I was wondering which rum to use in this recipe from “Bariana”:
Martin’s Index calls for aged rhum agricole here. Going through Bariana, I count five instances of “rhum Jamaïque,” six of “rhum vieux,” three of “bon rhum,” and fourteen of just “rhum.” In 1896, was the Criterion Bar using agricole in cocktails, or were they working with Santa Cruz or Medford, like the States?
Far from crystal clear, but from what I’ve been reading, probably not. Instead, it should be probably spec rhum traditionnel.
Difficult question, but as you might know, the major brand of rum/rhum in bars in France was Saint-James (from the 1880s and up to the 1960s). Offered as aged rum (as confirmed by a veteran bartender until the 1960s at least - the white/unaged version came later.
As we can see in Charlie Paul and Émile (Amédée) Lefeuvre, the brand was already active in the 1880s.
