I recently had lunch at the Ritz-Carlton’s Burlock Coast, a casual dining restaurant on Fort Lauderdale Beach. I met Tracy, a nice bartender who was more than happy to talk about the various rums that Burlock Coast not only offers, but sells in their shop. The shop itself is a great idea, especially for hotel guests, but being able to sample rums and head over to the shop to purchase is convenient.

The Koloa Rum Company is new to me but they have been producing rum from right around 1837. From the Hawaiian island of Kaua`i. Their website has more information on the distillation process and their various products. I’m excited to try more as I had a nice mixing experience with the Koloa Kaua`i Dark Rum. I tasted quite a bit of vanilla and caramel but I will have to update this post as I do more tasting straight up.

Burlock Coast has a number of mixologists that create the cocktail menu. Before making it to the new menu, Tracy recommended a new drink that was being featured by the evening bartender, JP. An old fashioned made with a large ice sphere, I learned that Koloa’s Kaua`i Dark Rum would be the star here. The ice sphere is of significance because it is made with coconut water and muddled berries. Given the hints of fruit in the rum itself, this made for a very smooth cocktail. I’m a huge fan of coconut water and rum but the added berries that slowly infused this Old Fashioned was a nice subtle touch. It was a nice introduction to Koloa Rums and I look forward to trying their other products.