the rum is for all your good vices

Rum has a special place in my heart because it has a special place in Jimmy Buffett's heart, and also because I like to think I was a pirate in another life. Unfortunately, rum isn't exactly a beverage that lends itself to high-quality production. When you mostly mix it with super fruity, syrupy drinks, there's really no need to make it very good. Now, some of you may know that I can be a bit stuck-up when it comes to liquor. I usually turn up my nose at anything that isn't top-shelf: I tend to think that, when it comes to booze, you should avoid the cheap stuff at all costs. (Within reason, of course. I obviously don't have $600 bottles of scotch laying around my house or anything...but one can dream.)

But there are exceptions to every rule and I think I've found one: Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum, which runs for about $13/bottle and is a new favorite of mine. I like spiced rums a lot because they actually have some oomph to them, unlike most silver/light rums that get totally lost in fruity cocktails. (Spiced rum, as you may know, is basically a gold rum that's had spices added.) Cruzan's nine spices include allspice, vanilla, nutmeg, pepper, clove, mace, ginger, cinnamon, and juniper berry, hence the  name. And it's delicious!

Cruzan itself is a pretty cool rum producer, with an 18th-century distillery in St. Croix that I fully intend to visit one day. I've only tried Cruzan 9 so I can't vouch for their other products, but I'm assuming they're pretty good. The website is fun to look at, especially if you're curious about rum production and recipes: Check it out. (And no, I'm not on their payroll. I just get excited about good quality, inexpensive liquor because it is so dang hard to find.) I think I'm going to bid farewell to the weekend with a Cruzan 9 and Coke on the front porch. Holla.