Rum Connoisseur
Interview of The Week:

Marcos Pilavakis
Rum Interest

 

1. Who is Marcos Pilavakis?

Marcos Pilavakis is a rum aficionado born in London with Greek Cypriot roots. His passion for rum began in 2006 during a year out in Venezuela. Some 11 years later and with a couple of hundred bottles of rum accumulated, he thought it was time to start sharing some of his experiences. In 2017, Marcos founded Rum Interest with the aim of connecting other rum enthusiasts from around the globe and hearing their stories.

We all love and drink rum without giving much thought to the story behind it, but we forget that a lot of the rums we enjoy today come from humble beginnings. There are rum enthusiasts in alll corners of the world, some who don’t have the same access to the large offerings of rums out there or who are unabe to attend the increasing number of rum festivals that take place. From small producers to small rum bars, there are voices that have yet to be heard and there is a world of enthusiasts who are waiting to hear their story. Rum Interest is here to represent those voices. From the husband and wife who are producing rum in Madagascar to the small rum distillery in Laos, from the start up in South Africa to rum producers trying to put El Salvador on the map, from the tiki rum bar in Malaysia to the rum enthusiast in Colombia who dreams of going to a rum festival in the UK; we want to share as many stories as we can and showcase the diversity of rum.

 

2. Biggest achievement you personally feel you have accomplished for the rum industry.

I’m not sure if it quite counts as an accomplishment for the rum industry but certainly the achievement I am most proud of is the charity event I organised in collaboration with Diplomatico Rum and the charity organisation Healing Venezuela, to provide aid to those caught up in the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

Venezuela is a country close to my heart and it is where my rum story began. The festival was a perfect way for me to give back to a community who had looked after me so well when I lived there. Healing Venezuela (www.healingvenezuela.org), is run by volunteers who work relentlessy to provide medical relief to the Venezuean people and the rum festival we held with Diplomatico Rum brought together both the Latin community and rum afficionados alike and it was just a very proud moment to see everyone come together.

The event raised enough funds to provide 3/4 of a ton of medical supplies to hospitals and surgeries across all of Venezuela.

 

3. What made you fall in love with rum and when did it happen?

I started down the usual route most kids born in the UK in the 80s went down and that was drinking Malibu! It’s safe to say a lot has changed since then but who knows, maybe the taste of rum liqueur soften me up for my later years!

But my true love for rum began in Caracas, Venezuela in 2006. Arsenal had just beaten Villarael in the Champion’s League semi final and I went to a friend’s place after to continue the celebrations. He poured me a Pampero Anniversario to which I asked for a Coca Cola to mix it with. The request was closely followed by a swift smack around the head. “Taste it first” my friend said and that was it, that was the moment.

I then found myself heading down to the little liquor store window on my road every other day and picking up a bottle of Santa Teresa Superior to drink with my house mate. So rum just brings back a lot of good memories for me.

 

4. What is that thing that makes you want to continue in the rum industry?

I love helping people discover the beauty of rum. I love changing those “I don’t like rum” thoughts to “this is pretty good actually”.

There are so many styles of rum from Rhum Agricole, South / Central American rums, Demarara, Jamaican, Bajan, Cuban, Trinidadian, Navy Rum, White Rum, Spiced Rum representing a whole array of countries from Barbados to Jamaica, Guyana to Cuba, French Caribbean to Bermuda, Trinidad & Tobago to Venezuela; I truly believe that there is a rum out there for everyone, you just need to find the right rum for you or equally the right rum based drink for you that will give you that eureka moment!

Every year I will try to go to different rum festivals (and I have been to some surprisingly good ones like in Wroclaw, Poland, where you would never normally associate with rum) or I’ll visit friends taking a bottle of rum with me or I will post a rum review on my page and then in the months and years that follow, I will receive photos from people we have met and rum bottles that they have bought and that’s a great feeling to know that you have had that kind of influence and that you’ve kicked off someone’s rum interest.

On the flip side, I also still like discovering new rums and discovering new rum based cocktails myself! Often these days, when I go to a bar, I will ask them to choose me a rum or make me a rum cocktail of their choice. I already know what I like, so sometimes its nice to go on someone else’s rum journey and to try something new. This is how you learn.

After starting my Rum Interest site, I have connected with rum brands and rum bars across Madagascar, Laos, El Salvador, Malaysia, Cyprus, Colombia, South Africa, Jamaica, Brazil, Bermuda to name a few. It’s incredible where the rum world takes you and the pride you hear in the voices of some of the smaller bar owners or rum producers is something that sticks with you and I am just happy that I can represent these people.

 

5. Favorite Drink + Recipe

It depends on my mood!

I appreciate a good Daiquiri using either Veritas (or Probitas as named in the USA) or Magdalena Rum for Guatamala which I first tried at the New York Rum Festival.

I love a good Rum Manhattan (on the sweeter side).

But, if I have to choose one, then it’s got to be a classic Rum Old Fashioned. It’s so simple on paper but every bar does it differently.

My recipe –

• 45 ml + 30ml Rum (I play with combinations from Foursquare 2005, Brugal 1888, Plantation 5 yr Barbados, Doorly’s XO, Diplomatico no.3 Distillery Collection).
• 10ml Sugar syrup
• 2 drops of Angostura Bitters (or Chocolate bitters on occasion)
• Orange zest

 

6. Where do you see the rum industry today and in the next 5 years?

It’s clear to see that people are demanding more quality from the rum industry now. People are showing more interest in how rum is produced and what’s going into the bottle. They want to see honest age statements and they want transparency around dosage.

It’s an exciting time because we are seeing brands that were previously comfortable stepping up their game and we are seeing the premium rums like Foursquare, rolling out new releases and enjoying this moment when the demand for quality is at a peak, and for the consumer this is great.

Brands like Diplomatico have released their Distillery Collection showcasing their rum with no dosage (with the no.3 Distillery Collection a stand out). They have also just released the Seleccion de Familia, which is produced with half the dosage of the Reserva Exclusiva. Bacardi have also stepped up with the release of an unadulterated 16 year aged rum. Releases like these are emerging as a result of the direction the rum industry is going in. Rum brands are having to evolve as the bar for quality is being raised.

So to answer the question, in the next 5 years, I see the rum category still showcasing its diversity,  with the popular brands that pump money into marketing still continuing to have the market share, however I think we are going to see a strengthened appreciation for the premium category and a higher variety of premium rums available and I think we will see a category that will demand more standards to be met in order put some shape and definition around the growth spurt it is experiencing.

 

7. What do you think needs to happen to grow the premium category of rum?

For me there already exists a pretty decent premium rum category with Foursquare leading the way and other top brands close behind with Appleton, Mount Gay and Worthy Park.

For the premium category to grow, we need more honest bottling and as a consumer, we need to continue to drive this agenda. If the demand is there, then existing brands will need to step up to meet this demand, as we have already seen with the examples mentioned earlier with Diplomatico and Bacardi. There will also be an emergance of new rums, some that just want to ride the wave and make a quick buck, but others that want to take the time to to get it right from the outset and we already have an example of how this can be done well. I had the pleasure of interviewing Robert Greaves of Mhoba rum after their first UK Rum Fest appearance 3 years back. If you look at Mhoba’s journey, they have done a superb job of rising through the ranks through hard work, dedication and honesty, in what is a competitive market. They are now a highly regarded rum synonymous with quality and they have demonstrated that you can still stand out with no frills, amongst some big names in the industry.

Lastly, I think if we saw a bigger push to market, what I consider to be, the premium entry level rums, this would help grow the category. There are rums like Doorly’s and The Real McCoy which are superb rums and are perfect examples of what are quality and affordable unadulterated rums that if people were exposed to more, would sway people towards this “premium” category.

 

8. Which rum would you recommend a person that:

• Likes Scotch Whisky: Foursquare 2005
• Likes Bourbon: Real Mccoy 12 or Appleton 12
• Likes Gin or Vodka: Diplomatico Planas
• Likes Cognac: Doorly’s XO

 

9. Share some (2-3) of your mentors and how they have helped you.

Nikos Arvanitis – Nikos Arvanitis is a name I first heard when I visited the first rum bar to open in Cyprus, a place called Rum Tree. I was told he was a Guardian of Rum with one of the best noses in a blind test in the industry. Having Greek Cypriot roots and with a love of rum, I was intruigied to meet him. Last year, I finally had that honour as I got to hang out with him after one of his classes I attended. Nikos is one of the most genuine down to earth people I’ve met in the industry. He isnt affiliated with any brand, he just has a raw passion for rum and when he gets you talking about rum, its all stripped back, teaching you about its origins and how to use your senses to truly appreciate the styles of rum rather than judging rum by its colour.

The JungleBird Kuala Lumpur team (@junglebirdkl)

JungleBird is an award winning rum bar in Kuala Lumpur and one of Asia’s top 50 bars and is run by the superb trio of Josh, Divy and Lolita. I had the privilige of living 10 minutes away from this bar so I was there pretty much weekly! Being there was an education and I had a front row seat for a year. Lolita was the creative spark, Josh was the perfectionist behind the bar and Divy was what brought everything and everyone together, always broadening my horizons and teaching me to be more openminded. I walked away from JungleBird with a new appreciation for mixology and a desire to learn how to make cocktails. They let me taste ingredients, they took the time to show me how to put ingredients together and they showed me varitations in techniques. On top of it, the service was consistenly on point and the attracted the likes of Ian Burrell, Richard & Gayle Seale, Martin Cate and Nikos Arvanitis to come and visit which is no small feat for a rum bar in Malaysia.

 

10. What 3-5 things do you have in your bucket list for the next 12 month?

• Experiment more with cocktails. I have a new found appreciation for cocktail making after a year in Malaysia and watching and speaking with the JungleBird team. They do some incredible stuff behind the bar without compromising quality and I left inspired.
• Visit the Foursquare distillery in Barbados!
• Visit the Santa Teresa in Venezuela which I never got to do when I lived there.
• Disover more rum brands from small producers and represent their stories.

 

11. Any last words?

Show interest in what you are drinking, enjoy what you are drinking and be open minded. Behind every bottle of rum is a great story!

 

12. How can people learn more about you? Website? Social Media Page

Website:  www.ruminterest.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/RumInterest/

Facebook: https://bit.ly/3e3RL1g

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Published by: TheRumLab.com
Author: Jose Hoffmann
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