Cane Roots

We’re here to elevate the appreciation of rum - its rich history, the craftsmanship involved in making a fine spirit and combining these with a passion for the taste itself. Cane Roots is Rum. Redefined.

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Cane Roots turned 4 today!

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A friend brought me this Clarke’s Court Special Dark rum from Grenada where she vacationed recently. I haven’t had many Grenadian rums and was researching the distillery when I found this hilarious commercial. I couldn’t stop laughing and wanted to share it with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Clarke’s Court claims to be the largest and best known distillery in Grenada and they have been in operations since 1937. They have many other products and I really can’t wait to discover more. While the Special Dark Rum is not particularly complex, it is remarkably smooth and easy to drink. I has a slightly bitter finish that doesn’t detract from how pleasing it is. I wish I had a few more bottles to share. 

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Who doesn't need a fantastic home bar! What a great list.

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This looks so delicious. Can't wait to try it!

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It's been a while, but right now we are getting back to the roots of this blog; tasting rum. Good friends recently brought me a bottle of Angostura Rum from Trinidad when they went home for vacation. I've never had this rum before, but I'd heard of it. The brand was established in 1824 and the label carries a picture of a butterfly because, as it says on the bottle, "the sugar cane is only ready for making rum once it's been kissed by a butterfly." Incidentally, The House of Angostura is also the maker of the famous bitters of the same name. 

This 7-year aged rum has the sweetness that you'd expect from a rum, and is rather smooth. It's very easy to drink and I expect it would be a hit at a party, even around professed "non-rum drinkers." 

Grab a bottle and a few friends to taste this while you plan your trip to Carnival 2015!

Drink strong, live long!

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Shopping on the island of St. Thomas there are many luxury items to tantalize you. Everything can be found duty free. Tiffany’s, Louis Vuitton and David Yurman to name a few. I love Little Switzerland. Last year they launched Walgreens and Home Depot has been a staple on the island for a few years.

Here are some of my staples in KMart!! Nice!

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These are pictures of the breathtaking view as my flight brought me closer to landing in St. Thomas for an early autumn trip.

As I step off the plane it's raining. A warm tropical shower wets my skin and this feels like home already. This vacation is just beginning and I am already looking forward to drinking lots of Cruzan Rum, going to new places, eating delicious food, discovering new bartenders, tasting new drinks and, of course, lots of stories await me...

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Foursquare Rum Distillery tour

On a balmy Bajan afternoon driving through St. Phillip parish we headed to Foursquare Rum Distillery. As soon as we arrived there it began to rain, then as quickly it stopped. Typical Caribbean weather, it wets your skin just enough to feel the coolness of water, then the sun takes back over. 

Luckily we'd just made the last scheduled tour of the day. Our guide began the tour by taking us into the fermentation room. Inside that room there were three life-sized, beautiful, black & white archival photos of cane workers. Really lovely and evocative. 

The next stop was the distillation room. The copper pot still, where the rum is distilled, was very impressive and still quite shiny. After distillation Caribbean rum is aged in old whiskey barrels, and in the barreling room we saw the re-charred Jack Daniel's bourbon barrels that had been dated for 2014 rum. Recycling well done! In the far corner of the barreling room there were huge silver vats full of a particularly well-known rum brand that Foursquare also produces. 

We then moved into the tasting room where I tried R.L. Seale, 3 varieties of Doorly’s, Foursquare, E.S.A.F and Spiced Rum. All neat with water as a chaser. 

I left the tour with a few small bottles of Foursquare Rum to give as gifts. Rum is a great gift from travelers, so much better than a t-shirt! Unless the t-shirt says "I've been rumming...!"

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West Indies Rum Distillery tour - Barbados

At first glance as one approaches this distillery from the road of St. Michael’s Parish in Barbados you would think that this was a small operation.

Think again. And welcome to the home of Cockspur Rum. 

I’d reached out to them before I traveled to arrange a private tour of the distillery. Since I’m not in Barbados as often as I’d like I couldn’t pass up a chance to see how Cockspur was produced.

We were met by the factory rep at the main office where we were briefed on safety procedures and given hard hats. Every staff member I passed smiled warmly, but the production manager, Don Benn, was who lead me through the intricacies of rum refinement and production. And he was quite thorough.

Our first stop was where the molasses came in,then through the intricate details of the fermentation process. I inhaled molasses that smelled so sweet it made me euphoric. That smell always brings me back to my childhood in Guyana. 

I was completely fascinated with the central processing computer room. It surveyed the distillery in real time and could easily identify any glitch in the process from beginning to end. We next toured the lab which, involves quality control and smell testing for each batch of rum. Every batch can be segmented according to the smell. I was also fascinated by the fact that the West Indies Rum Distillery distilled several different labeled rum that is marketed under different names that appeal to different segments of the spirit market.

It was illuminating and exciting to uncover so much about rum production, and I know that I’ve just scratched the surface. So exciting!

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Music, rum stories and new friends!

It was a lovely summer afternoon at the Columbus Museum in Columbus, Georgia. Old and new museum members gathered on the lawn to picnic, enjoy live music and taste Eldorado Rum, courtesy of Cane Roots and Demerara Distilleries.

One of the most fascinating parts of visiting a new place and getting to know people are the stories they tell. Everyone was quite curious about the El Dorado brand because most attendees had never heard of it, let alone tried it. Here are some vignettes I recall from that afternoon:

“My wife and I went to Jamaica for our honeymoon and stayed at Roundhill, it was the first time we’d tried rums other than Bacardi, and they were great! We tasted lot of local rum and we did the Appleton Rum tour.”

"I’d never tried other rums until I visited the Domincan Republic. I liked Brugal and there was one other that began with B…”

“My husband and traveled to St. Martin and we tried some French rums, they were really good…”

“We sat many a night in Antigua, watching the stars and drinking rum…”

I really enjoyed listening to people’s rum experiences while filling their glasses with rum and taking in the wonderful lawn party. The reason I started Caneroots is to help people broaden their rum vocabulary and palate. I felt quite successful that day.  Priceless!

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On Friday August 22nd we shared El Dorado Rum with Columbus, Georgia at the Columbus Museum opening for Najee Dorsey. Both the 3-year old and 12-year old blends were available to taste. They were served neat which allowed tasters to compare the different colors and tastes. 

Sonia explained to the guests that rum begins as a clear liquid after distillation, and that the aging in oak barrels is what gives it the rich amber color and smoothness. 

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BAJAN BOTTLE SERVICE This bottle service is like no experience you've ever had! Friendly flair, music, chill people and price that cannot be beat! Bajan culture, nice...

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Mt Gay's new Black Barrel Rum @ CR Salon

July 19-20 CR Salon launched a pop-up gallery for Black Art in America. The launch party included a rum tasting where we presented Mount Gay Rums from Barbados, the land of beautiful windmill ruins. We featured the Eclipse, Extra Old and Black Barrel selections, all of which were mixed by their Master Blender Allen Smith.

This was my first time tasting the Black Barrel and this is an amazing new small-batch, handcrafted blend. The aroma is intoxicating and the freshness of sugarcane runs through. The taste is smooth…with just enough sweetness. Definitely best enjoyed neat and sipped slowly.

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On my recent trip to Barbados one evening we traveled to an upscale Bajan Rum Shop.

It is called the Watering Hole, and if you know Barbados, it can be found just before you turn onto St. Lawrence Gap. On the left if you are traveling towards Oistins. Before I arrived I was told that this rum shop is not a traditional rum shop.  

One thing that immediately struck me is that the owners must really love Absolut Vodka because Absolut bottles, posters and promotional signage is favored both inside and outside of the establishment, incorporated into the pretty green and white decor. Reggae music filtered throughout at a very loud volume. 

I asked our bartender, Jason, what rums were available. Of course he mentioned Cockspur and Mount Gay, but I decided to try Old Brigand Rum which is produced by Four Square Distillery. Old Brigand is quite popular in Barbados and my daughter Jordan said “it is great on the rocks.”

We enjoyed it over great conversation and peanuts, as cars and buses zipped on the road no more than three feet from us.

https://www.facebook.com/dwateringhole

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Friday August 22nd Cane Roots will present an El Dorado Rum tasting in the garden at The Columbus Museum. This rum tasting will be a part of the opening festivities for:

Leaving Mississippi -- Reflections on Heroes and Folklore: 

Works by Najee Dorsey  

Exhibition will run August 21, 2014 - January 4, 2015 

@ The Columbus Museum

1251 Wynnton Road, Columbus, GA  31906

Phone: [phone] 

https://www.facebook.com/caneroots

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Black Art In America has covered Cane Roots® on their website. We recently launched a Pop-Up gallery at the CR Salon, where we continue to showcases works of BAIA member artists from now through February 15, 2015.

Viewings are by appointment only, to schedule a time contact [email protected] or [email protected].

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The Park 112 in Harlem - Dark and Stormy

On Sunday we stopped by The Park 112, a relatively new restaurant in Harlem on 112th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd. We were coming from a cookout, so I wasn't very hungry, but I felt like a refreshing cocktail and there was a very interesting looking Dark and Stormy with Ron Zacapa 23 year rum, chai tea and lime juice. 

It was a particularly well-balanced cocktail, with just enough sweet to balance that premium rum, definitely something I'd go back to The Park 112 for. 

thepark112.com