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We are immensely proud of everything we produce here at Lyme Bay, which includes our fabulous Devon spiced rum. Our Jack Ratt Lugger Rum is based around the historic part of the UK where our winery is located, and the chronicles of the notorious smuggler, Jack Rattenbury.
Rattenbury used to smuggle his contraband into Lyme Bay in the 18th Century using fishing boats – nicknamed ‘Luggers’ – which were often painted black, lightning-fast and very agile, perfect for sneaking in-land undetected. Using the cover of darkness, these boats were very difficult to catch, which just helped to add to Rattenbury’s notoriety. You can read some more about Jack Ratt and his impact on our Lyme Bay drinks here.
Taste Profile
As for Lugger Rum itself, we wanted to create a spiced rum that was not defined by an overbearing flavour of vanilla which can be quite common amongst commercial spiced rums. Instead, we wanted to bring a full spice profile to the palate, which is why we age Caribbean rum in bourbon-charred oak barrels right here in our Devon Winery. Once it has been aged to perfection, we spice it with a blend of nutmeg, cloves, orange peel and a hint of vanilla.
Our careful ageing and spicing processes have resulted in a truly beautiful product, and that is not just us with a humble brag! Lugger is an award-winning Devon rum and has won such honours as Gold in the International Spirits Challenge 2019 and Gold in the Food and Drink Devon Awards 2019
Ways to Enjoy Lugger Rum
As we noted in our 5 Ways to Enjoy Gin article, there are no set rules on how you can enjoy our products, as it comes down to personal preference and taste. However, we are happy to offer a few suggestions which may result in you enjoying the spirit in a way that you hadn’t experienced before.
Neat
Spirits have come a long way over the years, with many high-quality products now able to be enjoyed neat or served over ice, with spiced rum now being one of these spirits. In fact, spiced rum has developed so much that many are predicting it to “do a gin” and come through a meteoric resurgence.
Some experts even tipped 2020 as being the Year of Spiced Rum due to the surge in interest, although as with most things that were due to happen this year, it might have to be rolled over until 2021!
In Your Coffee
You’ve heard of an Irish coffee, but how about a Caribbean coffee? Adding a splash of Lugger to your post-dinner coffee makes for a twist on the traditional digestif. If you are looking for a slightly more indulgent end to the meal, why not try adding a splash of cream to your coffee for a more decadent drink?
Cooking
Spiced rums can add a new depth of flavour to a variety of dishes, both sweet and savoury. Adding it to marinades for meat or vegetables makes for an interesting twist on conventional cooking. Or, if you are a stickler for tradition, using it in a rum cake might be your go-to recipe choice. We’ve gathered together a selection of baking recipes using booze here, which includes a recipe using our Lugger rum, so why not check them out?
Cocktails
Probably the most common way of drinking spiced rum is within a cocktail, of which there are endless varieties for you to choose from! Whether you pick from a simple Dark and Stormy or try swapping out white rum for spiced in a mojito for a twist on a classic, you can’t really go wrong when it comes to experimenting with Lugger.
If you’re feeling a bit flamboyant, you could check out our Spicy Lugger cocktail, which includes a flaming spice mix which will add some flair to your cocktail making. Take a look at the video below for instructions on how to make the cocktail (the written recipe for the Spicy Lugger, which includes the method for making the syrup and spice mix can be found here)
As ever, we love hearing about how you enjoy our products, and hearing about the weird and wonderful cocktails you craft using our Lugger rum is no different! Why not head over to our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages and let us know your favourite way of enjoying our Devon spiced rum?
