The ideal rum bar

12 August 2023 | Buyer's Guide
The ideal rum bar

To properly attack the new season which promises to be full of surprises, we suggest you build the ideal rum bar! Today rum allows to make cocktails, to be served as an aperitif, to be drunk as a digestive, to please the greatest number of people, to seduce the  most demanding amateurs, to sublime your pastries and more generally rum can be consumed in a multitude of circumstances, and all this without leaving your home!

Want to take a trip around the world with your rum bar?

Let's go ! Fly to South Africa first with the explosive Mhoba rums.

A detour via Mauritius and Reunion, to catch some Isautier Antoinette rum, as well as a New Grove, and you continue your journey to Asia where you will find Sampan. A tour through Polynesia to take a bottle of Manao Rangiroa, then you land in Latin America.

A Flor de Cana 130th anniversary rum for Nicaragua and you take off again before getting lost in the multiple choices. But you are caught up by the Zaccapa XO from Guatemala which must be in your suitcases.

The Spanish-speaking West Indies fill you with Ron Brugal and Eminente. You then land in Jamaica, where you pick up an essential Hampden, then in Barbados, you set your sights on Foursquare or Mount Gay rum.

A detour to Haiti to take a Clairin, then to the French West Indies, you stop for a gorgeous white Longueteau, an organic white Saint-James and you also take a Neisson profile 105, a Depaz 2002, a Damoiseau cask strength and a Bologne XO.

Do not hesitate to add an arranged rum as well as a spiced rum.

The voyage in your bar is wonderful

Want to prepare a cocktail?

We make good food with good ingredients, and we make good cocktails with good rums!

For a cocktail in which rum is the central element like the Daiquiri, we can recommend the Velier Veritas Rum. This British cocktail version rum will seduce with a very wide aromatic palette. Cuban rums are also essential in this area for their smooth and sweet notes. We think in particular of the Santiago Carta blanca or the Ron Caney.

For a long drink cocktail such as Mojito, Mai Tai, or cocktails with fruit juices, we recommend rums that are a little more present in the mouth so that they stand out better in the cocktail. Jamaican rums, white or old, such as Smith and Cross or Goslings rum from Bermuda, are best suited, and of course Dark Rum.

Alongside them, agricole rums have their place in cocktails. A Mojito with Clément Canne Bleue works perfectly.

And if you want to make a cocktail with a tonic or a ginger beer, Territory rums are made for you!

Want to prepare an aperitif?

You can make cocktails...but sometimes it's too long, especially when there are a lot of guests! To deal with this situation, rums lend themselves very well to early evening tasting. We have, for example, Plantation, Single Cask Australia Beenleigh 2009 Finish Sherry Palo Cortado, which fills the mouth with white fruit and a slight smokiness at the end. We also have Ron Brugal, from the Dominican Republic, fruity with long lasting power. The Eminente Cuban rum, in addition to a remarkable aesthetic, it will seduce you with its peppery caramel notes laid out on a fruit tapestry. In agricole rum, a small glass of HSE VSOP will bring a lot of roundness in the mouth.

And of course, there is also the ti-punch, which we talk about just below.

Fancy a ti-punch?

It is the flagship cocktail of the French West Indies, perfect for an aperitif. White agricole rum from Guadeloupe (Longueteau, Montebello, Karukera, Bologne, Bielle, Bellevue....) or Martinique (Neisson, La Mauny, Saint-James, Baie des Trésors...), with a zest of lemon and sugarcane (in grain or in syrup). Note that in Reunion, there is a similar cocktail, the Kalou. For this a double agent Isautier will work very well.

rum bar ideal
Best rum cellar

Do you want your bar to appeal to as many people as possible?

Sometimes we receive guests without necessarily knowing their tastes. But we still have the good idea to offer them a rum!

In the category of sweet rums, we suggest Plantation XO 20th anniversary, a safe bet with notes of fruit and coconut. We also direct you to the slightly sweet Santa Teresa, which has more cocoa notes. And finally, the Matusalem 23, a rum from the Dominican Republic with a taste of hazelnut, caramel and fig (yes, yes!).

In the sugar-free but round category, the Admiral Rodney range does a great job. These Saint Lucia rums are all very well balanced.

On the pure cane juice side, the finishes of HSE are very smooth and the Cheval Bondieu rum from A1710 shines with its lush notes of cocoa and mocha.

La Favorite and Bielle rums are among the fruitiest ranges in the French West Indies.

For larger budgets, we point out the rums from St Nicholas Abbey in Barbados, as well as the 1821 rums from Habitation Bellevue in Marie-Galante. These are two exceptional houses.

Do you receive demanding amateurs?

Some people around you could be rum specialists! Luckily, we have what it takes to welcome them.

On the Latin rum side, we have the 30-year-old rum, Abuelo Centuria. An incredible fruit bomb.

Rum fans will probably jump on the rums from Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad from your bar. Far from making a long inventory, we suggest for Jamaica, to fill it with a Worthy Park 12 years old, a Hampden or an Appleton Estate 2002.

For Guyana, picking from the bottler Nobilis will ensure you a good rum to taste!

Trinidad Rums delight independent bottlers who flock to it. Do not hesitate to acquire one, especially if it was distilled between 2003 and 2009. This rum will oscillate between notes of charcoal and black fruits. Don't forget to have a Caroni in your bar, either!

The agricole rums will offer you the vintages of La Favorite, Saint-James Essentiel, Longueteau Opéra, Trois-Rivières very old rums, or Bielle cask strength.

Want to cook?

You can also look in your rum bar for this and you will find Worthy Park 109 for its fruitcake notes, as well as Very Old Dillon rum for its woody and nutty notes.

Looking to shine on a budget?

Because even with a small budget, you can impress the people you receive at home, or just have fun chilling at home sitting on your sofa.

For this, there is the Barcelo Imperial rare blend Porto Cask. Inexpensive and very tasty.

We also suggest aged Grogue from Musica and Grogue. They are fresh and fruity.

In a different style, white rum from Rosemont, a Canadian producer (Oh Canada...) can pleasantly surprise.

Want to go to a concert?

Sometimes before going to a concert, we can meet with friends at home. Depending on the style of concert, there must be at home: Guyana or Bayou for jazz or blues, Hampden for reggae, Dead Reckoning for Hard Rock or Metal, Favorite or aged Bielle for French variety, Elixir de Clément for classical music, Abuelo XV ans for reggaeton, Eminente or Matusalem for salsa, Longueteau Opéra for an opera (of course).

Fancy a romantic evening?

We should have started there. It's simple, you need the Plantation Barbados, 2011, Maury cask finish. It's demanding and suave, generous and fine, it's perfect for a romantic evening!

Written with passion by

Matthieu Lange
Matthieu Lange
Spirits Advisor