Knowing your Cubans from your Colonials

Knowing your Cubans from your Colonials:
A Gentleman’s Guide to preparing Perfect Rum Cocktails

Stuart Danker, Principal Bartender of Sugarhall, lends his expert tips to choosing the right rums for popular rum cocktail recipes. Sister bar to the extremely popular Jigger & Pony, Sugarhall carries one of the most extensive and well-curated collections on the island, manned by veteran mixologist Danker.

Bartender Danker during Singapore Cocktail Week

Colonial: This English style of rum is reminiscent of the original product distilled in the early years by enterprising colonials with brandy-making experience. The rum was pot-stilled, had a high level of congeners and was aged in Oak Barrels.

Cocktails they are suited for:  Bumbo Old Fashioned, with El Dorado 12-year-old rum, demerara sugar, nutmeg tincture and cinnamon; and Rum Manhattan.
When rum meets Manhattan

From left: Abuelo 12, Sailor Jerry, Mount Gay Black Barrel, Clairin Vaval

Cuban and Puerto Rican: The Puerto Rican rum style is derived from the Cuban style, in which the goal is to distill the lightest, cleanest, most rectified alcohol possible, before adding flavour to it through careful ageing and blending only. For this reason, Cuban and Puerto Rican rums are considered to be “light” rums.

Cocktails they are suited for: Classic Daiquiri, Mojito and Airmail with Havana Club 3 Anos from Cuba, lime, honey syrup and sparkling wine.
A daquiri made with Cuban rum Havana Club and Italian liquer Luxardo

French: Not all rums (rhums) made in French-speaking countries are considered to be French in style. Only those distilled in pot stills from fermented sugarcane juice (as opposed to distilled from molasses) are considered French.

Cocktails they are suited for: Ti’ Punch is all you need as a definitive cocktail to enjoy with French Rhum Agricoles.

The Mai-Tai Ala Sugarhall

Spanish-style: Spanish rums are characterised by their highly fruity, brandy-like bouquet, with dominant raisin, currant or berry elements. While these can be produced using column stills, most rums in this category are produced by distilleries that employ pot stills.

Cocktails they are suited for: Rum Martinez and Vieux Carre.

Fruit Flavoured: For the most part, fruit-flavoured rums sold throughout the world are nothing more than unaged ethanol with flavouring, sometimes with colouring and sweetener added. Such products should not be sold as rum, since they are made with un-aged alcohol (ethanol). They are usually used in cocktails just as an added flavouring.

Sugarhall

Spiced: Like fruit-flavoured rums, most spiced rums sold are made with un-aged ethanol. The most typical spices used to flavour these products are vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, clover and sugar.

Cocktails they are suited for: Mai Tai and Pina Colada
At Sugarhall, the Mai-Tai ala Sugarhall comprises its secret blend of rums, orgeat, lime, almond and spiced apricot brandy.
A classic Pina Colada

Sugarhall is located at 102 Amoy Street, Singapore 069922
http://www.sugarhall.sg