Purple Yams, Pralines And Good Times: 2 Unique Spiced Rums Crafted In Manchester

Saint Lucia rum brand Chairman’s Reserve have recently launched a competition called the Spiced Lab, a contest that invites bartenders from all over the world to craft their own spiced rum and the winner will go on to have a free trip to the distillery and have their rum produced and sold across the globe. 

It’s an exciting time for the spiced rum category and it just so happens that two bartenders from my home city of Manchester have reached the crucial ‘sampling’ phase of the competition. Karl Stanley and Kyra Elton who work at the Science + Industry Bar have created some truly stunning drinks, so naturally I had to get on down to the bar to try them for myself.

Continue reading “Purple Yams, Pralines And Good Times: 2 Unique Spiced Rums Crafted In Manchester”

Ballad Of A Rummy

Went on down to New Orleans

Where good times roll in fever dreams

I was a broke-ass musician with barely a penny to my name

Hopped up on grit and a hunger for fame

Blues was my calling card and rum was my fuel

I played that saxophone so loud I must’ve looked like a fool

Jamming till the early hours on Bourbon Street

I was going to bring the whole world at my feet

Started dabbling in voudou and hanging out with the dead

They were happy to listen and didn’t care what was said

Got it in my head to work some magic

I’d be damned if my jazz career was going to be tragic

So, I summoned The Baron in a graveyard at night

With rum and tobacco in the pale moonlight

In a top hat and tuxedo he came a-running

A bone-white face with eyes of cunning 

He sucked on a cigar and asked if I was afraid

I replied that I’d done scarier things trying to get laid

He laughed at that and knocked back his booze

While I blew on my sax with nothing to lose

I conjured hurricanes and storms that shook the ground

The Baron kept drinking and didn’t make a sound

When I’d finished my set he raised his cup

“Kid, stop trying so hard, you need to chin up

Jazz is that wild bar chick that can’t be tamed

But of course you go after her without any shame

It’s a paradox, a gas, a wonderful con

Keep hold of the spark or it’ll soon be gone.”

The Baron downed his rum and I did the same

Knowing life is simply a rigged game

4 Intriguing Rums That Have Been Inspired By Folklore

Rum plays an important role in the folklore of many different cultures, ranging from Caribbean destinations like Jamaica, to the American deep south. So, it should come as no surprise that there are rum brands that have been inspired by folklore and weaved it into the story of their bottles. Here are four of the most intriguing rums that are steeped in myth and monsters.

Continue reading “4 Intriguing Rums That Have Been Inspired By Folklore”

Keeping The Wolf From The Door: Loup-Garou And Rum

In Louisiana, there are stories about a mysterious wolf-like creature known as the loup-garou. The tales are as diverse as the name, with variations including lougaroux, rugaru, roux-ga-roux and rougarou. But no matter how the name is spelled, the image of a creature stalking the Louisiana swamps has persisted for centuries.

So, what is the truth behind the loup-garou and how is the creature connected to rum?

Continue reading “Keeping The Wolf From The Door: Loup-Garou And Rum”