So, I am back to my favorite spirit again, rum. After my little history lesson yesterday in Red Stripe (http://baldparrotbar.blogspot.com/2011/04/red-stripe.html) I decided to do a little research into Bacardi. I have alluded to in an early blog that I met Tito Bacardi, and executive at Bacardi in the Coral Gables, FL office. I was a pitcher at the University of Miami and we had a Sunday afternoon game. Before the game this dapper looking man came into the dugout with two highly attractive women wearing really small baseball jerseys with the Bacardi bat logo on the back, and even smaller shorts. Tito, also dressed in a Bacardi baseball shirt, his not quite as tight fitting as his blonde and latin arm candy, threw out the first pitch that day. But, before he toed the rubber I was introduced to him by our head coach and have a brief conversation with him and the lovely ladies. From that day forward I have kind of favored Bacardi rum. I have tried others, liked others, but my day in and day out mixing rum has always gone back to Bacardi. I just grew to enjoy the flavor.
Bacardi was first distilled in Satiago de Cuba in 1862 by a Spanish immigrant named Facund Bacardi I Masso. And the signature Bacardi bat comes from the fruit bats that lived in the rafters of the original distillery. After some issue with Castro and his people, the fact they were nationalize all private property, the Bacardi family moved production off the Cuban shores permanently. It has grown to become the largest rum producer in the world producing 200 million bottles a year, with US sales of excess of $5 billion.
It is also well known that Hemingway liked his mojitos and daiquiris with “Bacardi white label rum”. And please don’t spoil your mind thinking a daiquiri is one of those fruity things that come out of machines that the office secretary drinks. A daiquiri is a fantastic drink comprised of 2 oz rum, 1 oz fresh lime juice, .5-1 oz of simple syrup and crushed ice. This is my favorite drink, the thing that blows is most bartenders have no idea what a daiquiri is, they all want to serve me the red or green stuff that is made in a machine or blender. Note that Papa Hemingway preferred his a little different, partially due to the fact he was diabetic, he had cherry liquor and grapefruit juice instead of the simple syrup. Another classic is the mojito. Made by mixing 6 sprigs of fresh mint (5 muddled in the bottom of the glass, 1 for garnish), 1 oz lime juice, ¾ oz of simple syrup, 2 oz white rum and a splash of club soda. I learned something today about the mojito while doing research for this post, the original recipe above says the club soda is optional. I have changed my version slightly, I reduce the simple syrup slightly, otherwise I find it to sweet.
These cocktails that usually contain Bacardi rum at my house are summertime favorites. They transport you to a southern latitude where nothing matters but you and your drink. I encourage you to round up a bottle of rum and mix yourself one or both of these beauties on a nice sunny day and waste away in the day.
PS: One of these days we will hit up the tail of the Cuba Libre (Rum and Coke)
Photo above courtesy of Tommy Bass, is a vintage Bacardi bottle from the days it was distilled in Cuba.
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