LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2021

INSIDE SCOOP

Rum 101 SEASONAL SIPS STYLE GUIDE Distilled from molasses or sugar cane juice, rum is produced mostly in the Caribbean and Latin America. Its flavour profile is greatly influenced by the colonization of the area in the 16th and 17th centuries. Let’s look at the three main styles.

From light, unaged Cuban to funky 12-year-old Jamaican, rum offers more styles than any other liquor. It stars in a wide range of iconic cocktails, and it has great value to boot. Here is a short guide to this special spirit.

Colour wheel While it’s difficult to neatly classify rum by colour, here is the basic trio.

Spanish Produced in countries such as Cuba, Puerto Rico and Vene- zuela, these rums are made in column stills and then heavily filtered, which yields a lighter, smoother, more approach- able spirit. There is a reason it’s the most popular style of rum! Havana Club 7 Year Old LCBO 53140, $36.95 English English-style rum is a combi- nation of column- and pot-still rums, with the latter lending more richness and spice. De- pending on the blend, these rums can range from light to bold, and they’re found in countries such as Guyana,

White Either unaged or lightly aged rum that has been heavily filtered. Top drink: Daiquiri

Amber Rum aged in oak barrels. It gets darker, smoother and more complex with time. Top drink: Mai Tai

Dark Rum aged in charred oak barrels, often with the addition of caramel or molasses. Top drink: Dark ’n’ Stormy

CACHAÇA 101 Distilled from Brazilian sugar cane juice, this rum-like spirit is the key ingredient in a Caipirinha.

Bermuda and Trinidad. El Dorado 12 Year Old LCBO 60608, $45.95

NOVEMBER COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

Spiced Daiquiri While a tart, green Daiquiri is an alfresco drink at heart, the versatile classic can be easily winterized for sipping by the fireplace. For our Spiced Daiquiri (recipe on page 254), we replace mild white rum with a robust aged variety, and instead of simple syrup, we use wildflower honey infused with mulling spices. The proverbial cherry on top is an aromatic garnish of a lime wedge studded with cloves. Shake up a few for cocktail hour, and pair them with our saucy Mini Tostadas with Pulled Chicken & Pineapple (recipe on page 257). Visit lcbo.com/fdcocktail to watch this drink being made.

Jamaican While technically an English style, Jamaican rum has such a distinct funkiness it de- serves its own classification. It’s made in pot stills, which are responsible for its aggres- sive personality. The robust variety is often balanced with softer rums in cocktails.

Appleton Estate 12-Year-Old Rare LCBO 14355, $48.95

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HOLIDAY 2021 FOOD & DRINK