Darren Fabian has been in the spirits game for a long time. A bartender by trade with over twenty years in the industry, he’s seen and made many a drink. Now the general manager for both Alloy and Candela Lounge, he spends less time behind the bar but still appreciates a quality drink. We chat with Darren about Cuban rum, its origins and recipes to try on your own.
Darren Fabian is the general manager of Canadela Lounge and Alloy.
Calgary is Awesome: Why should people care about rum?
Darren Fabian: We’ve all gone through the vodka phase. Whiskey and bourbon were huge for a while. Last year was gin with a lot of new brands coming into the market. So now it’s time for the rum cycle to have its turn too. For me, rum is the last great, undiscovered spirit.
C.I.A.: Why should we try rum cocktails?
DF: There are a lot of rum cocktails, but people don’t know they are rum cocktails. Everyone drinks a daiquiri, but they don’t think of it as a rum cocktail. The same with mojitos, tradewinds, planter’s punch – these are all rum drinks that people know by name, but they don’t know it’s a rum cocktail. It’s the resurgence of rum. Rum is a very old spirit.
C.I.A.: Where does rum come from?
DF: Rum comes from raw cane liquor which is essentially “sugar white lightning.”It gets refined through different aging processes that really takes on a character of its own. There’s not as much regulation with rum as with other spirits. So the country that the rum is from can go through a completely different process. So Cuba is different than Jamaica and so on.
C.I.A.: Why is Cuban rum so popular?
DF: Cuban rum has the most recognizable flavor profile than any other country that does rum. What makes Cuban rum one of the upper echelons is because of the sugar cane. They have that perfect mix of island climate, the right style of cane that was brought over with Columbus. The island is the right size, it’s got the right kind of volcanic soil, the right amount of daylight hours, the sea breeze. It just works perfectly there. Unfortunately, there are a lot of Cuban rums that you’ll never be able to try unless you go to Cuba. Havana Club is one of the few authentic Cuban rums left. The method is what makes the quality.
C.I.A.: What is the difference between dark rum and white rum?
DF: The longer you age a rum, the darker it gets. With a liquor like Havana Club white rum that’s been aged three years it has a golden color instead of being clear. You can see the wood starting to take effect but it still has the lightness of a white rum. It’s not a super imposing flavor like a seven year or even a twelve year that will be much, much darker and has a much more substantial flavor. A three year rum is an ideal mixer as it isn’t going to overpower the ingredients you’re going to use with it. You still get the rum flavor but still taste the rest of your ingredients.
C.I.A.: So does darker mean better?
DF: So while darker means older, it doesn’t necessarily mean better. It depends on what you are looking for. If you want a bold product to sip on, you will wait for the aged product because you will get more substantial flavours and you’ll play with it a little longer. Rum starts off as cane liquor, but once you get it in the barrel that’s where the change happens. As the water evaporates, there’s more contact with the air in the barrel so that really changes your flavor too. So that’s where it takes on some of the more woody characteristics. With a slow aged rum you can always smell things like vanilla come through because of the aging process in the wood.
C.I.A.: What do you like to put in your rum cocktails?
DF: We use a lot of different tropical fruits and spices. So for example, we use items like pineapple and cardamom, which gives it a zesty punch feel rather than trying to hide it with cola.
So that would be a ‘no’ to plain rum-and-cokes?
DF: I don’t recommend it. If you are going to invest in a high-quality slow aged rum, taste it.
Here are some rum recipes that Darren showed us how to make at home. They’re easy to make and even more fun to drink. Cheers!
“La Amante” rum cocktail drink (left), Havana (right)
“Havana”
1.5 oz Havana Club 3 Year Old Aged White Rum
0.5 oz Pernod
1 oz honey water (honey mixed with hot water in a 1:1 ratio)
4 oz pineapple juice
Lime
Orange
- Squeeze two lime wedges and half of an orange into a mixing glass. Add the rest of the ingredients. Shake and strain into a tall glass with ice.
COCKTAIL TIP: A drink should not have more than six ingredients as you will likely end up masking the flavours of the liquor. Let the age of the rum come through!
“La Amante”
1oz Havana Club 3 Year Old Aged White Rum
1 oz Triple sec
0.5 oz simple syrup
2 oz cranberry juice
Fresh or frozen raspberries
Lime
- Crush a handful of raspberries with two lime wedges. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake over ice. Double strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lime wheel.
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