the rum tasting.

tuesday 2 september 2015

i was invited to a rum tasting in colourful, clean and quiet before the mess, barrio east, in london's shoreditch, to try four delicious rums and i took anka and doug with me, as they are great companions and they both like a good glass of booze in the afternoon. 


1. the duppy share, from Jamaica and barbados, bottled in london
2. bushtea, an english spiced rum, a gorgeous infusion of botanics and warm spices
3. east london liquor company rum, 100% demerara and aged in bourbon casks for three years
4. new dawn, full of molasses and richness... 

we networked and tried some bonus liquors and tasted a daiquiri made with the ELLC rum; delicious... 

fun to be had and am i a bit tipsy? 
a very good afternoon, peppered with other bar visitations, vintage shops and art shows, supper at dosa world and a glass of wine at the discount suit company... 
rum is the key to a good time... 

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The Bacardi Event.

visits from brands can be rewarding, especially, when one is meeting kind and charismatic people, full of passion and ambition and believe me, there are very few far and between. 

i had the pleasure to meet the customer development executive for bacardi, who visited me in the bar and was fond of me from the start. 

various chats on collaborations, led me to an invitation:
an exclusive bacardi event, somewhere in bermondsey, where 153 years of making, were unravelled in under four hours right in front of us, from when the rum was unrecognisable and really basic, to the way it has evolved today, via war and prohibition, to making our own rums, have a little trip down memory lane and finally, having a shot of the brand new products, followed by cocktails, too in he basement, where else? 
i drank responsibly and mingled with folk who knew me and/ or just met me... i was a dandy with mysterious identity and they wanted to know... 
before home, i stumbled (not literally) in some old public toilets cum cocktail bar and had a last sip of delight, before hugging the security goodnight. yes, i was still standing. thank you tom for the invitation. it was a fine affair, properly filtered by me for the pure mccoy. it' only right. monday 8 march 2015. 8pm

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WILD GEESE

in the early spring of 2014 a representative approached me one fine afternoon, with a new product: Wild Geese whiskey... i gave him some of my precious time, he was young and dandyish and very soft spoken... he explained about the whiskey, the nose, the taste, the history and i was hooked for all the above reasons, but mainly because of the revolution around the spirit and the fact that it was irish and not mainstream. 

he brought me some samples in a rough canvas bag and the collaboration begun. 

whiskey and then rum masterclasses in the bar, proved to be successful and fruitful, where i met enthusiastic and creative people and i landed the position of brand ambassador for the rum. 

devising cocktails using the spirits beckoned and the vodka, gin, taste of london (a food and drink show), publications and an abundance of twitter awareness spread to promote the band and excite me with more diverse and fresh activities and avenues, such as providing tasting notes and describing what i was doing step by step, not disclosing too much of my own little secrets of mixing and creating.

photos by stav, dee, anka and casey. ©2014 

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