Cayrum Straight Up for National Rum Day

By Cator Sparks August 16, 2013

Stock up on the aspirin and load up on bottles of water by the bed- Today is National Rum Day and we are ready to swerve!

We know rum isn’t on the top of everyone’s list since it often arrives at our table diluted with neon colors, piles of fruit and possibly a flower and a crazy straw. We will leave those to the Sandals Resort newly weds and go for something simpler.

Cayrum is a newish dark rum from a family-run company out of Atlanta that is so damn good we drink it like we drink our Scotch, on the rocks.

Cayrum didn’t start out in a lab of some mega distillery. It actually was born in the kitchen of the Kane family’s summer retreat in the Dominican Republic. Zach Kane tinkered with mixing local ginger, honey and sugar cane (the base for rum) for several summers. Friends and family challenged him to make it into more than just their family’s secret stash so he and his father, Todd, went on the hunt to find out how to make their elixir a brand.

They met with several distilleries who ironically loved the taste but wanted to produce it with artificial flavors. “Our honey is sourced from local bee hives and our ginger is picked fresh, so this was a no go,” explained Zach. Then they met veteran rum maker Jose Antonio Barcelo and Master Rum Blender Victor Eugenio and four years later their Cayrum was born (The ‘Cay’ refers to the Kane family, Zach realized that K-Rum sounds like ‘Crumb’ and wouldn’t be too smart for marketing. Wise man!)

Order up a bottle or two for your next party or simply for sipping after a long day at the job. As we said, we are fans of Cayrum over ice, but a little cocktail mixing never hurt anyone. Below is Zach’s favorite rum concoction. Muddle, shake and pour and let us know how it goes.

Spicy Kiki

1.5 oz Cayrum

12 Cilantro leaves

6 Serrano Peppers slices (.25 inches thick) 1 Lime

1 oz Simple Syrup

Soda

Muddle cilantro and 3 pepper slices in a shaker. Add Cayrum, simple syrup, the juice from one lime and the remaining 3 peppers. Top with a splash of soda and shake. Pour into a rocks glass with ice and garnish with a pepper.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Cator Sparks was the Editor-in-Chief of The Manual from its launch in 2012 until 2018. Previously, Cator was covering…

Food & Drink

Yes, you can live on a vineyard — check out these dream homes for sale

What's a cool 10 million, anyway?

Vineyard

When fantasizing about one's dream house, common players may include a sleek and modern cliff house by the sea or a tropical Hawaiian paradise complete with thatched roof and lazy, sun-bleached hammock. Perhaps a snowy mountain retreat comes to mind, fully stocked with all of the snowboarding gear one could hope for. Some may dream of making their home on an enormous yacht, having the ability to travel the world at a moment's notice. We'd also wager that high on that list for many of us would be a gorgeously romantic vineyard home nestled between the grapevines. While for many of us, these idyllic homes are but fantasies or ambitious goals, it's always fun to dip a toe into that fantasy world every now and then. Perusing real estate sites like Redfin and Zillow, clicking through photos of the homes we so crave, imagining how we'd fill the rooms and what our lives would look like in them is indeed a fun way to pass the time.

So if you, like us, share the fantasy of living on a vineyard, horseback riding through dusty rows of delicious grapes, plucking them from the vine and imagining what their wine will taste like, you may want to check out these listings. These vineyard homes are all currently on the market, just waiting for someone's fantasy to become a reality.
College Station, Texas
Price: $1,250,000

Food & Drink

How to cook salmon: A complete beginner’s guide

Have you tried salmon en papillote?

Raw salmon on plate

When it comes to seafood, Americans can't seem to get enough salmon. We love this beautiful fish for its heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, its culinary versatility, its gorgeous flavor, and its stunning hue. Salmon is a regular weekly staple in many homes, and for good reason. This multitalented little beauty shines in just about any preparation, be it baked, broiled, steamed, poached, seared, or grilled. So, if you've only ever explored just one or two of these delicious methods for cooking salmon, it's time to up your game and try out a new preparation. You may just find a new favorite.
Shopping for salmon

When shopping for salmon, there are a few basic guidelines to keep in mind that will help to ensure you end up with the freshest, most flavorful filet possible.

Food & Drink

How a Michelin-starred sushi chef crafts omakase to go

For $60 a box, Jōji Box in New York is making high-quality sushi for takeout.

Joji box sushi on black table.

The omakase box at Jōji Box. Hunter Lu / The Manual
If you're a fan of high-level omakase sushi and Japanese cuisine but looking for that experience in the comfort of home, Jōji Box in New York City might be the answer you've been looking for. The grab-and-go (or delivery) operation of one Michelin Star Jōji, Jōji Box is all about high-quality sushi delivery at a reasonable price. Located in Midtown's One Vanderbilt building and the iconic Grand Central Terminal, Jōji Box (conveniently situated next to Jōji itself) is a sushi experience worth investigating.
We spoke with George Ruan, one of the three partners and chefs at Joji and Joji Box, to learn about the operation and what it takes to make Michelin-star quality sushi to go.

How Michelin-starred sushi is made for takeout
The ingredients at Jōji. Jōji