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bar exam rum diaries IN THE PURSUIT OF LIBERTY AND HAPPINESS, I NEW ENGLANDERS MAKE A NEW RUN ON RUM. by suzanne mcgee and jessica laniewski Mixologists are bracing for patrons' revived interest in "fun" rum drinks. n the 18th century, rum was big business in New England, with 159 dis- tillers transforming molasses into the raw spirit that sailors relied on to fuel their whaling and trading voyages. These days it's the more refined rums that fill the glasses of Boston's cocktail aficionados as they flock to hot spots such as the InterContinental's RumBa, a bar dedicated to the spirit. Kate Moore, sommelier and cocktail historian at L'Espalier, says the turn to more inventive cocktails started in Boston in the past decade. "Rum drinking is absolutely on the upswing," says Moore. "Cocktail cre- ators have been experimenting with incorporating rum with different ingredients and are even making their own version of the alcohol." Historically, Boston's run on rum began post-Prohibition with the rum punch, a party drink made with orange juice and grenadine. In the '50s and '60s, bars like Cocoanut Grove and the Merry-Go-Round served tiki drinks and daiquiris, which a hopeful John F. Kennedy tossed back while awaiting election results. And of course there's the ever-popular rum-and-ginger-beer dark and stormy. Until recently, its only competition was the mojito. Now, rum cocktails have entered a new era of creativity. Jackson Cannon, owner and bar director of The Hawthorne, attributes rum's rise to the craft cocktail movement's sophisticated spin on tiki drinks. "A deeper understanding of tiki drinks as balanced, spicy, and sophisticated rum-based cock- tails has led people to something beyond the mojito," says Cannon, whose Bitter Maita'i contains rum, triple sec, orgeat, and Campari. In another local spin, InterContinental bar man- ager Gary Hermanson's Life & LiberTea contains Privateer Silver Reserve rum steeped with Earl Grey tea, as well as house-made honey syrup and fresh muddled lemons. Such exotic combinations have kept rum cocktails popu- lar with trendsetters looking for the next big thing. Of course, a breakout drink also means major business for top rum brands, which have a vested interest in making sure their rums are associated with new cocktails. Bacardi, which sells more than 240 million bottles of rum annually around the world, recently spearheaded the search for the next hit, sponsoring a global mixology competition to coincide with its 150th anniversary. And while the victory ultimately went to a New Yorker, leading up to the finals Aaron Butler for Russell House Tavern, Sabrina Kershaw for Noir and Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar, and Sam Treadway of Somerville's Backbar triumphed in Boston's Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Showcase 2011. With summer approaching, the mixologists at RumBa are embracing patrons' revived interest in "fun" drinks, crafting new versions of the Mai Tai, the Zombie, and the Pain Killer. Meanwhile, we can raise a toast to inventive rum cocktails by sipping on a Life & LiberTea, inspired by Boston's original risk takers. BC 70 bostoncommon-magazine.com Life & LiberTea from RumBa images courtesy of bacardi