That’s the Spirit

Let’s face it, most drinks can help tee up or wash down a barbecue, but rum has fire and soul perfectly suited to food over outdoor flames, says ANDY CLARKE

Steeped in tradition, rum, like many spirits, has had a reawakening in recent years as producers and consumers have delved deeper in the possibilities of rum diversification. Today, rum is unsurprisingly produced in nearly every major
sugar-producing region of the world, and also in the UK.

Many UK rum brands import rum and then add their magic once it arrives in the
country, but not all. There are some people here who do everything from scratch.

White Rum

In barbecue terms, white rum works beautifully in a cocktail to get proceedings going. But it can also be sipped neat over ice for a punchy partner that goes particularly well with flame-cooked fish and seafood as well as barbecue accompaniments like salads. If you want something with a striking smoky edge, Lad’s Rum, by barbecue legend Adam Purnell, one of the UK’s finest live-fire chefs, and Henstone Distillery, will give a knowing nod to your chargrilled delights.

The rum is produced from scratch in Welshpool and is distilled and filtered through local Shropshire Caradoc charcoal for a super smooth finish. My favourite white rum is by V Rum from Hampshire. Its Premium White Rum is creamy in texture and has notes of fudgy vanilla and a hint of tropical fruit. It’s fabulous on its own and great in a summery cocktail. There is a big focus on sustainability using renewable energy and sustainable packaging materials, with labels made from the waste sugar cane and hemp.

Spiced & Aged Rum

Spiced rum can take many forms, depending on the age or blend of rum and the spices used to create flavour and aroma. But, generally, because of its richness and sweetness, it can accompany flame-cooked meats as well as charred fruits. A great example of a rich rum with a refreshing twist is Wildjac Honey Spiced Rum. The base is a blend of barrel-aged from Barbados and various places in South America. As well as a kiss of honey, there are hints of allspice, clove, cinnamon and coriander in there too. Wildjac also does a spiced apple rum, which would go great with tarte tatin cooked under the hood of your barbecue.

Sly Dog Spiced Rum was created by brothers Louis and Bruce Goddard-Watts who wanted to create a versatile drink for full-bodied celebration of Caribbean fire and flavour via an astonishing blend of three Caribbean rums and two from the Dominican Republic. The rum is crafted in Wales with a blend of secret tropical spices, it is smooth, with a warming gingerbread unctuousness and a tiny hint of vanilla and banana too.

Two other fantastic spiced rums are Norfolk Rum, a dark spiced rum from The Norfolk Spirit Company, and The Salford Rum Company Spiced Rum. The Norfolk rum is the love child of pilot Ben Crisp who needed a new focus when furloughed in 2020. It is made from scratch in Norfolk, the molasses is fermented with sugar, yeast and water, then added to a copper still and triple distilled. Norfolk honey, vanilla, cocoa and orange are added along with Norfolk spring water. On the palate: cinnamon, Christmas cake and caramel work together alongside bright citrus and bitter cacao. I love this one at room/outdoor temperature.

Its Salford counterpart was created by two rugby playing school friends, Tommy Gaughan and James Harrison, and is a tribute to the dock workers who were the beating heart of Greater Manchester during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Inspired by the rum and spice imports received into Salford Docks, the base is from Guyana, column distilled in small batches in the shadows of Old Salford Docks. It’s then infused with vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and dried Caribbean fruits. These rums are great to sip alongside tangy, sweet barbecue rubs and marinades – or in a banging Mai Tai.

If you want something to go with the heat in your marinades, Idle Assembly Premium Aged Rum is your friend. Blended from molasses from the West Indies, Latin and South America, it has an exotic edge with deep fiery, peppery undertones that go beautifully with chilli heat. It is aged in ex-bourbon white oak barrels for between five and 20 years, which makes it smooth and with great depth of flavour. And if you’re wondering about the name, there used to be a sign at the Government Dock on Harbour Island in the Bahamas, and on this list of rules and regulations was a statement that there should be ‘No loafing or Idle Assembly’.

Dark rum has been linked to the Royal Navy, as sailors were given a daily tot of dark rum from 1665 to 1970. Even though Black Tot Day no longer exists, we can have our own tot with a barbecue.  Black Ven Dark Rum from Lyme Regis, Dorset, is a great example. Owner and distiller John Tucker was unable to find a British dark oak-aged rum that he rated to sip neat. He then decided to handcraft rum from scratch, using only natural ingredients primarily sourced from the south-west.

Sustainability is key; byproducts are reused and its small warehouse is eco-built and heated. The key thing about this rum is that while it is smooth and full of coffee, caramel and even whisky notes, it is not too sweet, so it will go with all manner of barbecued meats.

Flavoured Rum and Rum Liqueurs

Rusty Krab Caramel Rum Liqueur is a great introduction to how good rum liqueurs can be. The Rusty Krab came about when founders Joe and Lisa Melton set up their own home bar in Norfolk during lockdown to house Joe’s rum collection, and things progressed from there. It’s silky smooth and has the charm of crème caramel with an underlying nut brittle note and would be great brushed over fruit like peaches and pineapple on the barbecue. The base spirits are two aged and two unaged rums from Jamaica, The  Dominican Republic and Venezuela. They are blended with a deliciously sweet and rich caramel extract.

If you wanted to sip something alongside chargrilled fruit, Liverpool Lost Dock Dark Spiced Pineapple Rum is divine. The range of rums it makes pays homage to the innovative centuries-old dock that helped transformed Liverpool into the world-class city it is today. The spiced pineapple rum is made with rum from Guyana and the ripe pineapple notes with a hint of cinnamon are captivating.

A fruity and fiery sip which is one of the finest I’ve tasted in a long time is Fr’um dark but fr’iendly, which embraces ripe juicy pineapple and smoky scotch bonnet. It is made with rum from the Caribbean and the rest is done at The Henley Distillery. The man behind this is Anthony Peart who has put his childhood memories and his culture in a bottle including the tastes and smells of his grandfather’s farm. Think pineapple upside-down cake in a bottle.

Another fruity favourite of mine is Cornish Rock Banana Blast. It has rich caramel banana vibes going on. It is made with Caribbean Rum and sun-ripened bananas, which are added in Cornwall. It’s a bit like a banana split drizzled with caramel with a hint of that tropical  holiday you want to book. And, finally, for something a little bit different, but reared to go with BBQ beef, try Snowdonia Wagyu Rum – a field to glass experience from the Llanfairpwll Distillery, known as ‘Wales’s finest Fusion’.

It is apparently the world’s first small batch rum crafted with real Welsh Wagyu beef. The base is an aged rum made at the distillery from scratch. Then a top-secret process happens. Imagine a step beyond fat washing, where the rum is rested on repurposed Wagyu fat, bones, and trimmings. This infuses the richness of the premium sustainably farmed local Wagyu into the rum. This love and attention give a unique warming, savoury, umami quality to the rum with a buttery finish.  Can you think of a better match for steak? And look out for the smoked version coming soon.

FIREBRAND

An Exclusive Mimosa Rwm Espiritu cocktail for BBQ Magazine, created by ANDY CLARKE

All of the rums mentioned here can be sipped neat on their own, on the rocks or with a dash of cola or ginger beer, and possibly a squeeze of lime. But if, like me, you like to get the party started with a cocktail, here’s one that will work from the beginning of proceedings, while you’re cooking, while you’re eating and after, as the embers die down.

It uses Mimosa Rwm Espiritu, a coffee-infused rum liqueur founded by Welsh rugby legend Alun Wyn Jones, the former Wales and British & Irish Lions captain. It’s named after a ship called Mimosa, which set sail from Liverpool in 1865 to take Welsh settlers to Patagonia in Argentina. This rum is a delicious sip on its own, with hints of dark muscovado complementing
the rich, smooth coffee hues, but the flavours work beautifully with barbecued food.

In my Firebrand cocktail, you’ll find it to be a beautiful companion in your pursuit of flame-kissed food and drink perfection.

Firebrand
(Makes 2)

Equipment
Hand peeler
Shaker
Jigger
2 lowball/rocks glasses

Ingredients
2 large ice cubes
100ml (20 parts) Mimosa Rwm Espiritu
25ml (5 parts) freshly brewed espresso (or your favourite strong coffee)
30ml (6 parts) Grand Marnier (or other orange brandy liqueur)
10ml (2 parts) passion fruit purée
A dash of chocolate bitters
A pinch of smoked paprika (optional)
1 orange (for garnish)

Method
1. Brew your coffee and allow to cool to room temperature.

2. To make your garnish, using the hand peeler, peel two long, thick strips of
orange rind and set aside.

3. Fill your shaker with ice and add all liquid ingredients and the optional pinch of smoked paprika if desired. Shake for 20 seconds.

4. Put the large ice cubes in the glasses and pour the cocktail equally between
the glasses.

5. Twist the orange zest over the drinks to express the oils and rub the outside of the rind around the rim of the glasses. Then place the rinds in the drinks, curling them around the ice cubes and serve immediately.