ow living in New York, Ian Williams is from Liverpool the historic seaport which put both the sea and rum in his blood. He confesses to an early acquaintance with his subject – nipping out under-age for a shot of rum and blackcurrant in the pub round the corner from the Cavern in Liverpool, which was dry but to compensate for that, groups like the Beatles played there.

He rediscovered rum while working in the Caribbean, where he spent many years of intensive, hands-on, on-site research into the subject resulting in Rum: a Social and Sociable History of the Real Spirit of 1776, on the overlooked role of Rum in world.

Since then he has also researched the history of Appleton Estate, identifying the origin of its name and pushing its proven origins as a rum producer back to 1709. He has written about rum for the Guardian, Financial Times, Cigar Aficionado, Carib News, Carib Impact, and Maxim magazine and many other publications and has spoken about rum’s developmental importance at several Caribbean conferences. He also hosted the Financial Times event in NY 2015 to launch their supplement on the Rum Industry.

He is often a judge at Rum Fests and recently launched a  new side line with his book Tequila: A Global History.

I think the book gave a serious historical back story to rum which raised its prestige and introduced it to new audiences more attuned to whisky and cognac.  With other pioneers we pushed for higher standards, of labelling, bottling and aging to persuade people that rum was more than just a mixer, but a premium spirit.  My favorite quote was “Rum: the global spirit with its warm beating heart in the Caribbean”!

When I was a teenager, other boys used to take a few bottles of brown ale to parties. I would take a small flask of rum. Guess which the girls found more interesting! I had always liked the aroma of rum and drank it over the years, but developed a taste for Malt whisky, but my epiphany was in Martinique where I discovered aged rums and simultaneously realized that the Caribbean in the eighteenth century was the equivalent of the Gulf today, where soldiers and fleets fought for control of liquid wealth – sugar, molasses – and rum.

I keep discovering more about rum’s past, and its present and future seem assured with more varieties flowing onto the market all the time – and improved versions of them too!

I need to keep monitoring- hands on research for the next edition.

Although I appreciate the craftsmanship and indeed the showmanship of my mixology colleagues, I have to confess that I much prefer my rum straight up, either sipped, or on a cold winter’s night, gulped!

Good rum takes time to age, so I do not see any rapid changes coming.  But changes race up on you. For example back when I wrote the book there was probably just one rum producer in the US and now you get the impression anyone with a shed and still is pushing out a brand. So, I expect to see more quality Artisanal rum in the US as craft distillers have time to age their product “properly,” and I welcome the resurgence in quality rums from the Caribbean. And of course, consumers’ demand for variety is pulling in rums from all over the world.  So far, China has resisted, but I would be interested if their interest takes off. I would love to work on that campaign!

It needs to be labelled honestly and the standards to be monitored. Age statements should be accurate and blends should be identified along with any additives. The battle for caramel colouring is probably lost – but added sugars etc should be identified.  Descriptions and histories should be accurate even if poetical – without the copywriters’ usual drivel. It was a big step forward when some of the solera rums dropped their fictional, or to be kind aspirational, age statements.  Some of them are fine rums, and it takes a lot of hard work to craft such a blend even compared with plonking it in casks and keeping it for decades – but if they sell it as premium based on a lie, then they risk exposure – and sales.

My usual is Barbancourt 15. It expands the event horizon for a rum novice.

I think the aged Appletons will appeal to them, since it was originally developed with whisky drinkers in mind.

I would go with a Demerara, a well aged El Dorado

Dare I suggest Bacardi?

Mm, Barbancourt again, or Clement

When I began to write, rum drinking was a solo sport, rather than a team one. But I would like to pay tribute to Thierry Gardere of Barbancourt and then to the happy band who we met at Dori Bryant’s pioneering Rum Fests – including Forrest Cokely the Burrs, Ian Burrell and all the rest of the happy band of brothers and sisters who came together to raise a tot of the distilled soul of the Caribbean and who had done so much to popularize it.

Appleton commissioned a history which I delivered two years ago. I would very much like to see it published or to use the material for another book. I am also looking to write an updated and expanded (and even corrected!) version of my original rum book but have to negotiate with the publisher for rights.

A few problems, like being smashed over the head with a pistol and being poleaxed with a five year divorce suit have kept me from being as active as I would have liked. But the concussion has gone, I “won” the case – at a very heavy cost, and I have coming back with a vengeance and a thirst.