In the highlands of Guatemala’s Quetzaltenango department, fields of sugar cane grow in cool mountain valleys, graced by rain showers from May through October and exposed to the sun the other half of the year. This is the home of Zacapa, the pride of Guatemalan rum and multi award-winner at the International Rum Festival.
Zacapa’s flagship is their Ron Zacapa Centenario 23, a fine spirit blend of rums between the ages of 6 and 23 years old. Like the finest Scotch, Zacapa can be served neat and savored in a tapered brandy snifter with one cube of ice added to release notes of honeyed butterscotch, spiced oak, and dried fruit. The unique complexity of Zacapa comes from a dynamic altitude aging process known as solera. This involves transferring the blended rums, pressed from virgin sugar cane, from one barrel to another. The final barrels used are Pedro Jimenez sherry barrels from Spain, which gives the rum a particularly sweet finish.
That’s Zacapa 101. Get yourself a bottle of Zacapa from our online shop or visit us in person. If you don’t feel like drinking it neat, check out one of these four recipes directly from the maker’s website. Salud!
Hot Rum Punch
For this classic winter warmer, you’ll first need to boil 120 ml of water in a pan. Add 1 tsp of butter, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, freshly grated nutmeg, and honey to taste. Once you have it up to a boil, simmer until the honey has dissolved. Then add 200 ml of Zacapa rum, stir around for a minute, and serve in a punch bowl.
Storm in a Teacup
To make a storm in a teacup, first pour 480 ml of boiling water into a pitcher. Then steep peppermint teabags in the pitcher. Afterwards mix 300 g of caster sugar, 240 ml of lime juice (that’s a lot of lime), and refrigerate until cool. Then add 4 passion fruit, 240 ml of Zacapa, and 480 ml of soda water. Finally, serve in glasses full of ice and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
Zacapa Daiquiri
For this drink you need to use a Boston shaker. First start out with a generous doubleshot of Zacapa—45 ml if you want to be absolutely precise. Add 20 ml of lime juice, 10 ml simple syrup, and ice. Strain the mixture into a chilled glass, et voila! You’re ready to party.
Zacoco
Start by scooping a handful of ice into a tall, wide drinking glass. Then add 10 ml of Zacapa and 200 ml of coconut water. Finally garnish with a pineapple leaf and a wedge of lime.
