A Rum Old Fashioned of Volcanic Proportions
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At the foot of volcanic Mount Pelée, where the forest meets the sea, lies the small settlement of Macouba. There you'll find little to speak of aside from the Distillerie Fonds-Préville, perhaps the most picturesque distillery on the island of Martinique, and the home of Rhum JM. JM is one of the most beloved producers of Rhum Agricole - fresh cane juice rum produced in Martinique. We have wanted to feature a Rhum JM Old Fashioned in our club since its inception - its a favorite of many a B&B staff member - but we just hadn't found the recipe that set itself apart from a typical old fashioned.
Enter JM's line of bitters, in particular the Cacao Forastero. Made with the cacao variety of the same name that are grown just one town over from JM's home in Macouba, they are some of the most unique and delicious chocolate bitters we've sampled. Alongside the local cacao beans, they also feature peanuts, coffee, sarsaparilla branch, lime zest, vanilla, and cinnamon, all infused into a base of JM rum.
These bitters are a great pairing with a number of rums, but it just so happens we loved them with another great bottle from JM: the Épices Créole from their cocktail-centric L'atelier des Rhums series - a rum aged for 3 years in toasted French and American oak, bringing out spiced flavors of vanilla bean, gingerbread, honey, chili, pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The signature Martinique grassiness provides a nice base, but is very faint - creating a distinct twist on Agricole style rum. The focus on the flavors that the cask treatment brings out make it a great choice for a stirred cocktail, and the Cacao bitters especially. It seemed fitting to give the drink a name evoking its beautiful home, and we can't help imagining we are there ourselves when we take a sip.
