Experiment : Rum & Cola, but without the cola - Caracas Nectar

Sometimes it seems like things just happen to complete your story… By accident I didn’t receive the normal “sample kit” for the new Caracas Nectar Rum. I received a “distributors kit” which also included four aroma-samples that help you detect the most important aromas in this rum. The four main aromas that you can find in Caracas Nectar are : Banana, Cola, Cacao and fig. 

In non-Covid years on the first of May we always visit the “Radio 2 Garden Day”, a huge plants-fair where we buy a bunch of herb-plants directly from the producers. Because of COVID-measures, this event couldn’t take place this year, so we drove directly to the plantation of our favorite herbs-producer: Sanguisorba in Ranst. 

Bart Belmans has a true passion for herbs and grows lots of forgotten and medicinal herbs, next to your everyday mint and strawberry.

One of the special herbs I discovered in the greenhouses was the “Artimesia Abrotanum Maritima”, also known as the “Cola-herb”. This plant from the Absinthe-family smells exactly like cola and you can even use it to add subtle flavors to drinks. 

Let’s try a unique experiment. I’m going to make a ‘Rum & Cola’, which contains no cola at all. There is the cola-aroma in the rum itself and the intense cola-aroma of the herbal garnish. Tasting is actually 90% smell and 10% taste. In this drink you sip the rum, but your senses will experience the aroma of ‘Rum & Cola’. Your mind will be tricked into believing you’re tasting a ‘Rum & Cola’.

Does it really taste like a ‘Rum & Cola’? Of course not, but it really screws your mind because there is that hint of cola in the rum and the smell of cola in the garnish. It’s almost like a mental cocktail. What a great and fun experience. I think I will repeat this experiment in a few weeks when the plant has grown and I can cut off more garnish. You need a nice bush of this herb on top of your drink to get the right effect. 

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.