The Minty’s Spirits Week: Worthy Park Jamaican Rum

 

Let’s go traveling with The Minty’s Spirits Weeks! I hear it’s really nice in Jamaica! Plus … they have rum.

I’ve become interested in rum lately and in particular, Jamaican rum. I’ve enjoyed learning about all the different rum houses and was introduced to Worthy Park Estate by way of Habitation Velier, an independent bottler which bottles a couple of Worthy Park rums.

I attended a tasting in the summer at Normandie Club for Worthy Park which produces a line of rums under their Rum-Bar brand as well as an eponymous one. I also tasted the Rum-Bar silver at BevCon also earlier this summer. Back Bar Project imports the Rum-Bar and Worthy Park Estate rums to the States.

Worthy Park has produced rum since the 1740s but stopped in 1962. It resumed production after a new distillery was built in 2005 and the first rums were on the market by 2007.

I tried the Rum-Bar white overproof, silver and gold neat first. We also tried the Worthy Park single estate.

Then we had Normandie Club’s wonderful cocktails. Every now and then I’ll order a rum Manhattan but this one was beyond measure! Combined with sherry and brandy, this Manhattan packed a punch. I loved the touch of creme de cacao as well.

Manhattan – Rum Bar gold rum, Lustau East India solera sherry, Brandy de Jerez solera reserva, creme de cacao, Angostura bitters

 

Actually, all the drinks were delicious. The daiquiri is one of my favorite drinks. For a simple drink, sometimes it’s surprisingly hard for bars to get it right. Not over at Normandie though. They’ve done variations of classics very well and this one with the overproof was fantastic. I liked the banana liqueur as well. You really can’t go wrong with Giffard banane.

Daiquiri – Rum Bar overproof rum, Giffard banane liqueur, pineapple, lime

 

The swizzle was beautiful. It was like a sunset or a popsicle from my childhood. But it wasn’t too sweet though. The bitterness of the Campari helped balance all the tropical notes. I would almost call this a modern tiki drink.

Swizzle – Rum Bar silver rum, Lillet rose, Amaro Angeleno, Campari, cinnamon and passion fruit syrup, lime

 

Keep an eye out for Worthy Park. It was nice to learn not all Jamaican rums need to be funky, just fun and delicious.

 

Worthy Park

Back Bar Project

 

The Normandie Club

3612 W 6th St., Los Angeles, CA 90020  — (213) 817-5321

 

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