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Four Rums (more or less)

Chicago Jake

Chicago Jake

Well-known member
As I read through drink recipes that I am dying to try, I can't help but notice (as I'm sure you have as well) that every drink lists a very specific rum (or five!) to use. I understand that there are many categories of rum, and many rums in each category. But certainly there must be a decent short list of just a few rums that will enable you to make a reasonable facsimile of many popular drinks.

Have any of you found that you can make decent versions of most of the drinks you are interested in with just a small starter kit of rums? I'm thinking four would be a good start, but if you have found that six or eight or some other (reasonable) number works well, that's fine too. I just want to start stocking the bar without breaking the bank. I promise I will expand with time! Thanks.....
 
For parties, I usually just have three rums under the bar: Plantation 3 Stars, Plantation Original Dark, and Appleton 12.

I'm no tiki cocktail snob or connoisseur so really just the two bottles of Plantation may be all you need to keep it really simple. Would be interested in what others think about a small but effective collection of rum.

I think that Hamilton may bottle a mixed rum which could theoretically support a 1 rum tiki bar, if you can find Hamilton near you. I've never seen a bottle in the wild though. Not even in Florida.
 
Okay, I know that it is bad form, in general, to bump an old thread. But since we have recently had a large influx of new members, I thought it might be a good idea to get their opinions on this topic. What is your minimalist rum collection that enables you to create a large percentage of classic Tiki drinks? I'm sure there are some really good ideas out there!
 
Skafish said:
Unfortunately I don't think I can be of much help to you. I currently have over 80 different bottles of rum out of 270 bottles in my personal booze collection. Between my mug and liqueur collection I may have a problem :)
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On the contrary, I think you would be a perfect person to comment. If you were about to be marooned on a dessert island and could only save four bottles of rum to bring with you, which would you choose?
 
That's pretty much Matt Pitrek's concept behind his Minimalist Tiki book: He starts out with the fewest ingredients one can have to produce maximum combinations of cocktails, and then layers on additional ingredients to expand said menu. It's not strictly limited to rums (ie lime juice is the second most common tiki ingredient--colore me surprised! :LOL: ) but the concept is there.

Myself, having sampled a few rums in my time, would recommend the following four for maximum diversity: Clement VSOP for a solid agricole, Hamilton's Pot Still Jamaican Black for heavy-bodied hogo, El Dorado 8 (or 5--newer bottlings without the added sugar) for a workhorse demerara style, and finally Probitas for a delicious, flavorful light white rum.

Those four cover a heck of a lot of ground. It's not perfect--we're missing overproofs and a bunch of niche (and not-so-niche) rums, but that would be a quality bunch to start with.
 
Pick the drinks you want to make and buy the rums to make those drinks. Trying to pick rums that will maximize the number of drinks that you probably won't make doesn't make any sense.
 
TikiHardBop said:
Pick the drinks you want to make and buy the rums to make those drinks. Trying to pick rums that will maximize the number of drinks that you probably won't make doesn't make any sense.
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Ah, except that newcomers to the tiki scene often don't know what drinks they want to make. They've likely heard of the Mai Tai (and may well think the bastardized versions out there are True and Accurate) or Zombie. Whatever. They've got a copy of Beachbum Berry's Grog Log or Martin & Rebecca Cate's Smuggler's Cove and are trying to educate themselves through better mixology. The number of rums are dizzying and overwhelming. It's a perfectly legitimate question: How do I start small?

Once they've visited tiki bars and got a baseline sample of the classics--and better still, know which flavor profiles they like and which they don't--then is when they can just focus on ingredients for the drinks they like to make. Before then, it's a steep learning curve. :D
 
Chicago Jake said:
Okay, I know that it is bad form, in general, to bump an old thread. But since we have recently had a large influx of new members, I thought it might be a good idea to get their opinions on this topic. What is your minimalist rum collection that enables you to create a large percentage of classic Tiki drinks? I'm sure there are some really good ideas out there!
Click to expand...
I don't think that's poor form at all, lots of good stuff in the old threads.

I am no expert on rum though I do read a bit and mix a few drinks. PrickliPear is right, Matt's book is excellent. I don't necessarily rely on specific rums because supply in my area is spotty so I use what I can find. But I do try to keep a few categories of rum on hand. (Edit - I got a little wordy here, skip to the bottom for a list :))"White or Silver" I have a bottle of Real McCoy I picked up because it was on clearance at WalMart but don't use it much. I find for most drinks I can sub an amber rum. "Mildly to Moderately Aged" I can get Appleton's Signature or Mount Gay Eclipse easily and at a decent price. "Dark Rum" many dark rums just have more caramel coloring and don't taste much different than most moderately aged rums. Dark rum has a nice contrast for a float so I keep some around, usually Goslings, Coruba, or Plantation. Myers in a pinch. "Jamaican" I like a little funk so I try to keep a bottle of Doctor Bird. "Demerara" usually Lemon Hart 1804 or El Dorado 5. "Agricole" I don't use much but keep a bottle of Clement VSOP. I don't really use overproof rums, they just bump up the ABV without adding any extra flavor. I sub them for an appropriate 40% rum

Here's a more compact list
Appleton Signature or Mount Gay Eclipse
Coruba, Goslings, or Plantation Dark
Doctor Bird
Lemon Hart 1804 or El Dorado 5

Optional for occasional use - Cruzan Blackstrap, Clement VSOP, Pineapple Rum (Stiggins or Cutwater)
 
Chicago Jake said:
As I read through drink recipes that I am dying to try, I can't help but notice (as I'm sure you have as well) that every drink lists a very specific rum (or five!) to use. I understand that there are many categories of rum, and many rums in each category. But certainly there must be a decent short list of just a few rums that will enable you to make a reasonable facsimile of many popular drinks.

Have any of you found that you can make decent versions of most of the drinks you are interested in with just a small starter kit of rums? I'm thinking four would be a good start, but if you have found that six or eight or some other (reasonable) number works well, that's fine too. I just want to start stocking the bar without breaking the bank. I promise I will expand with time! Thanks.....
Click to expand...
Using Whiskey as a counterpart... If the recipe called for a blend of Scotch, Bourbon, and unaged Moonshine, what would be an appropriate sub? Could you use Irish Whiskey in place of the Scotch?

If you understand rum well enough there are subs that do work, though the outcome may not be as originally intended. Minimalist tiki is probably the best for providing guidance on the most recipes with the fewest bottles.
 
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