A big thanks to rum expert Dwayne Allen and his wife, chef extraordinaire, Danielle Leoni, who own the award winning Breadfruit and Rum Bar in downtown Phoenix. We enjoyed another great evening at their establishment this last weekend. We had reservations for 6:30p.m. at The Breadfruit, a fine eatery with a Jamaican influence, and got to The Rum Bar – which encompasses the other half of the space early to enjoy a few beverages and hopefully a little rum talk with Dwayne. Nothing about the evening disappointed.
Upon our arrival, we chatted with the knowledgeable bartender, Brian about what we should try.
We settled on a tasting flight and although there were four different flights to choose from, we chose the Masters Blend, which consisted of tastings of Brugal 1888, Angostura 1824 Limited Reserve 12 Year and Mt. Gay 1703 Cask Select.
Rum flights are an excellent way to sample a few different rums to learn about different regions, brands or types. All the rums in our flight were excellent, although there was a distinct winner on our palate. See the different flights and rums available here: Rums, flights and cigars. There are over 150 rums available at The Rum Bar, so there is certainly something to please everyone and the bartenders are very astute at assisting in finding the right cocktail or sipping rum to suit your taste.
Next we decided to sample a couple of the craft cocktails, all designed by Dwayne himself using the freshest of ingredients, hand squeezed juices and homemade spices.
We sampled a Punchbowl Special – a daily rotation of inspired rum punches. This day it included mango…delicious!
We then ordered a Rum Old Fashioned. This one was created with Appleton Extra 12 Year Rum, orange bitters and orange zest. It was an especially pleasing combination of flavors.
We got to chat with Dwayne for a bit about our upcoming trip to Antigua to get his take on Antiguan rums. Hailing from Jamaica, Dwayne knows and loves his rum and genuinely appears to love talking about it and educating folks on this spirit with deep roots in the Caribbean.
By then, it was time to be seated for dinner. After ordering Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass and Red Strip Curried Prawns we were nearly tortured by the aromas emanating from the kitchen and could hardly wait until our selections arrived. After polishing off every last bite, John said it was the best Sea Bass he’d ever tasted and I felt the prawns were equally as delectable. I would have picked up my plate and licked it clean if I could have.
After dinner we each enjoyed one more Rum Old Fashioned before catching a taxi home. Great night and we can’t wait to return and sample some more.
An evening at the Rum Bar/Breadfruit is highly recommended.
It’s like having a little Jamaican vacation right in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona.
Check out The Breadfruit/Rum Bar website for more information.
