Ahoy mates! Those of you following my blog are well aware that I’m a fan of all kinds of drinks. I have participated in quite a number of wine tastings, but this weekend, I embarked on an adventure of a slightly different kind: a rum tasting! I channeled my inner pirate as best I could, grabbed the boyfriend, and we headed to the Library Bar to not only refresh our knowledge about the pirates’ drink of choice, but also try six different ones ourselves. Oh boy!
The Library Bar is on the ground floor of the Copenhagen Plaza Hotel, right next to the central station. I’d never been there before, but I instantly fell in love - this place is right up my alley! Classy, old school, with hundreds of old books lining the wood-paneled walls, dimly lit, the waiters dapper gentlemen in suspenders. Our steps were muffled by the checkered carpet, and we slouched down on one of the leather couches in a corner.
We browsed the cocktail menu and admired the dome-like glass ceiling and the chandeliers, as we waited for the tasting to begin, nibbling away at the nuts and chips that were placed on our table, looking oh-so inviting.
Our host, a very sweet guy named Carlos, was clearly very knowledgeable about rum, and started by introducing us to the history, distillation process and techniques, before serving the first glass to taste. I won’t go into detail about all the different rums, although I did take notes (I am such a nerd sometimes!). But here’s the full selection we got to sample, minus the first one:
- Mount Gay
- Mount Gay XO
- Matusalem 15 years
- Matusalem 23 years
- Ron Zacapa
- Havana Club Selección de Maestros
I’m normally a gin girl, so I was very excited to make some new experiences with a spirit I’m not in depth familiar with, and I have to admit, I was surprised. The different rums had very different qualities, properties and flavors, and I could clearly point out a favorite - the Matusalem 15 years. It was softer than the others, less sharp, and had a delightful caramel taste to it. Obviously too nice to make a rum and coke with, but I could imagine this going really well in classic cocktails, like a Dark ‘n’ Stormy.
After trying the first five rums pure - which was necessary to compare the tastes - we got to try the last one, the Havana Club, in a signature cocktail. The cocktail doesn’t have a name yet, but was similar to a Dark ‘n’ Stormy, with a twist. It had ginger beer, lime, and grenadine, and it was so refreshing after the rather heavy pure rum!
As we walked out of the bar, I definitely had a little buzz going! But I did enjoy the tasting, and I’m certain that I’ll be back at the Library Bar very soon - in fact, I’m planning to take my parents there when they visit in about two weeks! Their cocktail menu looked very promising, so I’m excited to see whether it holds up.
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