Bermuda Rum

COCKTAILS AND CHOWDER: BERMUDA RUM BY SMITA CHANDRA AND SANJEEV CHANDRA

A PERFECT DAY AT THE BEACH INCLUDES THIS ISLAND FAVORITE.

We had just spent a perfect morning on the pink sands of Bermuda’s Marley Beach doing absolutely nothing except gazing at the azure waters off the island’s South Shore. Lunch at The Swizzle Inn, a short walk from the beach, seemed like a great idea. There is never any question about what to drink here; it has to be a Rum Swizzle, which the restaurant claims to have invented in the early 1900s. This fruity combination of rum, orange and pineapple juice, flavored with grenadine and bitters and served over ice, is part of Bermuda lore, drunk by celebrities and extolled in novels. Rum is an essential part of the West Indian culture that Bermuda shares. For centuries it was distilled from sugarcane molasses produced across the Caribbean. The liquor became a favorite of sailors in Bermuda and was shipped around the world. Rum was as valuable as gold and often a substitute for it, accepted as a form of payment. It’s not just for drinking; it is used in cooking as well. Rum cakes, rich, sweet and fruit-filled, are an island tradition. Another Bermuda institution – one that will scorch your taste buds – is Outerbridge’s fiery hot sauce made by steeping peppers in rum. This sauce is an important ingredient in Bermuda’s famous fish chowder. A traditional meal for fishermen, chowder is made by simmering the day’s catch in a cauldron along with chopped vegetables and finished with rum and peppers to give it an unforgettable bite. A trip to Bermuda is magical. Stroll along pristine beaches and watch the sun set over the crystal waters – even better with a Rum Swizzle in hand. At such a moment it is easy to understand why Mark Twain once said, “You can go to heaven if you want. I’d rather stay in Bermuda.”