Festival Rum Bahamas 2015: The Food

Paul "Rhum Chef" Yellin

Festival Rum Bahamas offered a menu featuring local cuisine, served up fresh with compliments by a couple world renowned chefs. It is not easy (or accurate) to talk local or authentic Caribbean cooking without talking about Rum. Each country has their own variation on a theme and from Bahamas to Barbados, rum is part of the social fabric that sets the table. Try talking French cuisine without cheese or Indian without mentioning a spice. Seriously, it's just wrong and plus, the thought of no rum? Yeah, let's not go there... One thing is certain, those who breached the walls of Fort Charlotte were in for a king's feast with a view! Our last article, "All The Rum", showcased the liquid highlights in the Festival that is a celebration of Rum, Food and Culture. This article, the second of our three part series, sharpens the focus on Food. Separate them I try, but the lines of distinction often blur nicely, particularly after a few tasty rums, so I make no apologies for any 'off topic' photos along the way. Grab your glass, lick your lips and enjoy!

Paul Yellin, one of the chefs, is Bajan, trained and talented. If you were lucky enough to find a seat at the two rum & food seminars he gave at the Festival, everything else would have seemed like bonus. I have visited Paul several times now and each time we meet, I am more impressed; partly by his down-to-Earth nature, but mostly by how magical the hand-to-mouth experience is when the food is served shortly thereafter!

Paul prepared a rumtastic menu to enjoy. Oh, and his seminars were FREE...jus' sayin! Oh yeah!!

Take a peak at the selection of rums!

The Menu:

1st: J. WRAY & NEPHEW WHITE OVERPROOF RUM and mint LIONFISH MOJITO CEVICHE

2nd: COCONUT CURRY CHICKEN paired with PLANTATION TRINIDAD & TOBAGO ORIGINAL DARK RUM

Good God Man! 

It seemed as though each plate that arrived changed flavor, texture and tone, all the while improving on the previous and slowly, but surely building towards...

3rd: HERB BAKED LIONFISH in a rich seafood Creole sauce paired with El DORADO 3yr RUM

wait for it.....

4th: RUM SOAKED STRAWBERRIES paired with DOORLY'S XO RUM

...MULTIPLE EDIBLE RUMGASMS!

5th: CHOCOLATE RUM BALLS rolled in pralines paired with BLACKWELL RUM

6th: CHOCOLATE & BACON bites paired with OLD BRIGAND RUM

(sorry no photo: photographer was busy eating it! Tasty!!)

Thank you Paul Yellin for the exquisite pairing and hope to see you again next year!!

Ladies and gentlemen, this was but one of the rum and food pairing seminars to attend and I haven't even started on the food booths throughout the Fort! 

The bottles hanging in the trees created a wonderful ambiance surrounding the entrance to Alexandra's at the Fort. A loose collection of food booths featuring a variety of different delectable dishes, it was the beginning of the foodie trail. Fresh conch salads to grilled meat, this was the spot.

Yum!

Just a few steps away, the folks from Gone Fish'n had grills on swole, Chicken, steak, pork and fish, all grilled up Bahamian style. Oh and did I mention all their house-made marinades. Boom!

Put it in my belly!!!

Care for a healthy serving of grilled salmon in a burger?

Oh, and an ice cold local craft beer didn't sound like a bad idea either. Pirate Republic is a new brewing company with a nice selection. I'm told by their CEO, Susan Larson, a few more styles are coming soon.

A few booths away, you could take your pick...

Whether you were interested in the savory or the sweet, Festival Rum Bahamas had you covered!

In the heat of the day, fresh pressed sugar cane juice or Guarapo is refreshing and delicious. Island Cane was crushing it up right. I didn't hesitate to mix it with a little rum!

Rum and desserts are notorious in these parts. However, when they are signed, Confectionately Yours, well...

You eat it happily!

Drunken Guava: Guava cupcake infused with dark rum and 
topped with guava rum buttercream frosting


Rum cupcakes are a perfect treat, but have you tried Rum Cakes from the Bahamas Rum Cake Factory?? Moist and full of love they stand out above the rest. More on this local shop coming soon...

Best enjoyed hot, sticky sweet...


Well, if one rum & food seminar wasn't enough awesome, there was another fabulous pairing offered, which one could simply sit in on. No registration, no lines, just grab a seat. I stress this, as these food & rum pairing seminars were free to anyone, included in your admission price. Seating was key, not surprisingly, for when Chef Geoffrey Blythe and Carlton Grooms (Director at Papa's Pilar, co-founder of International Rum Council), the authors of the game-changing "Rum & Contemporary Cuisine" took the stage atop Fort Charlotte, no seat was left unfilled. In fact, many simply stood to listen and look out for extras samples!

A perfect atmosphere for listening to a world-class chef and rum connoisseur/producer talk about what they love, whilst sipping rum and tasting their gourmet rum-focused cuisine. A light breeze caressed our backs under shade in 80 F degrees (27 C) heat.

The Rum Kitchen

1st: Agricole and shrimp chowder featuring Rhum J.M  

Grassy herbaceous flavors of the rhum along with the heat from the white rhum merge wonderfully with the creamy flavors and richness of the pancetta without overpowering the subtle flavors in each.

-Geoffrey Blythe

Yes Please!

In this brilliant four dish experience, the following pairings came next:

2nd: Roast Root Vegetable Salad paired with Bambarra Gold Rum

3rd: Five Spice Pork Belly paired with confit pineapple paired with AFROHEAD 7yr Rum

The sweet caramel notes of the AFROHEAD and youth of the rum combine well with the richness of the pork and spice notes of the sauce. The tropical flavors of the pineapple further bring out the depth of the rum.

-Geoffrey Blythe

4th: Rum Marshmallow S'mores paired with Plantation Trinidad & Tobago Original Dark Rum

One of the guests figured it out alright!!


Well done Geoffrey Blythe and Carlton Grooms!!

After the seminar, I tried to gather my thoughts and emotions about the food I enjoyed and the superb quality of this event as I looked out over the Fort's wall.

Beautiful Bahamas!


As the sun went down and night took over, the real party had just begun!

Stay tuned for the final article, Festival Rum Bahamas 2015: The Culture

Cheers!

Drinks by the Dram: A Novel Concept



Drinks by the Dram
(Packaging)

Imagine you arrive at your local liquor store to buy a bottle of a rum (or scotch, etc.) only to find yourself presented with an age old dilemma. The bottle is pricey; an unaffordable gamble without knowing if you like what's inside first. And, unfortunately, there isn't a mini size offered for that bottle of El Dorado 21yr you were just looking at. Sound familiar? Well, Master of Malt offers a solution to this dilemma. This solution is called, "Drinks by the Dram".

If you want to try a "sample" before buying the full bottle, you can. On their website next to each product, one only needs to click on the "Try a Sample" icon. Simple! The "sample" size is 3cl (one fluid ounce) and it arrives in a glass container with the top screw cap closure fashionably sealed with wax (see photo). This is ideal as glass doesn't impart or remove any flavor like plastic and the wax seal keeps the exposure to oxygen at a minimum before it arrives in your mouth. Thus, the "sample" maintains its original character and is representative of the larger bottle it came from. The samples are packaged in a neat recyclable cardboard box holding up to five samples. The box is also surrounded with bubble wrap for its journey across the pond from the UK. The "Try a Sample" option isn't available for all their rums in stock, but I am told more and more brands are becoming available as agreements are reached. So it is worth checking their site periodically for updates.

Renegade Guyana Port Morant 6yr (left)
Green Label 15yr Old Trinidad (middle)
Renegade Grenada Westerhall 12yr 1996 (right)

Their selection is another advantage. Many of the rums and other spirits on their site are not available here in Washington or other states. For example, you can find several Barbados rums from R.L. Seale, such as Foursquare Spiced Rum, or R.L. Seale's 10yr and Doorly's XO, both of which have sample options! Demerara rums are dreamy and you don't have to daydream about finding more variety any longer. For example, they list Enmore still 1988, Port Morant 1992, and O.V.D Rum to name a few. Perhaps you are looking for a that special gift? Giving the gift of a rare bottle of booze is something special. They have got you covered with the El Dorado 25yr 1980 or Jamaica Vintage Rum 1941. But what about shipping? Master of Malt ships to most locations in the United States so check out their delivery page for details. To conclude I will offer my readers this advice:

"That doctor's a fool, I tell you. If I don't have a dram o' rum, Jim, I'll have the horrors; I've seen some on 'em already."

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson 

Cheers to Master of Malt for their novel "Drinks by the Dram" concept and their selection of Rum!

Washington State Liquor 2011 - An Update For Rum Buyers

The new year brings hope for rum drinkers in Seattle in particular and Washington State in general. Before elaborating on recent developments in my positive rum forecast, I will note Washington State still controls the sales of liquor as it has since prohibition era. In 2010, several initiatives made the ballot to privatize liquor sales as a result of noncompetitive prices, less than favorable customer service and inconvenient hours of operation among others. These initiatives failed to pass. This topic is still smoking and although worthy of more debate, will be reserved for another time and post. I suspected changes in the 2011 post-initiative world, pass or fail, so I went to the stores with questions and more rum I found! Whenever in Washington, do as Washingtonians do and go to the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) website. It is user friendly and a fairly comprehensive resource for state liquor news and laws. It has products, prices and their locations which are more accurate than not in regards to product availability and inventory. That said, I would recommend contacting them by phone first if you mean to buy something specific. Perusing the online selection you will notice that top of the line rums are here! One can now find premium aged rums such as Appleton Estate 21yr, El Dorado 21yr, Clement XO, Ron Zacapa XO and Mt Gay 1703 in select locations. So are the prices top shelf to match you ask? Compared to those our neighbors enjoy in the free world (California), the prices are higher, but not unreasonable for many. Additionally, the variety of rum, including a few new rums and old favorites are now in stock. Outstanding! For most of us gas isn't cheap and time is running out, so where does one go to find quality and selection?

University Store

It is no secret that the Crown Hill and University District locations maintain a large selection of special order rums. So I went to each location for answers as to their rum status. John, who works at the newly located University store is always interested in helping fellow rummies find a new rum, talk rum news and advocate for keeping a diverse selection of quality rum on hand. At the Crown Hill location, the manager Tina goes out of her way to assist each person find or order the products they are looking for and exemplifies exceptional customer service. When I arrived, she was excited to tell me several new rums have just arrived! Domestic rums Sergeant Classick and Montanya Rum were being opened along with some old favorites, Angostura 1919 and its enigmatic counterpart Angostura 1824. You may not find these products on the website just yet (I checked a few minutes prior to this posting) Exciting news indeed! Washington State has also seen agricole rums blossom in selection as well thanks to efforts from a local rum aficionado bartender Rocky Yeh. The introduction of a couple of remarkable brands from Martinique, such as Rhum Clement and Rhum JM are welcome additions to Neisson and La Favorite Rhums. Take a look at the Clement XO and Clement Cuvee Homere, both delectable in bottle presentation and taste. If I told you Rhum JM 1997 may make an appearance soon, I would have to kill you, so I will keep quiet about this...hint, hint. Crown Hill illustrates its commitment to rum having over one full bay of shelving dedicated to special order rums with room to expand. Can't find the rum you want? Just provide Tina the brand and its distillery or US importer to get started. Customers requesting special orders must still go to the store location as the form is not available online presently. Only time will tell if consumers will see an overall improvement in pricing, access and customer service at WSLCB stores. In the meantime, rum lovers can take advantage of a larger and improved selection at stores that are rum-friendly.

Cheers to the Crown Hill and University locations for there dedication to rum!