Review: Spiced Rum from The Salford Rum Company*

Salford’s connection to Caribbean rum came about through the arrival of the Docks (situated at Salford Quays) towards the end of the 1800s, where an array of goods will have passed through here. The ship canal was designed to enable goods to arrive further inland from the estuary of the River Mersey.  This meant that Manchester could also benefit from the export and import industry as much as Liverpool did during the Victorian era.

The beautiful Dock Office building is still standing in Salford and is a fantastically grand building – worth a look if you are ever visiting Media City, Salford Quays or going to see a theatre performance at the Lowry.

What I thought of the rum and a festive cocktail recipe

As you can see from our intro, Salford is a culturally rich city – so using this as inspiration I have decided to create a truly docks-inspired cocktail. Thinking about some of the other ingredients that might have been imported such as oranges, and other exotic/citrus fruits, tea, and spices like nutmeg and vanilla, all of which are incredibly flavourful.

So, for my latest cocktail made with The Salford Rum Company, Spiced Rum, I have incorporated the rum, vanilla syrup, warmed and blended with Earl Grey tea, served with a small squeeze of lemon and a grating of nutmeg, and to garnish a slice of lemon. This is a real alternative to a hot toddy and is perfect for winter and great to serve if you’re going to brave some outdoor parties over the festive period.

Hot Rum’T – Cocktail Recipe!

50 ml of The Salford Rum, Spiced Rum
25 ml of vanilla syrup
200 ml of Earl Grey (brewed for 2 minutes)
1 tbsp of lemon juice (you can omit this if you like – it will still taste great)
A pinch or grating of nutmeg

In a small pan, warm the rum, and vanilla syrup – be sure not to overheat this as you will erase the alcohol content of your cocktail. In a cup or small teapot place your Earl Grey tea bag in and pour over 200 ml of boiling water – leave it to brew for 2 minutes. Then in a clear mug or latte cup, pour in your rum mixture and then add the Earl Grey tea, stir in the lemon and all the liquids until incorporated. Finally, garnish with a slice of lemon and add your sprinkle of nutmeg.

You get a bit of sweetness from the vanilla and the bergamot elements within the Earl Grey add real depth to flavour when combined with the spices within the rum, the lemon adds sharpness – and is classically combined with Earl Grey, so works well and the nutmeg is a little nod to Christmas and all things wintery!

The rum on its own is pleasantly sweet and has plenty of mixed spice flavours – a bit like gingerbread! It’s rounded and smooth and really yummy. It works so well with this cocktail and if you don’t like it quite so sour take out the lemon, and it’s just as good – like an alcoholic sweet tea!

I thought this cocktail would put a different spin on the rum, as although I love a Mojito and Pina Colada, this has a magic warmth to it that is so pleasant – I hope you will enjoy it on a winters evening as much as I do and it’s a great twist to the usual gluhwein that you get this time of year or the traditional hot toddy!

Where can you buy yours? 

You can buy yours here on their website.

How much is The Salford Rum Company, Spiced Rum? 

It costs a reasonable £40 for the bottle of small batch rum, in a 700ml bottle.

About The Salford Rum Company 

The Salford Rum Company is inspired by the hard-working people of Salford who once worked throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s on Salford Docks.

Once Britain’s third-largest port it imported a huge range of goods including rum, spices and fruits from the Caribbean.

The Salford Rum Company, Spiced Rum has been influenced by these important and incorporates a blend of warm spices including, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and sweet vanilla, and also a slight hint of orange and maple flavours giving it a spicey sweetness that most palettes can enjoy. 

Their rum is distilled in copper columns in small batches and then infused with fruits and spices, filtered and hand-bottled, into a ceramic bottle featuring a doodled map of the dockyard, designed by local artist Dave Draws. Happening just a stones-throw away from the old Salford Docks, themselves!