Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Barceló Has Me Drinking Dominican Rum Again

With no real end in sight to the COVID-19 pandemic, I understand that people are settling in to lifestyle patterns that help them cope with the isolation, inconvenience and lack of activity brought on by the stringent requirements that keep us all safer.  One of those patterns is a less rigorous adherence to cocktail hour - what time it starts and how long it lasts.

It is true that at any given moment it is 5:00 somewhere, and with no Zoom meeting to log onto and appear sober for, that sentiment can be taken fully to heart.

The folks who rep Barceló Dominican Rum are touting the product as a fun and tasty addition to a day of worry about the coronavirus.  The line contains Barcelo Imperial Premium Blend 30 Aniversario, Barcelo Imperial Onyx, Barcelo Imperial, Barcelo Gran Añejo and Barcelo Añejo rums.  The firm provided me with a bottle of the Imperial Onyx to sample.

Barceló Imperial Onyx is a blend of different rums which are aged for ten years in former bourbon barrels with a heavy char grade.  Barceló says that other premium rums are aged in barrels graded at medium-light char.  The rum is filtered through onyx stones, which is believed to impart mysticism.  Barceló is made from the fermented juice of sugar cane, while other Dominican brands favor using molasses. The result, says Barceló, is a smoother and more well-rounded taste that showcases the true characteristics of the cane.  I don't know about the mysticism, but the taste is fabulous.  I see Onyx selling online for just north of $40.

Onyx has a rich nose which is dominated by brown sugar and oak spices, most notably vanilla.  The sip is smooth, indeed, with gorgeous honey notes and a persistent bourbon accent.  I like mine on ice - it is a wonderful sipper - but the recipes below are also worth a try, particularly the negroni.

Ron Barcelo is the third generation of the family business in the Dominican Republic.  Today, Ron Barcelo is the number one exported dark rum in the world, available in more than 70 countries worldwide.  

Cocktails

You can use the following recipes to create home cocktails, like Barcelo's Quarantini, Aged Negroni or the 1930 spritz.

BARCELO’S QUARANTINI

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Ron Barceló Dark Series

1 oz Aloe Vera Juice

½ oz fresh cucumber water

4 slices muddled cucumber

Preparation:

Muddle cucumbers.

Add all ingredients and shake well.

Garnish with cucumber slices or peel.


AGED NEGRONI

Ingredients: 

1 oz Ron Barcelo Imperial 

1 oz Antica Formula 

1 oz Campari 

Preparation: 

Pour all ingredients over ice, stir and garnish with orange peel.


1930 SPRITZ 

1 oz Ron Barcelo Platinum

2 oz Prosecco or sparkling wine

1 oz Pomegranate juice 

Preparation: 

Seve all ingredients in a champagne flute.


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