Booze School - Rum

So while not a specific beverage post, Yelp KC's Booze School is so awesome it demands its own. Run by the LAB 5702 marketing team and Matt from Yelp.

Booze School is hosted at different locations around KC, each class focusing on a particular liquor. So far A is for Agave at Port Fonda, B is for Beer at Kansas City Bier Company, J is for Juleps at Julep, and this one: R is for Rum at The Kill Devil Club.

The purpose of booze school is to provide base level information in a setting where people can feel safe to ask questions and learn about different types of liquors, wine, and beer. Tickets can be purchased online!

Homer (the GM at Kill Devil Club) and Travis hosted at the lounge located at P&L in 2012. It was recently named as one of the top new US bars by Food and Wine in 2013 among other accolades. It's the best rum bar you can get to. According to the guys, Spanish settlers called rum "strong enough to kill the devil," inspiring the name for their jazz-filled bar. 

Rum is any distilled spirit made from sugarcane; although, today, all but a few are made from molasses. Styles come from what the rum is derived from (molasses, syrup, or extracted juice), the types of barrels used and the length of the aging time, the distilation process itself, and what spices and flavorings are added and the time they are added. Rum doesn't have set "rules" like other liquors, making it unique in every way - flavor, coloring, taste. 

Experts on the matter delivered information in a casual and enlightening manner - Homer and Travis really know their stuff. As a teacher, I can appreciate a well-rounded and prepared lesson that obviously has planning and effort behind it.

The discussion covered:

Rum Drinks and their Origins

- Daiquiri (1900-1920)
- Mojito (1920-1930)
- Caipirinha (1930-1940)
- Mai Tai (1940-1950)


How to Taste Spirits

- Don't smell like a wine, it's too small
- Small sip to work in all corners of the mouth
- Exhale with mouth lightly open to hit the soft palette


Bar Practice

The guys brought students behind the bar to help showcase both classic and new rum drinks. They did a great job really involving everyone and giving great technique pointers, carefully walking everyone through the creation of mojitos, a rum old-fashioned, their take on a dark and stormy - Tempest, and a frothy egg drink I can't recall the name of (I blame all the rum)*

*I looked it up: Bacchanal.

Rum Tastings

1. Plantation 3 year rum. Blend, Silver Rum: sweet, smooth, with a unique depth of flavors and character. Lightly spicy and tingly at the end. 

2. Plantation 5 year rum. Blend. Sweet smell with soft, almost coconut or vanilla flavor. Feels syrupy and smooth with a tangy spiciness. 

3. Plantation Nicaragua (1999) aged 9 years. Depth of smell, sweet and dry at first then tingly strong, acidic, lightly floral and spicy at the end.

4. Plantation Jamaica (2000). Smells fruity, tastes like a spicy fruit. Sweet, extra smooth and extremely light with a hint of light and fragrant spices. Super intense depth to the layers of flavors. 

Fleur Diable

Kill Devil Club specializes in rum punches and avant-garde techniques. 

Kill Devil Punch

1 L Don Q Light Rum
1 L El Dorado Dark Rum
1 L Batavia Arrack
1 L Cinnamon Bark Syrup
1 L Lime juice
1 L Water

Mix all ingredients. Party.


Bandulu Punch
1 L Velho Cachaca
500ml Plantation Overproof
2 L Pineapple-Coconut syrup
160z falernum
25 dashes Angostura bitters
sprigs of mint

Mix all ingredients. Party!

Rum Old Fashioned

Upcoming: N is for Negronis at Extra Virgin on Sunday, June 1.