Lesson 1: Spirits
Rum, Tequila, & Mezcal
Rum:
For a history buff, rum is a great subject. Rum is a spirit made either directly from sugar cane juice or, more commonly, from molasses (the sugar cane residue remaining after crystallized sugar is extracted). The drink originated in the West Indies; making molasses into rum preserved it during sea voyages. The British Navy adopted rum as a favorite drink when the Navy began visiting the Caribbean to stop pirating. Equal amounts of rum and water were combined to make “grog,” a mixture rationed out daily to British sailors.
Rum was also the most popular liquor in colonial America. It was one of the three elements of the “slavery triangle” which was a major economic engine in colonial America. Molasses was sent to New England to make rum, rum was sent to West Africa to trade for slaves, and the slaves were sent to the sugar plantations in the Caribbean to grow the sugar cane from which came the molasses.
During the 19th century, whiskey replaced rum as the favored drink in the U.S. The last rum distillery in New England closed in 1920 with prohibition. However, later in the 20th century, rum’s popularity resurged as cruise ships and the construction of air-conditioned hotels and resorts increased tourism to sugar cane growing countries.
Rum comes in a wide variety of styles, color, and even flavor. Rum is distilled as a clear, colorless liquid; it is the barrel aging and/or added caramel which gives final body and color. Rum can be aged anywhere can be from six months to 20 years. Proofs are from 70 to 150%.
There are four broad categories of rum:
1. Light bodied, also called white or silver. These rums are smooth, with subtle flavor and aroma, and are good for mixing with fruits and other flavors.
2. Medium bodied, also called amber or gold. Color is derived from being aged in oak casks for several years.
3. Full-bodied, also called dark which is largely due to added caramel along with extensive barrel aging. Some of these are meant to be consumed like single malt Scotch whiskeys and cognac, i.e. straight and leisurely sipped.
4. Aromatic, also called spiced, are any of the above categories infused with such spices and herbs as pepper, rosemary, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves or fruit flavors.
You can also find rums that are called Añejo, which means “aged.” These are dark rums, which are blended to insure a consistent flavor from bottle to bottle.
Rum is produced throughout the Caribbean, with each island group producing a distinctive style. Guyana is famous for its Demerara rum which is rich and heavy. Jamaica rum is noted for its richness. Puerto Rican rum is light and dry. Haitian rum is characterized by its full flavor and exceptional smoothness. Asian countries, especially Australia, Tahiti, the Philippines, and Thailand also produce rum. One interesting geographical rum comes from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, where they import and age various rums to produce a strong mixture called Screech.
As with vodkas, there seem to be an infinite number of boutique rums and, more recently, flavored rums. Bacardi, the biggest producer, produces two “sipping” rums, i.e. 8 and Solera, a high proof rum called 151 (151 proof), as well as rums with orange, coconut, vanilla, raspberry, and fruit flavors. Cruzan, a much smaller producer from the island of the same name, also produces several varieties and flavors, including a rum cream. Other widely attainable rums include Myer’s (a dark, Jamaican rum), Captain Morgan’s (several spiced variations), Mount Gay Eclipse (a Barbados based light rum), and Gosling’s Black Seal (a dark, Bermuda rum).
Tequila and Mezcal:
All Tequila is Mezcal, but not all Mezcal is Tequila. Both these spirits are made in Mexico by distilling the fermented juice of a plant called agave (which is not a cactus). If the plant used is the blue agave and produced in a certain designated area around the town of Tequila, then the beverage can be called Tequila. Both tequila and mescal have caramel added for coloring; higher quality brands are aged as well. Sometimes other flavors (sherry, prune, coconut) are added just to smooth out the liquor, not really to flavor it.
There are a few erroneous legends about tequila that should be debunked. It is in Mezcal, not tequila that a worm can sometimes be found in the bottom of the bottle, although actually it’s a moth larva. This is lower quality mescal and is put there as evidence of the high alcoholic content in the bottle – proven as long as the worm can stay pickled. A second misconception is that tequila contains mescaline, a psychedelic drug. It doesn’t.
Like rum, tequila has a fascinating history. Spirits made from the agave plant were first distilled by the Aztecs, probably at least 2,000 years ago. Originally, it had a low alcoholic content which the Spanish increased when they took over production. In 1805, Jose Cuervo became the first licensed distillery to make the drink, using the blue agave plant.
The best tequila is made entirely with agave juice mixed with some water; on the label it will say 100% agave. Lesser quality tequilas are “mixto” or mixed, i.e. some 40% of the alcohol can be derived from other plants, usually cane sugar.
Both agave and mixto tequilas come in four categories:
1. Silver or Blanco tequila is unaged and hasn’t been colored or flavored. It is used for mixing.
2. Gold, Extra or Joven is unaged tequila which has caramel added. It is usually a mixto.
3. Reposado or Rested is aged for at least 2 months, but more commonly 9 months.
4. Añejo or Aged tequila is aged in white oak casks at least 12 month up to 4 years. Some of this tequila is now being marketed as single-barreled, and is designed to compete with single malt whiskey as a premium sipping drink.
There are numerous tequila distilleries. Jose Cuervo remains the largest and best known. Their Jose Cuervo Especial, a Reposado mixto, is the best selling tequila in the world. Cuervo also produces two añejo 100% agave tequilas, the traditional and riserva. Their Clasico is a silver line. They also bottle premade margaritas. Cuervo also owns 50% of one of the super premium brands, Don Julio.
Other available lines include one, Herradura, which was introduced into the U.S. by the actors Bing Crosby and Phil Harris in the 1940’s. Casa Noble and Patron each make only 100% agave tequilas, but in three different categories: silver, reposado, and añejo. El Tesoro de Don Felipe usually ranks highly in taste testings.
I know the crucial question is which tequila does Jimmy Buffett prefer down in Margaritaville? Yes, he does make and sell his own tequila, a mixto that comes in both silver and gold. At his web site, Margaritaville you can take your own tequila personality quiz.
