Well, it’s the morning after the night before and there will be a few people in Salisbury feeling a little bit dusty today. Last night was our first tasting and we did it in fine style with one of the world’s leading rum experts coming to our little part of Wiltshire to spread the love for rum.
We knew this was going to be a popular one but, having only been open for a month when we released the tickets for sale, I still didn’t think they’d sell out within a week. Then we spent three weeks worrying about the weather because we wanted to be outside, aware that we’re still four days away from final Covid restrictions being lifted.
After all that worry, we were redeemed
The weather was perfect, the River Avon wandered listlessly past our reserved part of the George & Dragon garden, the Daiquiris and the chat flowed and the bumblebees got drunk on the left over sugar syrup.
Plantation Rum is one of the best rums in the world. Full Stop. And the utterly brilliant Paul McFadyen had everyone howling with his little anecdotes and rum tales. He honestly is one of the funniest people I know and he oozes infectious enthusiasm and vast amounts of knowledge.
Finding your favourite
The objective of the tasting was to help people to find out which rum style is their favourite. It’s very easy to lump rum into one homogenous category but not all rum was created equal. A Fijian is very different to a Jamaican, a Bajan is worlds away from a rum from Guyana. And now, thanks to Paul, we understand why. It becomes very clear when you taste them side by side that each rum style reflects the culture of the country in which it is produced.
What we also learnt (and this comes as no surprise at all from personal experience) is that EVERYONE loves a Daiquiri. Especially when it’s drunk with friends, by a river, in an English pub garden in the sun. And once you know how to make the perfect Daiquiri, all cocktails become easy as they’re basically derivations.
So here we go, here’s the perfect Daiquiri recipe. I defy you not to have more than three!
The Perfect Daiquiri
50ml Plantation “Stiggins Fancy” Pineapple Rum
25ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
25ml simple sugar syrup
Put the three components in a cocktail shaker with some ice, shake vigorously and strain into a glass with a flourish
Drink and repeat
We’re busy planning our next tastings now but to be honest, I don’t know how we’re going to top this one.
Come along and find out! Our next events are published on our Events page.
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