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A Rum Tale: Spirit of the New World
What links Fidel Castro, pirates from the Caribbean and George Washington?Rum.A Rum Tale: Spirit of the New World is a look at the history of one of the Caribbean’s most famous and favourite drinks. From its start as a by-product of a mysterious plant called ‘sugar cane’ to twentieth-century bootlegging, smuggling and prohibition, rum’s heritage is as rich as its flavour – so pour yourself a drink and turn the page.
- GenresNonfiction
192 pages, Hardcover
Published July 29, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 3, 2021
Written in 2019, Joseph Piercy's "A Rum Tale: Spirit of the New World" offers a wonderfully clear and concise introduction to the history of the alcoholic beverage Rum and the spirit's global footprint. In his Introduction, Piercy asserts that he wants his book to be, "for rum enthusiasts, that is people interested in the history of drinks they enjoy, not for elitist snobs" (pg.9), and that he finds tasting notes to be rather trite. Piercy then goes on to provide recommendations of high-end spirits like the Havana Club Maximo Extra Añejo for a wild £1,200 per bottle (pg.137) or St. Nicholas Abbey 18-Year-Old rum priced at a "modest" £200 a bottle (pg.169) along with occasional notes about flavor and composition... but aside from this contradiction Piercy achieves his "beginner's guide" objective quite well. The chapters follow a logical progression of the history of the beverage from inception to the modern market, and embedded in each chapter are quick and easy to read theater-like-asides that further illuminate some important details of rum's history or provide a witty story about a character or event in the beverage's murky past without ever dwelling too long on any one subject.
Perhaps another highlight of Piercy's short history of rum is its more contemporary framing of colonialism, Prohibition, and the geopolitical struggles of nations such as Cuba and Australia. About a third of the book provides detailed histories of Christopher Columbus and Spain, and the somewhat dark and detestable significance they played in the creation of and globalization of the spirit.
In contrast with some of the rather more questionable perspectives alluded to in Charles A. Coulombe's Rum: The Epic Story of the Drink That Conquered the World, for example, Piercy's A Rum Tale: Spirit of the New World is by far a more conscious telling of the beverage's history - one which Piercy humbly describes as requiring, "a cast of thousands to tell it anywhere near accurately" in his introduction. Coulombe's book was written in 2004, and while it is widely regarded as one of the most detailed pieces of literature on "Rum History", the book already feels rather dated in some regards. Coulombe paints the history of rum through the lens of naval and military history, with much of his book focusing on European naval history or the shadows of the Second World War and the Cold War (with occasional questionable tangents). In contrast, Piercy summarizes the whole of Rum's history in the British Navy in a short seven pages towards the end of the book, and one wonders if this is perhaps because the Brits would rather not dwell on this chapter of their history for too long. Piercy's title of the "Spirit of the New World" clearly provides a framework for exploring the history of rum from the angle of colonialism, piracy, and globalization.
Another highlight of Piercy's rum history that is not reflected in Coulombe's work are the summaries of events that have transpired in the last 20-years such as America's softening relationship with Cuba and the legal battles fought by Bacardi as a result. Of course, Coulombe could not write this chapter of rum history as it had not yet happened when his book was published, and instead Coulombe focuses on the interesting legal battles fought over the "Rum and Coca-Cola" song (an aside not dabbled on at all in Piercy's account), but this again could still arguably be another remarkable example of how the telling of a history is largely a reflection of the perspective narrating the story. Piercy and Coulombe offer different details in their accounts of Bacardi, Captain Morgan, and the Bronfman Family (just to name a few) and anyone who has read Coulombe's book or other books on Rum will undoubtably find new gems of information in Piercy's delightful book that makes it worth the read no matter how much a reader has previously digested on the subject.
Finally, I must also recommend picking up this book in hardcover, as it features a truly beautiful cover design (perhaps created by Katie Beard at The History Press?) that captures the mystique and elegance of spirit package design and translates it wonderfully to the bookshelf. The way the book is set is also quite satisfying, with a typeface that is easy on the eyes and formatting that flows well with the side-stories and individual beverage histories that Piercy scatters among the chapters. The final chapters of the book provide excellent rum categorization notes in addition to a splendid selection of cocktail recipes. Four out of Five Stars; would read again (but likely just for research or beverage recommendations).
Perhaps another highlight of Piercy's short history of rum is its more contemporary framing of colonialism, Prohibition, and the geopolitical struggles of nations such as Cuba and Australia. About a third of the book provides detailed histories of Christopher Columbus and Spain, and the somewhat dark and detestable significance they played in the creation of and globalization of the spirit.
In contrast with some of the rather more questionable perspectives alluded to in Charles A. Coulombe's Rum: The Epic Story of the Drink That Conquered the World, for example, Piercy's A Rum Tale: Spirit of the New World is by far a more conscious telling of the beverage's history - one which Piercy humbly describes as requiring, "a cast of thousands to tell it anywhere near accurately" in his introduction. Coulombe's book was written in 2004, and while it is widely regarded as one of the most detailed pieces of literature on "Rum History", the book already feels rather dated in some regards. Coulombe paints the history of rum through the lens of naval and military history, with much of his book focusing on European naval history or the shadows of the Second World War and the Cold War (with occasional questionable tangents). In contrast, Piercy summarizes the whole of Rum's history in the British Navy in a short seven pages towards the end of the book, and one wonders if this is perhaps because the Brits would rather not dwell on this chapter of their history for too long. Piercy's title of the "Spirit of the New World" clearly provides a framework for exploring the history of rum from the angle of colonialism, piracy, and globalization.
Another highlight of Piercy's rum history that is not reflected in Coulombe's work are the summaries of events that have transpired in the last 20-years such as America's softening relationship with Cuba and the legal battles fought by Bacardi as a result. Of course, Coulombe could not write this chapter of rum history as it had not yet happened when his book was published, and instead Coulombe focuses on the interesting legal battles fought over the "Rum and Coca-Cola" song (an aside not dabbled on at all in Piercy's account), but this again could still arguably be another remarkable example of how the telling of a history is largely a reflection of the perspective narrating the story. Piercy and Coulombe offer different details in their accounts of Bacardi, Captain Morgan, and the Bronfman Family (just to name a few) and anyone who has read Coulombe's book or other books on Rum will undoubtably find new gems of information in Piercy's delightful book that makes it worth the read no matter how much a reader has previously digested on the subject.
Finally, I must also recommend picking up this book in hardcover, as it features a truly beautiful cover design (perhaps created by Katie Beard at The History Press?) that captures the mystique and elegance of spirit package design and translates it wonderfully to the bookshelf. The way the book is set is also quite satisfying, with a typeface that is easy on the eyes and formatting that flows well with the side-stories and individual beverage histories that Piercy scatters among the chapters. The final chapters of the book provide excellent rum categorization notes in addition to a splendid selection of cocktail recipes. Four out of Five Stars; would read again (but likely just for research or beverage recommendations).
May 30, 2022
Great read! Very interesting and now I need to stock up on Rum.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews