Bacardi comes to Carnival
Bacardi rum is planning to have a high presence in Carnival this year.
“Our consumers are those who seek a great time and great taste, drinking responsibly,” says Brian Shaifer, a brand manager for the company. “In the past, Bacardi has been proud to sponsor and host events in and around Mardi Gras, through the good times and bad.” During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, says Shaifer, the company was there supporting the festival and, on a larger scale, the city.
During Carnival this year, Bacardi will host myriad events in the area. In the Warehouse District, the Bacardi Bash will feature live music. The company will also sponsor the Bacchus Bash on Sunday, Feb. 2. Not surprisingly, Shaifer says the drink of choice at these parties is the Bacardi Hurricane. (Recipe below)
Bacardi, says Shaifer, is the No. 1 premium rum brand in the world. It has maintained consistent premium taste over its long history and is the original white, light-bodied, smooth rum. Its flavor and light body allow mixing to make delicious cocktails.
The rum’s colorful history dates back to 1830 when a young wine merchant, Don Facundo Bacardí Massó, emigrated from Spain to Cuba.
Dissatisfied with the local ron, which he found “brooding and medicinal,” Bacardi started to experiment in a tin roof distillery he bought in Santiago de Cuba on Feb. 4, 1862. In this quaint building with its one copper-cast iron still, he began production of Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 8 – a “sipping” rum aged for eight years, originally savored only by the Bacardí family.
Today there are several different types of Bacardi besides Superior and 8. Bacardi Gold is aged upwards of two years and is amber in color, featuring hints of vanilla, walnuts, spices, tropical fruits and oak. Bacardi Select has a reddish hue, aged about four years, with aromatic impressions of tropical fruits, apricots, plums and banana and a “hint” of vanilla. Its woody aroma is obtained by long contact with specially treated barrels. Bacardi Reserva Limitada: Available only at the Casa Bacardi store in Puerto Rico, this is blended from the rarest rums that have been aged 10 to 16 years, giving this particular product an average age of 12 years. Bacardi 151, a higher proof spirit recommended for mixing rather than for consuming “neat,” is aged up to two years and features vanilla impressions with a subtle fruity background.
To this day, every year on Feb. 4, the company toasts its continued success. New Orleanians may find special significance in that date, as this year it will mark Lundi Gras.
Bacardi Hurricane
1 part Bacardi Superior or Gold Rum
1 part Bacardi Select Rum
3/4 part orange juice
3/4 part grenadine or cranberry juice
3/4 part sour mix
Shake with ice. Serve in a hurricane glass. Garnish with orange wedge.
