Sag Harbor Rum Arrives with Promise of Local Flavor

As February came to a close, Sag Harbor Rum quietly launched a Facebook page and a website, marking the advent of what could be the historic whaling village’s first locally branded spirit.

The distillers, local Murf’s bartender Mike McQuade and Jason Laan, revealed their attractive new label (“off to the printers”) and bottle on Facebook this Wednesday—making their endeavor a bit more tangible—and people are talking. Though little has been revealed at this point, Sag Harbor Rum’s creators also shared a photo of the rum “aging nicely” in old bourbon casks, to which they credit its “distinguished flavor,” lightly infused with a blend of spices, fruit and other natural flavors.

“This unique combination is inspired by the practice of old whaling ships storing the rum in barrels that had previously been used for coffee, exotic spices and fruit,” the Sag Harbor Rum website explains, adding, “The result is unusually smooth rum, or what we like to call ‘a sipping rum,’ that is perfect to drink neat, on the rocks or in a wide variety of cocktails.”

Available in May, the limited-batch Sag Harbor Rum will only be sold in New York State, in select fine restaurants, bars and liquor stores, “not to mention a few colorful ones.” They will release a full sales list soon and have asked anyone interested in stocking the new offering to contact them through sagharborrum.com.

Anyone interested in trying Sag Harbor Rum can also visit their website for a selection of cocktail recipes (Sag Harbor-style Mai Tai, mojito, cable car, planter’s punch and more), though they say its distinctive flavor is excellent for sipping straight up or on the rocks as well.

Clearly there’s much more to this story, including an interview with McQuade and Laan, and and how Sag Harbor Rum  came about, so check back here for a full update soon!