Spirits | Sipping Rum

The Caribbean may be the rum capital of the world, but two of the most delicious new imports come from Venezuela and its distinguished Santa Teresa distillery. The 1796 Antiguo de Solera is a blend of añejo (aged) dark rums that's as refined as a good Cognac and just as pleasurable to sip from a snifter. It gets its smoothness, and its complex taste of honey, nuts and vanilla, from aging for years in oak casks. Rhum Orange, a silky liqueur, combines the honeyed flavor of aged dark rum and the tang of bitter Valencia orange peel. Serve it as a digestif, or pair it with a creamy dessert like flan or crème brûlée ($35 and $17; www.santateresausa.com).

—Elin McCoy

Published June 2003