UK El Dorado Brand Ambassador: OREN COLEMAN

TRL: Who is Oren Coleman?
Oren Coleman is currently the UK El Dorado Brand Ambassador and also the group bar manager for the Ottolenghi group. I’ve worked in bars & restaurants around the U.K. including most recently, the HIX restaurant group.

TRL: What does the rum mean to you? What made you fall in love with rum and when did it happen?
Both sides of my family are from the Caribbean, my mother’s from Jamaica, and my father’s from Guyana, so rum has always been an integral part of family events and celebrations. Rum comes with the territory. We’d be jokingly arguing around the dinner table about which nation makes the best bottles. Rum, for me, means family, fun, and good times. Also, the first bar I worked in was a tiki bar, so that also helped, I guess!

TRL: Three essential characteristics that define the rum according to your perspective.
Heritage, history, and time. Our rums are and always will be inextricably connected to Guyanese history, the good and the bad. We went from over 300 distilleries to one or two colonial powers to independence and we hold over 350 years of distilling experience. All the above contribute a huge amount to our final product.

TRL: What’s another thing you are passionate about besides rum? Why?
Agave spirits are very exciting for me at the moment, especially the more terroir-driven brands.  The same goes for Mexican rums. Their sense of place is portrayed incredibly well and the variety in flavour profile is hard to match sometimes. I enjoy most categories, but I would rarely say no to Guinness.

TRL: What is your favorite place for drinking rum?
If I can’t get to the Caribbean, it always has to be Trailer Happiness in London.

TRL: Favorite drink + Recipe
Daiquiri every time. El Dorado 3 50ml, fresh lime juice 25ml, 15ml 2:1 sugar syrup, shaken hard, double-stranded, served straight up, no garnish.

TRL: Why is it important to educate the rum consumer?
I’d probably say it’s more about increasing awareness and having a base knowledge about rum’s history, early beginnings, and diversity, rather than education. It’s a vast world to get into, so any, however small, drops of information are always beneficial to understanding what it is you are drinking and why you’re still drinking it now.

TRL: Any tips to train the palate and taste a good premium rum?
I enjoy tasting rums (and most other spirits) regionally, which helps widen my understanding of the style from that area. They aren’t always completely synonymous with each other, but for me, the sense of place is one of the most important aspects of rum and helps me to feel more comfortable with that area.

TRL: Is the commitment to sustainable development the key to success for the permanence of the rum industry in the world? Why?
Absolutely. We need to ensure that there is longevity for our industry and especially for the surrounding environment. Just like any product that is derived from a natural crop or ingredient, without increasing the sustainability of its production, we can’t guarantee its permanence.

TRL: Plans you have when you leave the rum industry.
Not planning ongoing anywhere just yet!

TRL: Why is the role of the bartender important in the rum industry?
Bartenders are the biggest innovators and educators in our industry. They are integral to new ideas and spreading the rum word through a direct connection to consumers and their guests in venues. It’s their passion and dedication to the category that is usually so infectious and gets most of us into rum.

TRL: What is your advice for new generations in the rum industry?
Keep tasting!

TRL: How can people learn more about you? Website? Social media page? https://www.instagram.com/oren.coleman/