Nine years after they first published their first history of Cuban rum,
authors Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown have finished scouring libraries,
archives, and databases gleaning as much of the truth about the origins
of Cuban rum. Their findings include some rather eye-opening discoveries
about the contributions made by Spanish, French, British, and Dutch sources
that positioned this seductive spirit ahead of other Caribbean spirits
by seeking and adapting new technologies and techniques to its production
which is appreciated around the globe.
Miller and Brown have also unearthed new evidence as to the origins
of classic Cuban mixed drinks including the Mojito, DaiquirI,
El Presidente, Cuba Libre, and PiNa Colada. This revised and expanded
discussion offers a fresh approach to the study of both Cuban rum's
remarkable history and the people who created a genre of mixed drinks
that have achieved universal appeal.
As the category continues to grow and mature, the authors present
compelling reasons why Cuban rum does not live only on its past
merits but shines with a brilliant future in the hands of a new generation
of international bartenders
Brown, Jared M.: - Sipsmith Master Distiller Jared Brown made his first spirits at age ten after reading that early American colonists froze cider and lifted out the ice to concentrate the alcohol. As an adult (after a degree in hospitality from NYU, five years in operations at the Essex House Hotel and a few good bartending jobs) Jared's fascination with the spirits world has gone well beyond idle fancy. Developing a gin formula for the first micro distillery restaurant in the USA, in 1998, led to more diverse projects. He crafted, in 2002, the formulation of Heavy Water Vodka in Norway. That was immediately followed by consultancy work for a Vietnamese ruou (rice vodka) in 2005 and work on tasting panels for Beefeater 24 and No. 3 before crafting Sipsmith's award-winning formula. He has judged a number major drinks competitions in the past decade, including the Havana Club Cocktail Grand Prix, Bols Around the World, Chivas Masters, and Beefeater 24. With his wife Anistatia Miller, he has written more than 30 books including the world's best-selling book on the king of cocktails, Shaken Not Stirred: A Celebration of the Martini. Recipients of the 2011 IWSC Communicators of the Year Award, the couple wrote the award-winning two-volume tome, Spiritous Journey: A History of Drink as well as The Mixelllany Guide to Vermouth & Other Apéritifs and Cuban Cocktails. He was a co-founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail and is former co-director of Exposition Universelle des Vins et Spiritueux. Brown lives in the Cotswolds where he maintains a 1200+ volume collection of books on drink plus a research garden of drink and cocktail botanicals.
Miller, Anistatia R.: - Drinks historian and publisher Anistatia Miller is co-author along with her husband Jared Brown of a few dozen books on spirits and drinks, including the world's best-selling book on the king of cocktails, Shaken Not Stirred(R) A Celebration of the Martini. Recipients of the 2016 IMBIBE Magazine Personality of the Year Award for Industry Legends as well as the 2011 IWSC Communicators of the Year Award, the couple wrote the award-winning two-volume tome, Spirituous Journey: A History of Drink, tracing alcoholic beverages from 7000BC to the 20th century. Other titles include The Mixellany Guide to Vermouth and Other Apéritifs, Champagne Cocktails, and Cuban Cocktails. Miller was a co-founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans and is former co-director of Exposition Universelle des Vins et Spiritueux in southern France. She serves as curator of the EUVS Digital Collection (www.euvslibrary.com), a free online library of vintage cocktail and drinks books dating back to the 1750s. Miller organises and hosts the International Havana Club Cocktail Grand Prix in Havana, Cuba. She lives in the Cotswolds with her husband and cat where she maintains a 1200+ volume collection of books on drink plus a research garden of drink and cocktail botanicals in addition to chickens and quail.
