How Do You Drink a Sipping Rum?

How do you drink a sipping rum?

A premium sipping rum like Brugal 1888 is a fantastic choice to enjoy straight – but how do you bring out the best of your rum? Some people prefer to enjoy the complex flavors by drinking rum straight, whilst others favor their drink with ice, water or other ingredients to elevate and highlight the notes of sophisticated sweetness and spicy woodiness.

Discover how to drink and serve rum, as well as our best sipping rums to drink straight to create truly memorable and shared experiences.

How to drink and serve rum

There are many ways to drink rum, but the best way is to follow your nose and taste buds to find what works for you. Try these different ways to bring out the best in each occasion.

Drinking rum straight or neat

First, try sipping your rum neat by pouring it in a glass with nothing else added. We recommend a short glass so you can cradle it in your hand to help to warm the liquid inside and bring out the best of the flavors. Any glass with a narrow top that funnels aromas to your nose will also improve your experience.

Rum and water

A splash of water can help to bring out some of the more subtle flavors within the rum, as different notes and aromas are amplified at different ABV’s. Discover and explore by adding a few drops of water slowly at first, allowing the new flavours open up on your palate and nose. Experiment to find your perfect balance.

Rum and ice

Some people enjoy sipping rum with some ice in the glass. We recommend using a large ice cube or sphere which won’t dilute the rum too quickly.

For a twist, why not try using a coconut water ice sphere with Brugal 1888 for a simple but slightly sweet serve? After all, this take on an Old Fashioned is our 4^th Generation Maestro Don Nano’s favorite way to serve and enjoy Brugal.

Rum cocktails

You can enjoy the notes of rum while elevating certain elements with key ingredients by making rum cocktails. Try nearly neat cocktails such as a rum Negroni or rum Manhattan to make the most out of your rum. Stir to combine your ingredients and sip!

What are the best sipping rums to drink straight?

People holding glasses of premium Brugal 1888 rum

Sipping rums with complex flavors are perfect to appreciate straight. Enjoy them neat to discover spirits that stimulate the senses and evolve in the glass. We recommend a premium rum like Brugal 1888 which combines notes of vanilla, red fruits and toffee intertwined with cocoa and natural oak spice. Perfect to enjoy sip by sip.

Tasting notes: how to taste rum

Ever wondered how to properly taste rum to truly appreciate it? Every tasting should be divided into three parts: sight, nose, taste.

Sight

First, swirl the rum around and observe the tears or legs falling on the side of the glass. These give hints about complexity – the slower they fall the more complex the rum is. For example, Brugal 1888’s complexity is high, so you will see the legs fall gradually on your glass. Notice the color of the rum, as this can give clues about the types of casks that were used. An amber color generally means the rum was aged in American oak, previously used for bourbon, and slight reddish undertones indicate European oak casks, like the exclusive sherry Oloroso casks used when aging Brugal 1888.

Nose

To experience the different notes, tip your glass to a 45-degree angle, starting with your nose slightly above the glass. Here you will find light notes that are easily enjoyed. Slowly move your nose closer to the glass and you will perceive the notes more clearly and intensely. Stop when you feel you are getting overwhelmed by the aromas created by the different casks. Slowly breathe in and try to identify the different notes. There are beautiful complexities that can be found on the nose with rum like Brugal 1888, including woody sweetness, raisins, dried plums, cocoa, spices, cinnamon, cloves and ripe fruits like banana.

Taste

Finally, it’s time to taste. Take a small first sip and let your palate get used to the spirit. Let it cover your whole palate. Take a second sip and again, cover your palate. Now the flavors should be softer and easier to distinguish. Brugal 1888 has a woody sweetness from American oak on the palate and fruity notes of the European oak at the back of the nose. It’s an experience that covers your whole palate with an aftertaste that lasts for a very long time.

The best way to drink rum

However you choose to serve and drink your rum, the optimum way to enjoy it is with friends to bring out the best in every occasion.

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rum old fashioned with brugal bottle and coconut ice spheres

How Do You Drink a Sipping Rum?