Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/376390
124 / the tasting panel / september 2014 LINE EXTENSIONS trate with their macadamia nut-flavored white rum, distills it down to 80-proof and the process is complete. Nigbur enjoys Red Head neat, on the rocks, just as he enjoys the white rum. "It's also a great Mai Tai topper and makes an unbelievable Lava Flow cocktail." As for Hagar, he's a big fan of Red Head over ice. "Lemon goes really well with it—especially Meyer lemon— poured over ice with an orange or lemon peel. It's just the most wonderful sipping thing," he says. "You could put some club soda in it as well or squeeze some lemon in there and make a kind of Campari and soda." Both rums are versatile and can be enjoyed neat. In a mixed drink, they over-deliver. Hagar is a staunch believer that his rum owes everything to the Hawaiian environment. "It's the sugarcane grown right there in Hawaii. It's in the ground for two years, and it becomes so rich because it just absorbs all those tropical elements—they just sink into that porous soil and that cane is just loaded with those flavors," he says. "I pick it and eat it raw from all over the island and it tastes so good. People always ask about how the rum is made, and I tell them we don't do any- thing. We just use good ingredients." Hagar's rums are made for people like him, who want complexity in their glass—a sense of time and place, and this is rum that's based on the prin- ciples of terroir, befitting a man who's been a serious wine collector since the 1970s. "You can smell the flowers and tropical fruits and pollen floating in that Maui air. It's right there in every glass, and the education that I've had from drinking great wines is what informs my ability to pick out those scents. I can walk into a room and if there's food cooking, I can tell you what the ingre- dients are—I have a good palate and good nose, and that's a gift. Let me put it to you like this: when you're driving down A16 in Italy, you smell everything that's in the air—the anise, the grapes, the roses—all the same aromatics that come through in a glass of Barolo. When you're driving down the Hanna Highway in Hawaii, stick your head out the window, because you're gonna smell my rum." Hawaiian Locals Every year, the Royal Lahaina Resort in Maui hosts an annual Mai Tai festival, and for the last three years, Sammy's Beach Bar Rum has been the festival's star and prime component. "We get such positive feedback from the mixologists about the quality of the rum," says Liz Bell, Director of Marketing at Hawaiian Hotels and Resorts, "and what we love is that it's sourced and made here on the islands—a local, super-quality product and a great spokesman to boot! We only require that they use the white rum during the competition, but we encourage use of Red Head, especially because of the locally sourced macadamia nuts." Nigbur's distillery is right down the road from the hotel, so he comes by often to work with Food and Beverage Director Braulio Andaluz to train the staff on how best to use the white and red rums. "It's great to work with Mark and Sammy," says Andaluz; "they work with us to offer the perfect recipes that fit our program and the tropical vibe and fresh cuisine we dish up." Sammy's Beach Bar Red Head is currently featured in two drinks on the menu. The Maui Mama ◗ 1 oz. Sammy¹s Beach Bar Rum ◗ ½ oz. coconut syrup ◗ 1 oz. orange juice ◗ 2 oz. pineapple juice ◗ 1 oz. Sammy's Beach Bar Red Head Macadamia Nut Flavored Rum (topper) ◗ Stir together and pour over ice. Top with Sammy's Red Head and garnish with pineapple wedge. The Sam-my Tai at Royal Lahaina Resort in Maui. The Sam-my Tai ◗ 1 oz. Sammy¹s Beach Bar Rum ◗ ½ oz. orgeat ◗ ½ oz. simple syrup ◗ ½ oz. orange curaçao ◗ 1 oz. fresh lime juice ◗ 1 oz. Sammy's Beach Bar Red Head Macadamia Nut Flavored Rum (topper) ◗ Shake all the ingredients together, pour over ice and top with Sammy's Red Head. Garnish with pineapple wedge, lime wedge and fresh mint. Braulio Andaluz is the Beverage Director at the Royal Lahaina Resort in Maui.