Today on the show my friend Bryan Dias of the NOLADrinks Show stops by to talk about that most Caribbean of spirits: Rum. It would be easy to get lost in a deep dive on this subject, so instead we settle for a snorkel around the reef of rum history, varieties, cocktails and kitchen uses. So pull up a stool, pour a tot of your favorite killdevil, and listen on as we explore the wide world of rum.
Mentioned in this Episode
Find Bryan Dias and his excellent NOLADrinks Show at his website and of course wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Perhaps at the Nitty Grits Podcasts at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum?
August 16th is National Rum Day. I have no idea who is the genius behind the day, but I’m here for it. Oh, they do have a website.
Coincidentally, Bryan and I both had rum epiphanies while in Guatemala. Bryan’s was Ron Botran and mine was Ron Zacapa.There were a few books mentioned in this episode:
There were a few books mentioned in this episode:
- “The History of Rum” presented by John Donoghue – this is an Audible exclusive in partnership with The Great Courses. John’s focus is heavily on the socio-economic/human aspects of rum. If you are looking for information the impact of rum on the Atlantic slave trade this would be an excellent place to start. This is in audio format only.
- “And A Bottle of Rum” by Wayne Curtis is also an interesting book on the early history of rum, particularly with the connection to Colonial America. Unfortunately the connection to slavery feels somewhat overlooked here. Available in both paperback and audio.
- Jeff Berry’s “Potions of the Caribbean” is an essential book for anyone looking for vintage Caribbean rum cocktail recipes. This one is very highly recommended by Bryan.
- I mentioned “The Flavor Bible” by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg Not strictly rum-related, but an excellent resource for home cooks who want to experiment or improvise with flavors.
There are some great resources online for cooking with rum. Here are a few to get you going:
Liquor.com has a guide to cooking with rum. Delish has a roundup of recipes that use rum. So does Taste of Home. The Spruce Eats has a great article that works as a starting point.
Want to make your own vanilla extract? How about your own Allspice Dram?
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