cocktails, most tiki recipes name for his or her unaged variants. However must you encounter a recipe calling for an aged cane juice spirit, bounce in with each ft!
Major Examples
- Martinique/Guadeloupe unaged (“blanc”) rhum agricole, e.g., Saint-James, Clement, J.M, Damoiseau, and so on.
- Unaged cachaca, e.g., Avua Prata, Novo Fogo Silver, and so on.
- Copalli White
Showcase cocktail: Ti Punch
Blended Multi-Area Rum – Clear
This model consists of blends of a number of rums with totally different taste profiles. Some could also be aged, others unaged. It truly is an “something goes if it tastes good” class.
A trademark of blended multi-region rums is the inclusion of Jamaica rum so as to add a little bit of hogo with out overwhelming the opposite rums. These rums are comparatively new to the rum scene, with the earliest widespread examples being Banks 5 Island (2010) and Plantation 3 Stars (2012).
Blended multi-region rums usually discover use in daiquiris and their many variations. Many individuals deal with this model and Frivolously Aged and Filtered as the identical factor, e.g., “white rum.” They’re distinct kinds, nonetheless! Style them side-by-side in the event you’re not satisfied.
Blended multi-region rums are available each clear and gold incarnations, the latter normally having aged longer. Nonetheless, I’ve restricted the choice to clear blended rums for this model checklist.
Showcase cocktail: Daiquiri — as a substitute for the Traditional daiquiri utilizing flippantly aged and filtered rum.
Major Examples
- Banks 5 Island
- Plantation 3 Stars
- Denizen Aged White
- Probita/Veritas
- Ten To One White
- Tiki Lovers White
Bonus Rums
Whereas the 9 kinds above are model agnostic, two rums are used repeatedly in dozens of widespread Tiki recipes. Since neither match inside the kinds above, I’ve included them as bonus rums to think about.
Plantation Stiggins’ Fancy
Whereas pineapple-flavored rum has been round for hundreds of years, Plantation’s Stiggins Fancy has a selected taste profile that bartenders embrace.
Showcase cocktails: Stiggins’ Daiquiri or The Reverend’s Tai
Plantation O.F.T.D. Overproof Rum
A collaboration between Plantation’s Alexandre Gabriel and a bunch of high-profile bartenders and writers to make the “final overproof” rum for a variety of tiki recipes. The mix consists of Jamaican, Guyanese, and Barbados rums bottled at 69% ABV. It’s steadily used instead of Demerara 151 rums when the latter isn’t accessible.
Showcase cocktail: O.F.T.D. Swizzle — a 151 Swizzle, substituting O.F.T.D. for the Demerara 151 rum.
Last Phrases
Each devoted Tiki-loving bartender is aware of that rum is a journey, not a vacation spot. The kinds introduced listed here are what I’d begin with if I solely had room for 9 (or eleven) bottles. Whereas they don’t cowl each scenario, they are going to get you nicely underway in making Tiki drinks with out shopping for dozens of rums. And in the event you’re like many people tiki-heads, you’ll find yourself with a whole bunch of bottles inside a number of years. Simply don’t say I didn’t warn you!