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THE RED ROCKER Sammy Hagar: Sammy's Beach Bar Rum SAMMY'S BEACH BAR RUM THE CHAIRMAN Kenny Chesney: Blue Chair Bay Rum PHOTO COURTESY OF BLUE CHAIR BAY RUM Some people develop products in hopes of making a fortune. For others though it's an act of love. International recording artist Kenny Chesney is a sterling example of the latter. An ardent devotee of the island lifestyle, he created Blue Chair Bay Rum out of love for the spirit. "I head to the islands whenever I get the chance," says Chesney. "I was born on the beach and I feel most at home when I'm there. To me, nothing captures the natural beauty and laidback attitude of the islands than rum, which is precisely why we set out to capture the essence of the islands in a rum called Blue Chair Bay. The rum is distilled on the island of Barbados and barrel-aged 200 feet from the shore. In addition to Blue Chair Bay Premium White Rum, the range also includes Blue Chair Bay Premium Coconut Rum and Blue Chair Bay Premium Coconut Spiced Rum. "We used the oldest distillery in Caribbean," adds Chesney. "I think you can taste the history in the barrels and the sea and sun in the air in every bottle." BLUE CHAIR BAY RUM See our UpFront story on Blue Chair Bay on page 5. —Ed. PHOTO: JOHN CURLEY The brainchild behind Cabo Wabo Tequila—ex-Van Halen rocker Sammy Hagar—has done it again. This time the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has turned his attention to his other spirited passion, rum. His ambition was to create a silver rum with loads of flavor and style. The result is superpremium Sammy's Beach Bar Rum. As the song goes, "one sip and you'll surrender." The pot-distilled Hawaiian rum is made at Haliimaile Distillery using the first pressing of virgin Maui Gold sugarcane. According to Hagar the cane grows in "the middle of nowhere" and its roots absorb from the soil the flavors of tropical fruits that grow on the island. The rum maker, Master Distiller Mark Nigbur, considers the area one of the finest growing regions in the world for sugarcane. "When I tasted the rum from the first sample batch it was all over," explains Hagar. "I knew I wanted to make this rum for my friends, for my fans and for anyone that loves rum. I wanted to show that a white rum can be at a sipping straight quality level." Yo, Sammy! Okole maluna! tion with the sea. As tiki icon Don the Beachcomber often professed, 'What one rum can't do, three can.'" The Rum Fraternity Hard work also seems a major element of the mega-trend. Behind most genuinely successful rums there exists an individual who has made the commitment to propel the brand to excellence, who has coddled the spirit from inception, launch and distribution, or has accepted the role as steward of a family legacy. One such individual is Gustavo Ortega Zeller master rum maker , and descendant of the founder of the Dominican Republic's national treasure, Brugal Rum. "The biggest challenge taking the reins of a multigenerational company is an emotional one. You, of course, want to run a successful, growing business with integrity. But the family's name is on every bottle. Most importantly, you don't want to be the one who allowed anything to diminish that on your watch. You want to build something that can stand on the shoulders of the generations before you with pride." Phil Prichard is the Dean of American rums. Few people, here or abroad, have done more to rejuvenate the category than the Master Distiller from Kelso, Tennessee. "In the Colonial days, rum was America's beverage of choice, easily outselling beer, brandy or wine. I became intrigued with recreating the style of rum that was popular with our founding fathers." After extensive research Prichard became convinced that the rums of 106 / the tasting panel / november 2013 TP1113_066-107.indd 106 10/24/13 9:25 AM