What is Rum's Place Behind the Bar? Cruzan Has Some Ideas.

We are at the dawn of a new era in cocktails. The advent of serious mixology has changed the public’s palate. Feel like a Margarita or Cosmo? That’s like going to the best burger joint in town and asking if they can do a Big Mac. Drinks are more innovative than ever, and the standard liquors behind the bar are finding their place in this new liquid order. Vodka is falling out of fashion, gin is enjoying a heyday, and tequila is on the upswing. But what about rum? It’s the fourth staple behind any respectable bar, but it’s also the one you hear the least about. A little word association proves the point: rum – mojito – sugary mess – headache – ugh.

The folks at Cruzan are trying to change all that. The makers of this St. Croix based spirit believe it should be the go-to brand for serious rum drinks. With a newly designed bottle and a rum educator roaming the country, they hope to shake up the tyranny of the Bacardi Mojito and prove Cruzan’s mettle as a serious spirit. When they’re done pouring, they trust the word association will be more along the lines of: rum – quality cocktails – yum - more please.

What better place to showcase their goals then The Gramercy Tavern? The fabled New York restaurant is adding a Cruzan cocktail to its list in a week or so. We had the pleasure of stopping by to check out the brand’s versatility and hear about its history and production. It’s made in a family operated distillery on the island and is currently the fifth largest rum brand in the U.S. Most mass produced rums start with a sickly sweet version of molasses, but Cruzan begins with high quality syrup that is mixed with tropical rainwater. In a blind tasting, we confirmed that the Cruzan’s light brand trumps Bacardi. Their special distillation process makes for a less alcoholic nose and smoother finish.

If rum is ever going to get the credit that it deserves behind the bar, then it’s going to have to get out from underneath the mojito’s shadow. Cruzan was sure to point out that rum was used in some of the world’s very first cocktails, providing a key ingredient to the punches and grogs of its day. Gramercy’s beverage director came up with three concoctions that hearken back to the spirit’s cocktail roots. There were no muddled mint leaves to be seen. The Orange Blossom was a light, pre dinner cocktail. The Cruzan Silver Greyhound is perfect to pound back at a summer picnic. The Hot Toddy sure beats chocolate cake for dessert, and not just because it saves you the calories.

What all three drinks demonstrated is what Cruzan is trying to tell the drinking masses: rum is a tasty, versatile spirit that should sit in a vaunted place behind the serious mixologist’s bar. We’ve listed the ingredients of our Gramercy drinks below the jump. These were created on the fly, so you’ll have to play around with the measurements yourself. Don’t worry about getting it wrong when you tinker. A bottle of Cruzan Light is a remarkable value, retailing for around $15 or so.

Like the good hamburger joint, once you experience quality, you’ll never be able to go back. When you reach for the bottle again to pour another round of drinks, you’ll realize their word association strategy worked. They missed one part though. It looks more like this: Yum. More Please. Now.

Cruzan Light Cocktails (thanks to The Gramercy Tavern):

Orange Blossom

Cruzan Light

White sparkling wine

St. Germain

Lemon juice

Sugar Cube

Cruzan Silver Greyhound (our favorite, pictured)

Cruzan Light

Fresh Grapefruit Juice

Grapefruit bitters

Cane Sugar

Cruzan Hot Toddy (served hot)

Cruzan Light

Orange Juice

Lemon Juice

Velvet Falernum

Cinnamon Stick

Thanks to SpiritedCocktails.com for the pic.

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