To celebrate the release of their latest luxury rum expression, Zacapa Edición Negra, Guatemalan rum producer Ron Zacapa hosted a VIP dinner on Saturday, April 8th at The Hampton Social Club in downtown Chicago. The event brought together a number of rum aficionados who attended the 3rd Annual Midwest Rum Festival earlier in the day.
Initially released to the travel retail market, Zacapa Edición Negra is a blend of aged rums from 6 to 24 years old that undergo extra ageing in double charred American oak whisky barrels. Its deep mahogany color prepares drinkers for the rum’s smokey intensity. On the nose Ron Zacapa Edición Negra has notes of smoke, dried fruit and chocolate while the rum coats the palette with flavors of dark fruit, spice, and a thick charred brown sugar sweetness.
The Hampton Social Club’s breezy seaside, nautical décor and East-Coast cuisine provided the perfect atmosphere for guests to enjoy a pairing menu complemented by the full line of Zacapa rums. The three-course menu started with Gulf Coast shrimp and grits paired with a bright, spicy cocktail of Zacapa 23, honey ginger syrup, lime, and sparkling wine. Guests next enjoyed an entree of slow-roasted pork shoulder served with roasted banana puree, salsa verde, and pickled peppers. The pork was complemented with a refreshing summer cocktail of Ron Zacapa Edición Negra, brown butter-wash, lemon, and vanilla chai syrup. To conclude the evening, Zacapa XO was served neat with Pineapple Upside Down Cake and vanilla bean gelato topped with cherry gastrique and caramel.
“Zacapa takes the first press of the sugar cane”, said Robert Pallone, Zacapa Rum Ambassador. “What we do differently is we take out 72% of the water to condense it into what we call virgin honey; very unique in the rum world.”
Ron Zacapa rums are often compared to high end cognacs and other premium spirits. Their latest expression, Zacapa Edición Negra, finely integrates into their exclusive range of super-premium rums.
Scott French
The Rum Trader
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