Photo credit: Marion Berrin
Rum and cocktail culture are and have always been inseparable. Since the first punches and grogs, the power and variety of rum's aromas have been taken advantage of. Today, a new generation of bartenders has deepened its culture. By exploring old recipes and taking a close interest in the product, they have become true rum geeks.
We wanted to talk to these passionate artists and artisans, in order to understand why rum holds such an important place in the world of mixology . The first interview is that of Joseph Akhavan of Mabel, in Paris. This bar opened in 2014 is above all dedicated to rum. You can taste haute couture cocktails there, but also a selection of rums by the glass, the extent of which I let you consult on site! You can also find some openings on gin , whisky , without forgetting the famous grilled cheese!
Can you tell us about your career as a bartender?
I started bartending by working in pubs. It was alongside my studies so it was strictly food at that time. The bar was practical for me because I could go to class during the day and earn a salary in the evening. I grew up in a kitchen (my father was a chef) so the relationship with catering was natural for me, but my original goal was to finish my university studies so I didn't see the bar in the long term.
What are the basic rules in mixo?
I don't like to talk about rules. From the moment we codify cocktails, we take a step backwards. The bar must, in my opinion, be constantly evolving and for that we must move away from a mold. That said, there are mistakes to avoid and essential basics : ice is essential, it must be of quality. Then there are the dosages to guarantee balance and finally the use of quality ingredients! (fresh, organic products, quality spirits, etc.)
What makes a really good cocktail in your opinion?
It's all about taste and it encompasses a whole bunch of things: balance , aromatic complexity and depth of flavors. Often you find cocktails that don't have any of the three unfortunately...
I understand that you have a certain fondness for rum, to say the least, can you tell us how it happened?
When I started working in a cocktail bar (Mama Shelter 2008), I had no knowledge of spirits and we were lucky to have personalized master classes at the time, with speakers specialized in their field: tequila , whisky, champagne… And of course rum. At the time I had no idea what rum really was. My only experiences were the rum/cokes that you can drink in pubs/clubs with what you can imagine as a selection of rums… And frankly I didn't expect much when we started the master class. I thought that rum was uninteresting because what I had drunk up until then was uninteresting.. But when we started the tasting I was blown away.. I had no idea that you could find rums as aromatic and complex, they were simple things but for a novice like me it was a real epiphany.
What are the advantages of rum in mixology?
On the one hand, its aromatic palette and its varieties . Rum brings a structure that few spirits have to offer in my opinion. Earlier I was talking about “taste” and it is around this that we build a cocktail, when we start with a spirit that has a lot of taste we already have a solid base to make our cocktail.
Are there any rules or principles for mixing a rum (or several)?
The principle is that the quality of the rum counts above all. If you use low-end rum, you might as well use vodka. You have to build your recipe around the selected rum and play on its nuances and aromatic palette. You also shouldn't use a rum that is too complex to make a fruity cocktail, for example; you have to find the characteristics of the rum in the end.
Do you have an effective cocktail recipe for a beginner?
The Dirty Road Mule that I presented at the Clairin World Championship Finals in 2017:
35ml Clairin Communal
10ml Fresh Organic Ginger Juice
15ml Squeezed Lime
25ml Organic Coconut Water
10ml Cane sugar syrup
5 drops of peanut oil
Combine ingredients in a highball glass, add 35ml of Light Blonde Beer and fill with ice cubes.
