There was a time when I would daydream about life after raising my son and daughter and surviving the daily grind. I could see living in a small cottage on a white sandy beach in very close proximity to the hut where I would happily go every day to sell beach inspired tchotchkes and tropical drinks; not because I had to, but because I wanted to. Last week, at an event at the Leaning Ladder Premium Olive Oil and Vinegar boutique in Woodstock, GA, a couple from Topper’s Rhum took some time to share with Atlanta area bloggers several tastings of a Rhum that took me back to that dream in the sun.
This experience was orchestrated by our very own Chef M of The Front Porch Gourmet with the assistance of Rob Green of Mix It Up Food & Beverage. She took care to ensure there was a fun, tropical vibe going on for this event. The place settings were accented with colorful Leis, cups with boozy gummy bears tucked inside and fun little trinkets for the kid in us.
For a tasting such as this, it’s only fitting that some really good food be thrown in the mix. Chef M prepared a few appetizers to get us started. We noshed on Bread and Butter Pickles, Gardenia Pickles, Candied Bacon Jam and Pimento Cheese Biscuits. These lite bites were accompanied by Rob’s Rhum inspired cocktails which included The Very Berry Mojito made with blueberry, raspberry and strawberry, mint, lime and Prosecco and a Spicy Jalapeno Mojito. Everything was delicious, as expected. However, this was just the beginning.
The evening was all about Topper’s Rhum and the wonderful flavors they would love to bring to Georgia. Their gourmet multi-award winning rhum is currently sold in six states and five countries. I think every flavor is fantastic and can hardly wait to hear that our local merchants are stocking this brand.
Tammie and Rob, a husband and wife team out of North Carolina shared the The Topper’s Rhum story (A Rhum is Born) which you can read on the company website. It’s pretty inspiring. Afterwards, they ushered us through a tasting of each flavor. Hands down, it was the best rhum tasting experience I’ve had to date. My expectations were that the rhums would be harsh, but these were far from it. Rums are known for the blatant flexing of their muscles but the Topper’s varieties are able to demonstrate their strength with smooth, calming restraint. I can get with that.
Each of the rhums we tried can be enjoyed straight, in a cocktail or as an ingredient in a savory or sweet recipe. Chef M worked her magic and pulled off a mouth-watering six course tasting with each featuring one of the six Topper’s Rhums flavors. We were encouraged to try a small sample of the rum which corresponded to each course in order to enhance the experience. This is how that looked:
Course No. 1: Pulled Chicken with Rhum BBQ Sauce, Cream Corn with Candied Jalapenos and Heirloom Tomato.
Rhum”spiration”: Topper’s White Rhum
Course No. 2: Rhum brined Pork Loin, Smoked Grits and Greens, Shaved Watermelon Rhum Pickles.
Rhum”spiration”: Topper’s Spiced Rhum
Course No. 3: Coconut Shrimp over lime zested and fruited coconut rice with pineapple salsa drizzled with rhum cream.
Rhum”spiration: Topper’s Coconut Rhum
Course No. 4: Chicken Mole Wings with lime sweet potato wedges
Rhum”spiration”: Topper’s Mocha Mama
Course No. 5: Honey Ginger Ricotta Filled Squash Blossoms, Rhum macerated raspberries with coulis and white chocolate dust.
Rhum”spiration”: Topper’s White Chocolate Raspberry Rhum
Course No. 6: Southern Banana Pudding with Rhum soaked lady fingers, topped with crushed vanilla wafers, fresh bananas and Banana Rhum Cream.
Rhum”spiration”: Topper’s Banana Cinnamon Vanilla Rhum
Like I said before… Best. Rhum Tasting. EVER!
If you’ve ever tried Topper’s Rhums and/or used a bit in one of your recipes, I’d love to hear about it.
To learn more about Topper’s Rhum
Visit their Website | Follow on Twitter | Follow on Facebook
Thank you to these sponsors for helping to make this experience memorable:
Leaning Ladder Premium Olive Oil and Vinegar, Woodstock GA
Homegirls Organic Produce, Woodstock GA
Astor Chocolate, New York
Disclosure: The meal and swag I received at the Topper’s Rhum Experience were complimentary. I received no monetary compensation for this post. All opinions are based on my own personal experience. You can view my full Disclosure Policy here.
