Virtuoso Life - March/April 2008 - (Page 65) Christopher Columbus first brought sugarcane to the Caribbean on his second voyage in 1493. Martinique loyal club scene, taking Caribbean rum to a whole new group of cocktail fans. Extremely clean with crisp, edgy alcohol and pure essence of sugar, it’s a lovely dry white rum that has the goods to match its good looks. The trendsetter of the lot. Saint Croix Rhum Clément French-owned Martinique is rich in sugarcane but fell on hard times in the late nineteenth century when Europe turned to cheaper sources of sugar. Homère Clément, a local official, saved what would become the Clément plantation from bankruptcy with the idea of making an island spirit from sugarcane that would rival the brandies of Cognac. His invention, rhum agricole, now enjoys its very own A.O.C. (appellation d’origine contrôlée), protected by French law. Unlike rums made from molasses (a by-product of the sugar industry), artisanal rhum agricole is still crafted from freshsqueezed cane juice, preserving the intense, herbaceous flavor of what is, botanically speaking, a type of grass. Homère’s dream of cognac-quality rum lives on in the spectacular Clément X.O. ($135), with its lush texture and smoky-toasty overtones. It’s a sipper’s delight. antigua Bambu A product of Antigua – an island perhaps better known as a luxury travel destination than as a rum island – Bambu White Rum ($50) is a relative newcomer to the scene, created by spirits industry veteran David Kanbar. (His uncle, Maurice Kanbar, is the well-known creator of SKYY vodka.) Packaged in decidedly urban garb, Bambu stands out among a more traditional array of island rums and is making inroads into the vodka- Cruzan For seven generations, members of the Nelthropp family have been involved with rum on Saint Croix, now one of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Gary Nelthropp is the latest in a long line of master distillers at Cruzan, founded in 1760, and his young children help out these days as unofficial molasses tasters, ensuring that the family tradition will continue. The brand name (properly pronounced CROO-zhan) refers to the local word for natives of the island. Unusual for a silver rum, Cruzan Estate Light Rum ($19) is actually aged for two years, then put through a proprietary filtration system, resulting in a transparent but flavorful spirit. Delicious in daiquiris. Windstar TERMS AND CONDITIONS: All fares mentioned are per person in US dollars, cruise only, based on double occupancy in category B and include nondiscountable amounts. Select fares include Early Booking Incentive (EBI) savings and Virtuoso group savings, are valid on select departures, are capacity controlled, and can change at any time. Government fees and taxes are an additional ($25-$310). A fuel surcharge is also additional and will be added to the cruise fare. Cancellation penalties apply, see brochure for details. Certain restrictions apply. Ships’ Registry: Bahamas.
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