The 10-year-old English Harbour from a 100-year-old distillery in Antigua is their introduction to rum appreciation because of its smoothness and lower price point at about HK$1,000 ($129). "It surprises people and they always say 'I didn't know this was rum!'" Caripelago's Andre Carey says. The 25-year-old English Harbour is so rare (about HK$3,000) that the company only gets an allocation of one case a year.

With eating clubs, the rums are brought out at the end of the meal, usually after dessert (to be sipped and enjoyed like whiskey or cognac) although some premium rums are so smooth they can go with cheese or dessert much like a sweet wine.

"Pairing a distilled spirit with food is very difficult because they are heavier than wine. You'll have to have a menu where people don't get smashed by the second course," Stuart says. "By the time you reach the main course, your tongue will be burning! Spirit tasting has to be done in small chunks."

Premium rums make great mixers and greatly enhance the taste of a cocktail. They recommend Blackwell's, a dark rum from one of Jamaica's oldest distilleries and the 5-year-old English Harbor, which is also good for sipping.

Aged white rum is growing in popularity as a niche product because, since it has no color, it makes a great mixer aesthetically but its flavor profile makes it just as good for sipping. Carey recommends any aged white from St. Nicholas Abbey.

Rum has one of the most esters (flavor profiles) among spirits yet experiencing and enjoying it has been slow to come.

"We have to get people to understand that at the top level, these spirits are very versatile and very easy to like," Stuart says. "You don't need an acquired taste like whiskey or cognac to enjoy rum."

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