By Jim Rink
Ever notice when you're on vacation how everyday objects you normally wouldn't give a thought to suddenly become powerfully attractive?
Let's
say, for example -- this could never happen in real life -- you're ambling
through the maze of concessions at an outdoor market in Martinique. Colorful
batik dresses are blowing in a delicious trade wind, making the flap-flap-flap
sound of laundry on a line. Suddenly, your wife (or daughter) spies the ultimate possession. The thing
that...packed gently in the midst of dirty socks and underwear, transported a
thousand miles home to be lovingly displayed on the mantel above the
fireplace...gives new meaning to life.
"Oh
look at this!"
"What?
"What
is it?"
"It's
a pirate ship!"
(Looking
closer) "It's made out of a beer can."
"Look
at the intricate detailing!"
"It's
a beer-can pirate ship."
"So
what? Isn't it amazing!"
The
ultimate irony of the situation becomes clear when, years after the vacation,
your wife (or daughter) proudly points out this possession to house guests.
"This
is my beer-can pirate ship. We got it in Martinique. Isn't it beautiful? Look
at the detailing, the craftsmanship."
At
which juncture the bewildered house guest nods thoughtfully and musters as much
agreement as possible.
I
wonder if German tourists go through the same thing when they visit colorful
American towns like, well, Branson, Missouri.
"Sehen
Sie an!"
"Was?"
"Mein
Gott, Ich muss es haben!"
"Was
ist es?"
"Es
ist ein Garth Brooks Bobble Head!"
Whether
it is bobble heads or pirate ships that one covets, it remains clear that
variety is the spice of life, and wherever one goes in the world there will be
something there uniquely identifiable to that region. In terms of alcoholic
beverages, France has its Bordeaux; California is synonymous with Napa Valley;
there's Barossa Valley in Australia and the Rhine or Mosel in Germany. In the
Caribbean, there is not much wine, but they do have rum.
Yo Ho Ho
Made
from molasses or the juice of sugar cane, it is believed that rum was first
distilled in the 17th century in the Caribbean. The sugar cane was introduced
to the West Indies by, whom else? Columbus. The trading of rum soon became a
major business throughout the American colonies and Europe. The different names
conjured up for this high-octane drink -- Rumbullion,
Kill-Devil, Barbados Waters, Nelson's
Blood -- are part of the reason that rum will forever be associated with
piracy and the high seas.
In
Deadman's Bay at Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands sits Dead Chest
Island, the famous site where Blackbeard marooned 15 mutinous men with only a
sword and cask of rum -- spawning the musical ditty "Yo, ho, ho, and
a bottle of rum." The bay is named for the unfortunate
drowning victims who washed up on its shores. Nearby Norman Island is
thought to be Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island," and
for decades scavengers scoured its caves for buried treasure. Little did
they know that the sweetest treasure by far lay within plain view on dry land.
Prior
to its cultivation as the main ingredient in rum, cane sugar was exported as a
raw commodity. Sugar was in great demand in Europe. So much so, that many of
the islands in the Caribbean were deforested to create cane fields. Cultivation
of the sugar cane plant required hard manual labor. For this reason, millions
of slaves were shipped from Africa and India to work in the Caribbean sugar
cane fields. Entire battles were fought over tiny islands that could grow sugar
cane.
But that would soon change. According to Seven
Flags : The History of St. Croix, between 1820 and
1840, "the sugar beet became a feasible source of manufacturing sugar
throughout Europe. Since the sugar beet could be grown in Europe, it made
no sense to send ships across the Atlantic for a product that could cheaply be
produced in Europe's native soil. The impact of this new source of sugar
was catastrophic to the local economy."
"The
sugar cane went from being the economic focus of the Caribbean to a crop of far
less importance," comments Edward Hamilton in his book, Rums of the Eastern Caribbean.
An Industry is Born
Perhaps
out of despair for their lost cash crop, islanders began distilling sugar cane
juice into a fairly potent potable. For a summary of the rum-making process,
see accompanying sidebar Rum 101.
Martinique
is a French island discovered in 1502 by, drum roll...Columbus. It has the
largest number of rum distilleries in the Eastern Caribbean. Both pot and column
stills are used. As on other French islands such as Guadeloupe, both rhum agricole (made from sugar cane
juice) and rhum industriel (made from
molasses) are produced. These rums are often aged in French brandy casks for at
least three years. Rhum vieux (aged
rum) is often compared to high-quality French brandies.
In
the foothills of dormant Mont Pelee, sits Rhum Depaz, a modern rum producer
with a long and explosive history. Founded in 1640, the property originally
belonged to the first Governor of Martinique and has been producing rum almost
without interruption since that date.
In
1902, however, Mont Pelee was not so dormant. On May 7, after a series of mild
eruptions, the volcano exploded with cataclysmic force, obliterating the town
of St. Pierre and all but one of its
28,000 inhabitants. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, pyroclastic flows
from Pelee traveled across water to
destroy two ships and 20-30 boats at anchor. In a bizarre twist, thousands of
rum casks exploded, sending burning alcohol down streets and out to sea,
kindling more fires on ship wreckage.
When
young Victor Depaz returned to the island from his studies in Bordeaux, he
vowed to rebuild the distillery and tame the mountain that literally buried 63
members of his family.
So far, Pelee has complied, yielding rich volcanic soil that adds to the
quality of the rum. Depaz produces 1.5 million liters of rum per year, which
represents 12,000 tons of crushed canes or 140 tons on average per day.
The distillery produces a White Rum (50-55-62°) Gold Medal 1999,
Gilded Rum (12 to 18 months in oak), Old Rum: Old Plantation (11 years of age),
Special Reserve (from 15 to 20 years of age) and Vintage Old Man (1929-1950).
The distillery grounds include an authentic 19th century paddle wheel that was
used to power the rum-making process, and the original plantation house, which
has been restored. In 2000, 36,000 people toured the facility. Today's
distillery is very modern, so you can't see the foam at the top of the
fermentation tanks, but the self-guided tour is interesting (English and French
signage). A small snack bar provides welcome shade. The rum is very good and
the views are spectacular. Due to its height, Mont Pelee is quite often
shrouded in clouds, an eerie reminder of the hidden power that lies beneath.
There
are tours on the island that allow you to get up close and personal with the
volcano (no steaming caldera), but my favorite activity involves a leisurely
walk through St. Pierre, with its pastel storefronts housing ice cream parlors,
art galleries and Rolex watch outlets. With any luck, one might spy a beer-can
pirate ship for sale. And frankly, it doesn't get any better than that.
____________________________________________________________
Rum 101
Courtesy of Edward Hamilton
Rum
distinguishes itself from other spirits by the plant from which it is made.
Sugar cane, a member of the grass family has its origins in Papau New Guinea
but this hearty plant is grown in tropical climes around the world. The sweet
juice of the mature plant is extracted by pressing the hard stalk in mechanical
mills.
Some
distilleries use this fresh juice while others use the by product of the sugar
refining process known as molasses as the raw material for the fermentation
process.
Fermentation
The
addition of yeast to the sugar cane juice or molasses converts the available
sucrose to alcohol in a process called fermentation. Typically this takes about
a day but some distilleries use yeast that takes as much as ten days. To make other
spirits, the starches found in grains must be cooked and then enzymes are used
to convert the glucose to sucrose which can be fermented. The resulting
fermented wine contains only about 10% alcohol by volume.
Distillation
To
concentrate the alcohol in the sugar cane wine, the wine is boiled while the
vapor is collected and condensed. The earliest pot stills resembled a tea
kettle with a long spout and were capable of distilling only a few liters of
alcohol at a time. Modern continuous stills are vertical columns about 10
meters high and are capable of distilling as much as 20,000 liters per day.
In
the French islands, spirits made from sugar cane juice are typically distilled
to a relatively low distillation purity resulting in a heavier tasting spirit.
Since
molasses contains higher amounts of sulphur than does sugar cane juice, spirits
distilled from fermented molasses are generally distilled to a high
distillation purity to reduce the congeners
that have been concentrated in the molasses.
Aging
Immediately
after distillation, the fresh or raw spirits contain small amounts of hydrogen
sulfide gas formed during fermentation which gives the spirit a hot harsh
taste. Although some connoisseurs prefer fresh rum, most consumers prefer the
more elegant taste of an aged spirit. Today, almost all rum is aged in used oak
barrels that once held whiskey or bourbon. Aging can last from one to thirty
years or more, making rum one of the most varied of the distilled spirits.
During the aging process the rum acquires a golden color that changes to a dark
brown with time.
Blending and Bottling
Although
some rum is bottled directly from the still, most rum is aged and then blended
before it is bottled for consumption. Once the spirit is bottled the benefits
of age are arrested and little change occurs.
Alcohol Content
The bottled strength of rum depends greatly on consumer
preferences. While some rum is bottled at about 40% alcohol by volume, other
rums are bottled at the strength at which it was distilled or aged.
www.martinique.org/
www.branson.com
www.peterisland.com/history.htm
www.usvi.net/usvi/stx/history.html
www.depaz.fr/
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/bobbleheadworldstore/