Plantation has long been known for their uncanny ability to source incredible rums, releasing them in both blends or single varietals for aficionado and layman alike. In 2018 we are fortunate to get a new addition to their permanent line up with the Xaymaca (pronounced zay-muck-uh) Special Dry release.
Since attending a Viking themed Tiki party and having some friends visit Sweden and Norway I’ve become enthralled with my ties to the region and baffled by how little of its culinary wonder has penetrated the American landscape.
Two of my Great-Grandparents immigrated to America from Norway and Sweden. I can still remember my Great-Grandfather singing the Swedish National Anthem at his 100th birthday.
But besides great genetics I don’t see a lot of other imports from the Northern European countries especially in the cocktail scene. Which is a shame because there are so many fun flavors to play with.
Included in the International Bartenders Association list of contemporary cocktails is the Kir, a simple two ingredient drink perfect for the next Summer heat wave.
The recipe is simple, 9 parts dry white wine to 1 part Crème de Cassis (blackcurrant liqueur). The traditional wine used is called Aligoté, a very dry white wine. But most home bartenders reach for any white wine for their Kir but choosing a sweeter, fruity wine won’t provide the necessary dry/sweet balance when paired with the Cassis.
Locked in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault are copies of nearly every known plant seed on earth. If anything were to happen where we would run out or lose a certain crop or plant, the Seed Vault has a back up.
I think it’s high time they added a bottle of Mount Gay rum to the vault for safekeeping. That way if we ever run out of rum (oh please tell me that can never happen) we can always reach for a copy of the original.
