Hollywood rediscovers rum, music and the magic of Havana (Independent)

It was only a drab union room and it was over faster than you could pluck a paper umbrella from a rum cocktail. But on Wednesday night, Havana briefly embraced Hollywood once again. Bill Murray crooned "As Time Goes By" from the film Casablanca while actors James Caan, Benicio del Toro and Robert Duvall smilingly looked on.

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No marketing pullback for Malibu rum (Market Watch)

Pernod-Ricard is going full steam ahead with an ambitious, and expensive, new ad campaign for its Malibu flavored rum brand.

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Donald Link and Cork and Bottle host a rum dinner (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

Chef Donald Link teams up with Cork and Bottle for a rum dinner

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Expensive bottle of rum for Stellarton man (The News)

NEW?GLASGOW – It was a pricey lesson for a Stellarton man who stole a bottle of rum. Steven Alden MacKay, 23, pleaded guilty in New Glasgow provincial court on Monday to stealing a 40-ounce bottle of Captain Morgan from the Stellarton Liquor Store.

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Caprice bounces back from love-split to date Bacardi rum heir (Daily Mail)

Caprice bounces back from love-split to date Bacardi rum heir

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Cape Coral man jailed after allegedly stealing bottles of rum (The News-Press)

Two bottles of rum worth a total of $36 proved to be much more costly to a Cape Coral man.

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Shopper furious at rum decision (The Inverness Courier)

A STUNNED police officer was told he was not allowed to buy two bottles of rum, while doing the family shop in Tesco, because his teenage daughter was standing beside him at the till.

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Drink it: Skip the sugary mixes when strawberry season hits (Lansing State Journal)

When strawberry season hits, it's time to shelve those syrupy daiquiri mixes. For a terrific frozen strawberry daiquiri, combine 1 cup whole fresh strawberries, 1/2 cup ice cubes, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 to 2 tablespoons honey, a pinch of salt and rum to taste. Blend until smooth, then chill out. If you're watching your calories, try this recipe for a Strawberry Cheesecake cocktail from ...

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Sips & Suds: Navy Grog (The Kansas City Star)

This classic comes to us from Don the Beachcomber. It's an example of the punch-style tiki drinks popular during the Polynesian heyday of the 1940s and '50s. Its ice-cone straw is an example of the sort of novelty garnish that was standard at tiki bars. Don called for white grapefruit juice. Demerara rum is a dark, smoky rum from Guyana. MAKE AHEAD: The ice cone used to serve the drink must be ...

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1,000 bottles of rum _ 250 on shelves in den (KATC 3 Lafayette)

NEW ORLEANS -- When Steve Remsberg renovated his two-story colonial home after Hurricane Katrina, he removed some interior walls to create an open floor plan, with kitchen, dining area...

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35 Shots of Rum, Claire Denis, 100 mins, (12A) (Independent)

French director Claire Denis has a reputation for difficulty – at least, for making wayward, elliptical films that take the circuitous route to get under your skin.

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Hospice Cup of Rum Tasting Event (The Capital)

Celebrate summer, sailing and sipping rum with Hospice Cup, Inc. on Tuesday, July 21, from 6-8 p.m. at the Annapolis Maritime Museum. Enjoy a rum tasting featuring three premium rums: Baroca Silver, Sailor Jerry Spiced and Pussers British Navy Rum, courtesy of Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits.

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Rum classifications - a complete list, part 3

As part of our rum consulting practice, we are frequently asked by our clients about the different types of rum available in the world. Most of them are only aware of differences based on color and are very surprised to learn about all the variables that can affect how a rum tastes. Following is a brief summary of the different types of rum, along with explanations that we hope will help you understand the complexity and diversity in the rum industry. These categories are not mutually exclusive (i.e., you can have a Pot Stilled, Naval Style, Aged rum).

The previous blog focused on classifications of rum based on fermentation method, it is now time to talk about how rum is classified based on the distillation method employed.

Rum types based on distillation method:

Pot Still: These are the earliest distillation devices (also used in the production of Brandy and Scotch). A basic pot still consists of three parts: the kettle, where the liquid mixture is boiled, the condenser, which cools down the vapors coming from the kettle, and the gooseneck, which connects the kettle to the condenser. The liquid obtained from this type of distillation is also known as “single distillate,” since it is processed through the still only once. Typically this liquid is processed a second time, thus producing a “double distillate” which is cleaner and stronger than the single distillate. Several distilleries have taken this a step further by running the distillate a third, even a fourth time through the still, obtaining a cleaner, stronger, more rectified spirit at the end of each run. Because the amount of liquid that can be distilled at one time with a pot still is limited to the size of the kettle, distillers employing this method must perform their work batch by batch, which is a very labor intensive process (the kettle must be cleaned in between batches).

Column Still: The continuous distillation system was created in an attempt to make the distillation process more consistent. It also reduced the amount of work required to process each batch, thus allowing for higher volumes of alcohol to be produced. A distillation column is constructed much like a vertical maze, made up of a number of horizontal trays placed at different levels throughout the column. Here the fermented liquid mixture is introduced into the column at its highest level while steam is introduced at its lowest level. As the liquid makes its way down the column, it is heated by the surrounding steam, and the alcohol in the mix is vaporized. Once it reaches the bottom of the column, the “wash” contains no alcohol and is removed through a release valve. The saturated steam is collected from the top of the column and is then cooled down, allowing it to condense. Depending on the type of alcohol desired, column still operators will employ several columns, each one feeding the next, each one producing a cleaner, stronger, more "rectified" spirit.

Luis Ayala is an author and rum consultant with Rum Runner Press, Inc. To learn more about rum, please visit http://www.rumshop.net/ or http://www.rumuniversity.com/.