Being in Barbados is pretty fabulous. Being in Barbados, being taught about the rich history of its rum is even better. Judging a Rum Cocktail Competition in Barbados? Well, that’s the cherry on top (or some other fruity garnish). Yvette Cardozo got to do it all, and even got to sip the rewards of her education. Don’t miss the rum cocktail recipe, below.

Yes, this was a rum cocktail competition in Barbados. But it was also a history lesson about rum and the West Indies.

Mount Gay Rum Distillery claims to be the oldest rum distillery in the world. But it didn’t start out making rum. Actually, what islanders back in the 1600s focused on was sugarcane and there was this “useless” molasses gunk as a byproduct, which they threw into the ocean. That was, until they discovered the gunk could be distilled into an alcoholic drink. But it was harsh and truly awful. So awful, it was called Kill-Devil.     

So why, someone recently asked, did so many of those early ships carry rum in their holds? Well… At first it simply was ballast and something to take back home to England. But amazingly, by the time the raw, fiery drink arrived, it had mellowed into something darker, richer – something actually drinkable. It was John Gay who figured out that it was the journey in barrels, itself, that “matured” the drink.

Our tour was to Mount Gay Distillery in Bridgetown, Barbados, standing pretty much where it has since 1703. The experience included the history lesson and also a tasting. And all of this was capped by The Competition. But to that a bit later.

Today, Barbados is rum and rum is Barbados (with apologies to Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, the Philippines…). But it is true that rum shops are the hub of every Barbados community, where folks gather to talk politics, family, and news of the day.

Someone estimated there are 1800 rum shops on this 21 by 14 mile island of 286,000 people. Some are even on the grounds of churches. “Bajan language,” said our guide, Tina Forde, shortens the words, it’s faster but also musical, with a lilt. Saturday becomes “Satduh” “And by the time you have the rum,” she added, laughing, “you will understand them.”

As for Mount Gay’s rum, it is made with “coral filtered” water and, of course, molasses.  It’s aged in toasted oak former whiskey barrels. And the company sells five versions, ranging from the least expensive, a clear liquid called “Silver” up to “1703,” the top line, small batch (only 12,000 bottles in 2017) stuff that goes for $195 each.

So we tasted all of them. Ok, not the rarefied 1703, but the other four:

Silver is clear with a taste that is sharp and raw. It reminded me (more apologies to both sides) of “refined” moonshine I tasted at a legal distillery in the southern hills of Ohio.

Eclipse is a light amber and has been aged two to seven years. It’s much smoother, with a distinct banana taste that is a surprise but good. It rolls across the top of your tongue.

Mauby was smoother, heavier, more textured with an almost spicy taste. It’s made with flavor from the bark of the tropical mauby tree and isn’t exported, so you can only get it here.

Black Barrel is aged twice and is a step smoother, richer, and more complex with a slow burn and almost a bit of burnt sugar taste. This is the version most recommended for cocktails.

XO (Extra Old), aged eight to 15 years and, yes, is another notch up the smoothness scale. It really does roll off your tongue. It’s dark, rich, almost syrupy with hints of many spices and citrus. It actually clung to the sides of my glass. Mount Gay calls it a sipping rum. Yes, I would happily sip this.

As for 1703, Mount Gay’s top rum, it’s a really pretty bottle and the distillery says each is selected, bottled and labeled by hand. I really didn’t expect to get a taste.

One more stop on our tour. We watched one of their bartenders demonstrate how to not slice off our fingers with the knives, how to muddle greens for, say, a mojito, proper shaking technique and of course, the art of the gentle pour.

Finally, it was time for the grand rum cocktail competition. On a back shelf, there was an array of rums, liquors, fruits, vegetables, spices, and more. The group was divided into teams of four and at “go” we all ran for the goodies.

Think of this as Master Chef team challenge chaos – flying fingers, not to mention very sharp knives. Everyone was muddling, slicing, shaking, pouring. Swigging. One of our team, with a “real” camera muttered TGAF. Thank God for Auto Focus. That’s what we wound up naming both our team and the drink.

We concocted a ginger/lime based drink. It had freshly shaved ginger, lime, crushed pepper seeds for a kick and a splash of bitters along with the Black Barrel rum. “Um, it needs something else,” someone said. More lime maybe? No, more alcohol. Lots more alcohol. And then it was a truly nice drink, one where, to us, the rum and the rest were equal partners so no one thing was overwhelmed. Honestly, I would drink this at a bar with friends.

If this all sounds a bit pro for a bunch of amateurs who probably couldn’t shake a drink without disaster, well, that was only three of our four. We DID have a ringer in the form of our friend Peter, who in a former life was food and beverage manager for Holiday Inn. But, alas, we didn’t win. In fact, of the five tables we came in third. SIGH. One friend from another team later said she downgraded ours because it had too much ginger taste. Well, Team TGAF didn’t think so. But after all that tasting and sipping and swigging, who really cared. If nothing else, the four of us have a new drink to make at home. And everyone got a small gift bottle of rum. Though, the winners’ bottles were larger.

If you go:

Mount Gay Rum (https://www.mountgayrum.com/) has a number of tours and experiences including various rum tastings with and without lunch and the Cocktail Workshop, which includes the rum cocktail competition. That one is $70 US and includes transportation from your hotel.

— Story and photos by Yvette Cardozo

BERRY WHITE

Courtesy Mount Gay Rum and Alex Carregal of Stephi’s in Southie, Boston

Ingredients:

    1.5 oz. Mount Gay® Black Barrel Rum

    1 oz. Coconut Milk

    .75 oz. Lime Juice Citrus

    .5 oz. Crème de Cassis

How to Craft:

    Combine rum, coconut milk, and citrus in a shaker.

    Shake ingredients.

    Strain onto ice in snifter glass.

Sink Crème de Cassis throughout cocktail.

Hungry for more? Read about George Washington’s history with rum in Barbados here. Imagine this Rum Appreciation Dinner on the island of Nevis, here.