Category: Rum

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Clarin vs. Rum

This was a pretty good pairing the other night when I went to Dr. Funk to keep working on my Rum Asylum rum list.

Clairin Communal is a really great four different clairins from small distilleries in the municipalities of Cavaillon, Baradères, Pignon, and Saint-Michel-de-l’Attalaye. Issued at a very approachable 43% ABV, the robust sugar cane juice distillate isn’t as grassy as some “agricole” style rums.

Meanwhile Angostura rum has a range of rum expressions, many of which contain added sugar.  Angostura 1919 here didn’t strike me as sweet as a I remember and is perhaps dryer than some of the others from the range. I believe this particular expression may be discontinued as I don’t see it on the Ango website.

Dr. Funk has a quarterly Rum Asylum meet-up and the next one is March 22. These events aren’t ticketed (at least not yet) and feature a rum brand with samples, education, and usually a lower cost cocktail made with one of the expressions. I expect I’ll complete Level II of the Rum Asylum by the time of this next event.

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Welcome to Sugar Town

Most spirits aficionados are aware that many rums contain added sugar. During my visit to Dr. Funk I chose two that are most noteworthy in this practice.

Planteray/Plantation 20th Anniversary XO has a base of aged Barbados rum and then adds a heavy dose of sugar, making this very easy to sip with hints of coconut. This wasn’t nearly as sweet as I remember, though still very far afield of typical Barbadian rums.

XO has a rep for being really high on those added sugar lists, but was practically dry compared to Papa’s Pilar which tasted basically like maple syrup it was so sweet. That one I didn’t finish.

Having a neat pour of rum can give you insights to the brand and understand the diversity of the rum category. Some expressions are those you return to again and again. And there are others you don’t.

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Rum Tasting at Dr. Funk

Had an impromptu visit to Dr. Funk to knock out a few more runs from the Rum Asylum rum list. These were pretty good, even the Havana Club which tasted a bit more rounded than I remember.

I’d probably rank them like this:

  1. Coruba
  2. Flor dr Caña
  3. Rhum Barbancourt
  4. Diplomatico
  5. Havana Club

I need to get busy and finish the level II list before the next quarterly meetup in March.

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Inuhele 2026 Seminar Slides

(Nearly) Everything You Know about Rum in a Mai Tai is Wrong

While the Mai Tai was born with a long-aged pot-still Jamaica rum, over decades the Trader used rums from various islands and styles to produce Mai Tais for different purposes. Learn how the rums and recipe for the Mai Tai evolved over the years and how changing up the rum can make your Mai Tai more palatable for your guests.

Think you know everything about rum in a Mai Tai? Prepare to have your assumptions challenged.

View the Slides

The (De)Evolution of the Hawaiian Mai Tai

Everyone is familiar with the iconic Hawaiian Mai Tai that features pineapple juice and a dark rum float. This popular variant of the Mai Tai is quite different from the original 1944 Mai Tai created at Trader Vic’s.

So, when did the Mai Tai in Hawaii become the “Hawaiian Mai Tai” we know today? It is actually far later than the myths you might have heard. Learn more about this iconic cocktail and how it evolved over the years based on contemporaneous reports and published recipes.

View the Slides

 

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Back to the Asylum

With extended visits to many Halloween and Holiday themed bars, travel to Europe, and family visits, it has been a long time since we visited downtown San Jose for some rum tasting from the Rum Asylum rum list at Dr. Funk Rum House.

The three rums this time including Cruzan Hurricane rum, an 137 proof firebomb that’s best tried in a cocktail. Better for me were Batiste Agricole and Damoiseau VSOP, two cane juice rums from French departments Martinique and Guadeloupe respectively. These were much more interesting and tasty to sip on.

Dr. Funk recently announced they’re doing a “Fortune Meets Romance” theme for February, incorporating both Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day. These pop-ups are fun, and popular with the downtown San Jose cocktail crowd, though I’d love to see Dr. Funk be known more for just being a great tiki bar.

We also heard the long-anticipated food menu revamp is coming soon, so stay tuned for updates.

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Mai Tai Seminars at Inuhele: Atlanta’s Tiki Weekend

There are still tickets available for Inuhele: Atlanta’s tiki weekend, January 23-25.

This will be our first trip to Inuhele and I’ll be presenting two Mai Tai seminars, updated and refreshed for 2026! We’re excited to present to a Southeast audience, and having a Trader Vic’s in town is a huge plus.

Are you attending Inuhele? Leave a note and let’s be sure to meet up.

If you’re local, leave any touring tips in the comments.