4th Annual 'Tis The Season for a Holiday Punch Competition & Toy Drive

Young St. Nicholas Punch - 1st Place

Each December, The Rum Collective joins forces with Seattle Gin Society at Liberty Bar and does more than just celebrate our respective spirits; we drink them from a punch bowl for a good cause. That is to raise money for the Toys for Tots Foundation. In fact, over the past four years, it is one of the highlights of the year where our mission becomes even better; it becomes philanthropic. The event's end effect not only  "increases awareness and develops appreciation for rum" but also brings a smile to a few local area children that holiday season. If only every event could be more like this one! This year, guests brought either $20 cash or equal-valued unwrapped toy for a cup of each of the four different (two rum and two gin) punches in the competition. Seriously, "gin vs. rum punch", you ask? Is that even a fair competition? It is arguable  that most well-made rum punches would win. However, this is all in good fun and more votes, made by poker chips deposited in to glasses, could be bought for a small fee. It became apparent (over the past three years) gin people have more money than rum people, but this year, attendees voted without their pocket books and guess what? The Rum Punches took 1st and 2nd place. Not to rub it in but well over half of the attendees were "gin people". Big surprise, eh!

Let's take a closer look at these rum punches!

Young St. Nicholas Punch feat. Diplomatico Anejo

This punch was created as the greeting cocktail for The Rum Collective's 3rd Anniversary event featuring Ron Diplomatico. It was well-received by guests then and now. Simple, refreshing and balanced, here is the winning punch of the event! 

Young St. Nicholas

recipe by Rebekah Karnofski

(single serving)

1.5oz Diplomatico Anejo

0.5oz lime juice (fresh pressed)

0.5oz Giffard Orgeat

0.75oz grapefruit juice (fresh pressed)

3 healthy dashes of Angostura Bitters

Yum!

Korporal Krampus's Quarterdeck Punch - 2nd Place

This year we had special guest, Jason Alexander, create the second rum punch. Hailing from Tacoma Cabana, he tends and owns one of the best tiki bars in the country and it's located a convenient 40 minutes south of Seattle, Jason does tiki with the best of them. His tiki punch featuring the recently released Lost Spirits Navy Style Rum awakened many palates to the complexity of flavors found in this style of cocktails. A more or less magical potion overflowing with happy endings, his was the first punch bowl to go dry!

Jason Alexander serving it up

It was the United States Marine Corps who founded Toys for Tots, so military men and women are more than welcome at this event. In addition to a being an award-winning bartender and owner of one of the coolest up-and-coming cocktail bars in Washington State, Jason, also a marine, served his country prior to choosing a station behind the bar. Respect! Well, when some quality overproof rum flows, lips loosen, and soon the running joke of the evening recalled Proctor & Gamble's Secret punchline and went something like this:

"Lost Spirits Navy Style Rum, Strong enough for a Marine, but made for the Navy"

Probably good we didn't have any folks from the Navy there! Haha!!

If you make your way (and you should) to Tacoma Cabana, ask for this punch. Jason may serve it to you as he envisioned it (see photo below). 

Awesome!! 

Korporal Krampus's Quarterdeck Punch
photo credit and permission by: Jason Alexander, Tacoma Cabana

Korporal Krampus's Quarterdeck Punch

recipe by Jason Alexander

1 bottle Lost Spirits Navy Style

1 cup MAUI Okolehao Liqueur

1 cup Cruzan Blackstrap
1 cup Amaro Meletti 

1.5 cups grapefruit juice (fresh pressed)

1 cup lime juice (fresh pressed)

1.5 cups vanilla spiced syrup (Tacoma Cabana house-made)

In addition to sampling punches, the night was filled with many raffle prizes and two silent auctions. Although we didn't meet the fundraiser goal, we managed to raise $736 dollars that night for local area kids! All of the money and toys raised at the event were donated. To collect the donation we had the pleasure of having a decorated marine, LtCol Michael J. Byrne present with us at the event.

Left to Right: Gene Shook, LtCol Michael Byrne, Nicholas Feris

A big thank you to Ron Diplomatico, Lost Spirits (both distributed by American Northwest), 

Giffard and Vinum for their generosity and support!

A round of applause for Jason Alexander's service and skills!

Special thanks to Andrew Friedman of Liberty Bar for his continual support of our events!

Thank you to Toys for Tots for their commitment to helping children!!

Cheers and rumlove until next year!!!

World-Class Rum Tasting Auctioned Off to Benefit Children

Top row: Clement X.O. & Brugal 1888
Bottom row: Mount Gay 1703 & Angostura 1824

This holiday season began with a cocktail: goodwill mixed with rum. It started with a personal request from a friend, one of the Boyer Children's Clinic Board of Directors, to donate a rum tasting for their annual Inspiring Journeys Auction Gala.

I believe if you can share 10 of the best rums in the world (and a cocktail) to benefit children with neuromuscular diseases and developmental delays along with their families, then this was a tasting worth donating and that is what I did...



Ten of the finest rums available from around the world have been selected. This one-of-a-kind tasting is to take place in a breathtaking Capital Hill condo with sweeping views of downtown Seattle. The evening includes complimentary valet parking by Butler Valet, catered food by Mojito and a personally guided discussion through each of these world-class rums for 15 guests. If you have been to any of The Rum Collective's many educational events, you would know a greeting cocktail is compulsory. For this tasting, such a cocktail will be served as well. What to choose? A cocktail to begin an evening indulging in some of the most remarkable rums in the world must be of comparable quality. This cocktail, featuring Papa's Pilar Blonde Rum, is the perfect choice (see photo below).

May I interest you a Hemingway Daiquiri? 

Rest assured, it's made with only the finest ingredients...

Hemingway Daiquri featuting Papa's Pilar Blonde & Luxardo Maraschino

Oh yeah!

All of the rums selected for the tasting were chosen by the following order of criteria: quality, geographic representation and style, and availability in Washington State. Also, the rum must be donated by the brand. Well, guess what? "Big (and small) Rum" just gave back!! The list of rums in the tasting will include: Clement X.O. of Martinique, Brugal 1888 of the Dominican Republic, Mount Gay 1703 of Barbados and Angostura 1824 of Trinidad (see earlier photo). The other six selections in the tasting represent some of the most eminent rums out of Spain, Panama, France, Venezuela, Guatemala and Puerto Rico and are Ron Navazos Palazzi, Ron Abuelo Centuria, Plantation 20th Anniversary, Ron Diplomatico Ambassador, Ron Zacapa XO and DonQ Gran Anejo respectively. This intimate, guided educational experience will feature these rums in a select order and presented in snifters donated by Liberty Bar.

Behold some more of the most prized rums on the planet. 

The donated tasting was part of the live auction portion of the Gala. The bidding prices began at $500 and escalated rapidly. The tasting sold for $1600!! The winning bidder of the live auction was announced on stage and provided with a celebratory glass of Brugal 1888 to mark the occasion. Yum!!

"Proceeds will provide direct services, such as therapies, special education preschool classes, medical consultations, and family resources for the 750+ children and families Boyer Children's Clinic serves each year."

A sincere thank you to the owners of the condo, Butler Valet, Mojito, Liberty Bar and each of the brands who donated their product to create a first-rate rum tasting to benefit Boyer Children's Clinic!!

CHEERS!!!