There must be some reason why these pirates of the high seas, swinging their cutlasses and cursing at their hard lives and hard living and fighting and loving, went so strongly for this dark-brown, heavy boiled liquor called rum. There must be some reason why rum’s history saw men like Sir Henry Morgan, Spanish explorers of the New World, smugglers, pirates and dur-ing the recent Prohibition era, “rum-runners.” One finds it had to picture a bottle of rum without getting the feeling of the romantic hard living and hard men and hard loving which helped to open the New World: or tropical islands with Spanish- and French- and English-speaking sailors.
Yet today the drink of the pirates fits just as boldly and naturally in the hearts of modern drinking habits, as it did for the hearty seamen, with such ever popular drinks as the zombie and the Daiquiri Cocktail, or just the old pirate stand-by—a straight bottle of rum.
There is nothing more delightful, pleasant to the taste, or versatile to the bartender, than rum; there isn’t a thing that can’t be downed with this liq-uor of the pirates, when it comes to mixing new and delightful taste treats. It can be used in cooking, as well as drinking; it can be taken straight, it can be mixed with wines, other liquors and liqueurs, fruit juices of all kinds or used as a flavoring for candies, cakes or food.
Rum is a product which is distilled from the fermented juices of sugar cane or any other by-product of sugar or molasses. It is an alcoholic bever-age whose origin has been somewhat faded to time, but still believed to have deriver from a far Asian country; still, wherever it did originate, there is no doubt about where it is loved and drunk and produced today, or the romantic history which it became a part of during the opening of the New World, and later at the time in American history when it was illegal to pro-duce and sell and type or kind of liquor for public use.
There are several stories related to the origin of the name rum, any of which could have some truth to them. One tells of the swashbuckling ad-venturers who called it “rumbustion” and “Rumbullion”; and another claims it was named for Admiral Vernon who saved his men from dying of scurvy by giving them this new East Indian beverage in place of their daily beer ration.
Still, there is even a more logical seeming answer to how it was named, in the story which is believed by many people still living in the tropics: it is said that thousands of years ago the Hindus had a work for sugar, sakkara, which was later changed for Latin use into saccharum. When man and sci-ence and drinkers got their heads together to create something new and ex-citing for the drinking public they came up with the word “rum” by just dropping the first six letters of this Latin word for sugar. All in all it would seem possible that each story might be, in some degree, part of the truth. But today it doesn’t really matter much which is or isn’t the full truth, for regardless of what you call it, there is nothing like this drink of the pirates in the world.
Rum is basically cheap to produce and in countries like Mexico, can be bought for as little as $1.25 a fifth. But a good bottle can be obtained here in the States for something close to four dollars on up to nine dollars a fifth (depending on brand, type, color, aroma, strength, texture and age). There are hundreds of brands and about a dozen types of rum, but this never con-fuses the expert, for he learns to enjoy each and every type, by themselves or combined together and with other liquors and liqueurs and fruit juices. One thing most people don’t realize is that blending several types of rum and kinds and brands of rum, makes the drink much better. Instead of just using one kind of rum, the secret is to use several types, giving the drink a fuller, richer and more well-rounded flavor.
Each brand naturally has its own standards and levels of quality, but even then there are only the following popular types—and sometimes these will be different in degree of quality. Barbados, Cuban, Demerara, Jamai-can, Martinique, New England, Puerto Rican, Virgin Islands, Haitian, Habañero, Philippine, Batavia Arak, Trinidad, and Venezuelan. Unlike oth-er spirits, Rum can be bought with as high a proof as 151 (200 proof would be 100% alcohol), which is used as a topping for Zombies and other rum drinks of this type. Rum comes dark or light; the darker many times being heavier in body, yet this is not always the rule, since the difference can also be only in the coloring which has been added to darken it.
A good grade rum is a delight to taste when taken straight in a liqueur or shot glass. Sipped slowly, it reveals its inner perfection and own indi-vidual taste. But, also several rums can be combined to make a blend of each of their flavors, giving an all-over effect which is even more delightful and rewarding.
In the mixing of Rum punches and zombies one quickly discovers the need of having several brands and types and proofs of run. Generally such drinks will be Puerto Rican, Jamaican, Demerara and Cuban; the most common rums used and sometimes Virgin Islands rum will be called for. This does not mean a person shouldn’t use some of the others, if they are on hand. In fact, it is a good idea, when making a rum drink, to first mix a “rum-base”. What you do is to combine the rums together beforehand and then after finding out the amount of liquor the drink calls for, measuring an equal proportion of the “rum-base”—it not only makes the drink easier to mix, but also gives it your own personal touch.
There are several advantages in mixing a rum drink, rather than buying the many rum fruit mixes being marketed today. One it that you can make a strong, but good tasting cocktail or punch or cooler or Collins or zombie, and it will be hard to tell it from fruit juice or soft drinks. Or you can make one hell of a knock-out bomb, and all you think you are drinking is some-thing delightfully strong, rummy-tasting—until it hits you (or the girl) like an atomic bomb! Also, rum will mix with almost any other liquor or liqueur or fruit juice so beautifully that one would think they had originally been created to be blended together.
In the mixing of any good rum drink, as with any other drink, it is nec-essary to follow only a few easy to remember rules:
1. Always pour the liquors over the ice. This will chill the liquor with-out watering it down any more than necessary.
2. Chill your glasses first—before mixing drinks.
3. Serve icy drinks as quickly as possible to avoid dilution.
4. Use fresh fruit, if possible.
5. Get the best liquor you can afford.
6. Stir drinks only, never shake—unless told to do so.
There are other fine points in the mixing of drinks and the know ledge comes in time, for it is in the Personal touch of your own taste and creative ability.
Any bar book will tell you how to mix a good Daiquiri or a Ruin Col-lins, Rum Sour, Planter’s Punch, Rum Ricky, Rum Gimlet, Hot Toddy Rum, Hot Buttered Rum, Tom and Jerry or Rum and 7-Up. What they won’t tell you is how to mix some of the following rum delights which have been found, by the author, to be some of the most exciting experienc-es into the delights of drinking pleasure, and the sensual pleasure which the women are anxious to give in reward for the good drink they have been served with. All of them should be made with the highest quality liquor and the freshest of fruit and fruit juice—don’t use canned juice if you are able to get fresh juice.
Two simple drinks are Coconut & Rum and Ginger Rum. The Coconut & Rum is but a combination of one jigger of any rum which you might like with the addition of coconut milk; they should be poured over ice, gar-nished with a cherry and sipped through a straw. The second drink, Ginger Rum, is made up of one ounce of Ginger Brandy and one jigger light Cu-ban rum. Pour over ice cubes in high-ball glass, add two teaspoons of gren-adine and then fill with soda. Sip through straws and garnish with cherry. Both drinks ~re simple to make and delightful to drink.
If you ant something for the hot afternoon, which is little stronger, try a Caribbean Cooler. This is not only relaxing but also a drink which every-body will want to have more of. And naturally this calls for seconds which will please any bartender, for he knows that he’d done what he set out to do in the first place—and the woman ill be soon quite willing to show her delight, by delighting him with the
curving giving softness of her body and kisses. The drink is simple enough to make, but gives the impression that you have gone to a lot of bother to produce a not only good tasting drink, but also a good looking one, too. First, take a Collins glass and fill it half full of crushed ice and then add the following: 1 ounce Puerto Rican rum, 1 ounce vodka, 1 ounce Sloe Gin, the juice of one half lime. Stir with sizzle sick until mixture is completely chilled and then fill with soda water, stir again and then add cherry, slice of lime and mint sprig. Place a couple of straws into this Caribbean Cooler, and serve. The flavor will be delicate but strong enough to disguise the liquor taste. It is a perfect choice for the per-son who doesn’t like the taste of liquor too much, but enjoys the effects.
But for the drinker who likes the flavor of liquor more or less straight, yon might try something like Jamaican Sunset. This is a pleasant blend of the national drink of Mexico, Tequila, and the produce of the isle of Jamai-ca, flavored with a touch of lemon juice and a dash of liqueur.
After filling an old fashioned glass with ice cubes, add the following:
One ounce Tequila, one jigger Jamaica Rum, juice of one-half lemon, and one ounce of Maraschino liqueur. Stir gently, fill with soda water and then garnish with a maraschino cherry. This will delight anybody who has a yearning to feel the hot passion of Mexico and Jamaica flow through their veins. It’s a fiery drink which is good on a warm evening, for it is cooling and relaxing and inwardly warming.
But there is really only one summer drink which is always thought of when one sees a bottle of rum:
The Zombie! It is a mystery drink which the owner of Don The Beach-corner restaurant seems determined to keep as a secret.
Place into a shaker several ice cubes and then add the following: one ounce White Puerto Rican rum, one ounce Jamaica rum, one ounce Dark Virgin Island rum, one ounce Demerara rum, one-half ounce apricot (or peach) liqueur, one ounce of Crème de Almond, juice of one-half lime and one ounce pineapple juice. Now shake the devil out of it until well blended and chilled. Then pour into fourteen-ounce zombie glass, quarter-filled with crushed ice. Garnish with slice of lime, a sprig of mint and one maraschino cherry. Top with a small layer (about one-eighth to a quarter inch) of 151 proof Demerara rum and then serve with straws. This will send any lovely lady into the happy hunting grounds of passion, back across time into the Caribbean and the swashbuckling days when rum was the drink of pirates.
After two of these zombies and any man will feel like lifting his beauti-ful woman into his arms and carrying her off onto the high seas (or some-place else where they will find the privacy which is so important for the survival of what wonderful feeling that can only be expressed in the arms of two people in love).
You won’t have to say, “yo-ho-ho and a bottle rum!” Since for all prac-tical effects, you’ve already had your sea-man’s quote and are adventuring on the Spanish Main, a girl in your arms, a drink in hand and love in your heart.
And all this for the price of a few bottles of rum and art of knowing how to mix and handle the drink of the hearty pirates. Good pirating; good drinking and good loving.
Hollywood as an industry is a sneaky business with as many curves as a lovely lady in heat. Everybody is seeking a way to make a move up in the climb to fame. Sometimes the play gets an unexpected payoff. Of course, sometimes a downer can be an upper. Or in this case, it could be sideways. Show-biz lifts its hungry head in this bit of…
PARTY BUSINESS?
“Say, you’re new here, aren’t you?” the woman asked, eyes fairly rak-ing over his body. All he noticed was that this female was nicely attractive; but just one of countless wannabe actresses, or mere party girls that deco-rated such affairs. How could he know she would turn out to be special?
Dan Carnes didn’t know what he was doing at the Belfort party. It was Belfort who had kept him from getting a role in that picture the man was producing. Big Name Star Johnny Belfort.
But Carnes’ agent had told him to get to that party and “ride with the punches!” and they would see what tomorrow brought in way of a part.
Well, as far as Dan was concerned you could take these so-called Hol-lywood blow-outs and shove them! He’d been to several. Women presented themselves in the best tradition of the silver screen. Low-cut, bulging breast-lines. Bleach blonde hair—unless they’d had blonde hair to begin with, and then it was red or black—tight fitting dresses created by one or another top Hollywood fashion designer and borrowed from every studio costume department. But these were the “look, but don’t touch” variety of women—except for some high class producer or director. That was the trouble; a women had an edge when it came to getting parts in movies, and if she was the type that normally ran around, she had it made.
But that was the least of Dan’s troubles. His problem was on two levels. One was frustration that no matter what he did, things seemed to end up exactly like before: failure! The other problem was connected to that: fi-nancial. He had needed that part in the Johnny Belfort new movie. And there had been no reason to be turned down. Just like all the other times, a person needed more than talent, good looks and a winning personality. You had to know someone. Without that important contact you had to take the time developing one. Like going to parties. Hollywood parties where eve-rybody stood around listening to the jokes of the big boys; laughing—even if nothing was funny…and trying to get an edge on all the other slobs who were out to beat you in the eyes of the important people.
So, around and around it all went.
“Say...you’re new here, aren’t you?” she said again. He nodded and tried to keep his eyes away from the lovely crevice between her large, creamy breasts which was almost completely revealed because of the low cut of the dress top.
“With anybody?” she asked, stepping forward. It was one of those slinky movements of her body which seemed to push her exciting round hips forward.
“I...well...” was all that he could manage.
“I’m all alone, too...in a way.” She made a sidelong glance toward a group of people who were crowding around the Big Star. “Mind keeping me company?”
That was one thing he wouldn’t mind. If there was anything which would help to cut the bitter taste of defeat from his throat, it would be a sexy young woman like this one. He let her take his arm and lead him through the room. A moment later he was surprised to find that they had stepped out onto the patio. The lighting was dim and he could hear the mu-sic of the three piece combo playing in the background.
For a long moment they stood in the semi-darkness, just looking at each other. Then she half turned away from him, her face seeming to shade slightly pink. “You have the remarkable stare,” she told him in a throaty way.
“I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. I liked it.” She turned toward him again, and then, taking hold of his hand, led him to a small table which had two patio chairs by it.
“You seem to know your way around here pretty well,” he pointed out, sitting and idly working the glass of scotch in his hands. He found it hard to look in her direction. She was far too beautiful and desirable. Naturally he’d leap in bed with her the moment she made any subtle hint that this was what she was after. But, for the moment, he had to wait, and the waiting was all the more difficult when he looked at that flowing, well built figure.
She laughed. “I’ve been around here quite a long while.”
“How’s that?”
“Let’s not ask questions about ourselves. Just enjoy the evening. The night. The dim lights and music. The cocktails. Each other. Make believe that we have known each other for a long time...that we are at the annual country dance. Maybe we’re sweethearts or lovers or married...”
He felt his insides dig slightly. There were mixed emotions rushing through him. What kind of nut had he run into this time? If he didn’t know Hollywood, he might say it was the town. But the fact was that everybody who seriously wanted to build a career was too busy building it to be “nut-ty”; regardle
ss of popular belief, it was far from a crazy industry. It was cold business spiced with big egos and big business money. There were nuts, all right. But.
“Don’t you think this is sorta fast?” he asked, taking a swallow of his drink.
“Hardly.”
“We don’t even know each other’s names.” He tried to smile.
“Oh, that’s not hard. You’re Dan Carnes and I thought you knew who I was. I’m Mrs. Johnny Belfort. But you can call me Karen.”
That one made him gulp several other swallows of his scotch.
“What the hell?” was all that he could say.
“Oh, it’s quite simple. I saw you in Johnny’s office the other day. You were too concerned with...well, other things. I know how it is with young struggling actors. And …”
“I don’t get it!”
“I wanted to meet you. It was simple to just call your agent.”
That explained a lot. Why he had been brought to this party so quickly. One moment he hadn’t known anything about it, and then the next he’d been given the good old push.
Which had landed him right in the lap of Mrs. Johnny Belfort. That would help a lot. He was suddenly mad at his agent. And a little mad at this woman. And a lot mad at himself.
But there wasn’t anything that he could do about it now. Except get out of the situation as gracefully as possible.
He stood, looking at his watch. “Oh, my God!” he exclaimed, in a voice which sounded even faked in his own ears.
“Sit down, and stop acting silly!” Karen Belfort told him in a stern voice. “Stop acting silly!”
He was surprised by the harsh quality of her words. So shocked that he did as she told him.
“You don’t think that this is just a casual pass, do you?”
She leaned across the table, looking at him for a long time. “I don’t make casual passes!”