Ben Schaffer

Hampden Estate rum in its native state. Photo courtesy La Maison & Velier.

The Birth (and Rebirth) of Rum Brands

By Ben Schaffer May. 15, 2019

Though it was founded in 1753, Jamaica’s Hampden Estate distillery only this year issued the first aged rum under its own brand name. Now is certainly a good time to bring a Jamaican pot still blend … Read More

Manolito's Maggie Morgan and her blenders.

Manolito: Frolicking in Frosty Focus

By Ben Schaffer Feb. 12, 2019

As cocktail revivalists have sought to rebuild their temples to temptation, they’ve necessarily delved into …

Blackwell Rum on the GoldenEye patio. Courtesy Blackwell Rum.

Chris Blackwell: An Oracabessa of the Mind

By Ben Schaffer Dec. 11, 2018

“There’s definitely a kind of magic about Jamaica,” Chris Blackwell told me as we sat in the front room of his …

Announcing the Rum Reader’s Advisory Board

By Ben Schaffer Nov. 15, 2018

The launch of the Rum Reader as a new voice for rum is an ambitious project, and we’re gratified for all the …

Track workers installing a length of rail. Photo by Sofie Warren.

Rum and Rails in Barbados

By Ben Schaffer Oct. 9, 2018

When I was no more than four, I accompanied my mother to the Farmers’ Exchange in our semi-rural town of …

Foursquare’s Other Gems

By Ben Schaffer Sep. 24, 2018

In recent years, Barbados-based Foursquare and its outspoken leader Richard Seale have sprung to to the …

Rum in the jungle, illustration by Maria Burns.

Welcome to the Rum Reader

By Ben Schaffer Sep. 24, 2018

We are in the midst of a boom in spirits writing, with increasing attention lavished on the pursuit of piling …

Ben Schaffer

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