Credits: Article and images by Ken Gargett @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2023/12/17/book-review-modern-caribbean-rum-by-matt-pietrek-and-carrie-smith/
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Matt describes himself as a ‘spirits industry author, historian, consultant, and rum nerd’. His wife Carrie is the support system, and also behind the extensive photographs in the publication. Between them, nothing is left to the imagination.
Matt does note that there may be a few tiny distilleries that did not make it into the book and one distillery chose not to assist. But otherwise, consider this as comprehensive. But it is far more than just information on distilleries.
The book has already won, deservedly, the ‘2023 Spirited Awards, Best New Book on Drinks, Culture, History or Spirits’.
The first thing you are going to notice about this book is its size. It is massive. Indeed, carry it around for a bit and forget about the gym for the next week. 830 pages. 3.6 kilograms.
The book kicks off with sections on what is rum, its history, classification of rums, and then addresses the many misconceptions of the spirit. We then move to the making of rum, through every stage. If you could not make your own rum after this, you are simply not trying.
He then tackles a more prickly sector, the business of rum. Finally, the bulk of the book addresses the various islands (and relevant parts of the mainland) and producers/distilleries. Twenty locations are covered and more than some seventy producers or so.
My first reaction, on finally getting hold of a copy, was to settle back outside near the beach in a couch with a good cigar and a glass of Foursquare rum, the 2010 if one wanted to be specific. Foursquare are one of my very favorite distillers and it was a perfect way to start exploring.
Naturally, I went straight to the section of Foursquare. Despite having written about that very distillery myself, it was enlightening to learn so much more.
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Credits: Article and images by Ken Gargett @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2023/12/17/book-review-modern-caribbean-rum-by-matt-pietrek-and-carrie-smith/