Episode 159

Copalli Rum with Elayne Duff

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Copalli Rum with Elayne Duff

Episode 159

What’s shakin, cocktail fans?

Welcome to Episode 159 of The Modern Bar Cart Podcast!

This time around, we’re graced with the presence of beverage industry virtuoso Elayne Duff, who has held mixology and brand management roles with tiny little companies you’ve probably never heard of (like Diageo and Anheuser Busch). Elayne is here to share with us an exciting new cane spirit from Belize called Copalli Rum. In this conversation, some of the topics we discuss include:

The story of Copalli Rum as a philanthropic project by marine conservationist Todd Robinson – and how he teamed up with Chef Anya Fernald to create Copal Tree Lodge.
How Elayne and her fellow Global Brand Ambassador Julie Reiner are educating bartenders and home consumers about the magic of Copalli rum here in the US.
Which cane varietals, fermentation decisions, and sustainable distilling practices influence the flavor of Copalli rum.
Some thoughts on the perfect Daiquiri – and how you can modulate the booze and sugar in the drink to achieve the ideal wash line and flavor profile for you.
A cautionary tale about the utter folly of comparing spirits aged in different climates
Why Eric thinks we need to coin the term “monkey’s share.”
And much, much more

Elayne is a wealth of knowledge, and the samples of Copalli Rum we taste during this interview are super exciting (especially at such an affordable price point), so if you happen to live in one of the states where Copalli is available, we hope you’ll request it at your favorite rum bar or liquor store. You can learn more about Elayne and what she’s up to by visiting DuffOnTheRocks.com, tuning into her weekly beverage news podcast, The Industry Distilled, or by following her on Instagram @duffontherocks.

Featured Cocktail: The El Presidente

This episode’s featured cocktail is the El Presidente. To make it, you’ll need:

1½ oz. white rum
1½ oz of French vermouth (I’ll explain what that means in a second)
1 barspoon orange Curaçao or Grand Marnier (in a pinch, you could use triple sec)
½ barspoon real grenadine (like Pratt Standard’s True Grenadine

Combine these ingredients in a mixing beaker with ice, stir for about 20 seconds until they’re well chilled and integrated, then strain into a stemmed cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist.

One of the cool things about the El Presidente is that it resembles so many of the classic, stirred cocktails that reigned supreme before and during prohibition – especially in places outside of the US where foreign ingredients remained widely available. But it’s a surprisingly tricky drink to balance. The key – it seems – is to use the right vermouth.

David Wondrich (who comes up later in this episode) writes that most people who think of “French-style” vermouth – the kind stipulated in the early recipes for the El Presidente – think of the dry, white vermouth that’s often used in Martinis. However, there is a different style called “Vermouth de Chambery” (or blanc vermouth) that is both sweeter and more full-bodied than the classic dry style, and this is certainly what you need to use.

Lightning Round

Favorite Cocktail

My favorite cocktail is a martini. At the end of every day, I have a gin martini with my husband, Philip. But if I’m on my rooftop or fire escape, I love a Copalli Daiquiri.

If You Were a Cocktail Ingredient, What Would You Be?

Bitters. They’re the most versatile ingredient, and they come in so many flavors. To me, bitters are like the perfect wardrobe: if you have the right assortment, you can transform any cocktail.

Cocktail with Anyone, Past or Present

Trevor Noah – I adore him. I love, his background, his book (Born a Crime), how he talks about current events but adds some humor and some nuance to it. I’d love to sit outdoors with him, a bucket of beer, and a bottle of reposado Tequila and just shoot the shit for hours.

Cocktail Ingredient You’ve Never Tasted

I think I’ve tasted them all…? But I really hate guava and Fernet.

Unusual or Controversial Believe You Hold in the Spirits/Cocktail Space

I do believe that bars should have a menu of canned cocktails and hard seltzers. One or two White Claws, some Tequila Sodas, and a couple canned cocktails. No muss, no fuss, the consumer wants them, but a lot of bars are like, “no, that’s not our style.” If you’re curious, I have an Instagram account called @readytodrinklife, where I review RTD cocktails.

Copalli Rum with Elayne Duff

Featured Cocktail: The El Presidente

Lightning Round

Favorite Cocktail

If You Were a Cocktail Ingredient, What Would You Be?

Cocktail with Anyone, Past or Present

Cocktail Ingredient You’ve Never Tasted

Unusual or Controversial Believe You Hold in the Spirits/Cocktail Space

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