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Sunday, December 25, 2011

Rum Bums December 2011 ~ a taste of Rhum Clément from Martinique

“I love rum because it is one the most unique spirits around. It can be light and neutral like vodka or rich and woody like bourbon.” So says Rocky Yeh, a self-described bon vivant and lover of all spirits. Yeh will headline the upcoming Rum Bums gathering on Tuesday, December 27 at 9pm.


Yeh represents Rhum Clément, the leading producer of Rhum Agricole in Martinique. You may be wondering, ‘what is Rhum Agricole?’ - don’t worry, I have cliff notes. Rhum Agricole is the process of distilling rum from sugarcane juice (rather than molasses, which is a sugar by-product) that was first adopted by Homère Clément in Martinique in 1887.


In the late 1800’s, the French began to produce sugar from sugar beets. As a result, Caribbean sugar producers had to find a new stream of income as sugar prices plummeted. The French islands in the West Indies began distilling and fermenting fresh sugarcane juice in to rum.


Yeh says that Rhum Clément embodies both the history and culture of Martinique. “Un-aged Clément is pretty indicative of the Rhum Agricole style with its funkiness.” In addition, the rich notes and evolution of the aged spirit reflect its distinct interaction with the climate and premium wood.


The rums that we will be tasting on Tuesday sound delicious. The Clément Créole Shrubb is a rum-based orange liquor, while the Clément VSOP is described as an aged rum with a smooth, mellow flavor. As if that wasn’t enough, La Isla’s crew will be mixing a couple of rum-infused cocktails as well as serving up appetizers.


Please join us as we make our last toast of 2011!