Rum runners

The Crown

Thinking of grog conjures images of salty sea dogs pouring rum and water down their necks in rough taverns after a hard day's pirating. Strange to think, then, that grog is now part of a successful rum cocktail offering in one modern food-led pub.

"Grog" was one of the first drinks sold by the Crown, in Islington, London, when it started running a "rum cocktail of the week" promotion. The idea was an immediate success, and the Crown now has a rotating list of twelve cocktails.

Fiona Halliday took over as assistant manager of the pub in October after the original brains behind the cocktails left to take on a new pub (the Fox, see below). She was working at the pub when they were first introduced and has now taken the reins to ensure their success continues.

"The rums are fun," she says. "They are something to talk to the customers about and for them to enjoy."

Grog demonstrates the pub's self-deprecating, tongue-in-cheek approach. By steering well clear of being pretentious, they have converted a lot of customers to the pleasures of rum, Fiona believes.

On my visit, the Crown was doing a roaring trade in that week's cocktail, Between The Sheets - made with one shot of Bacardi, half a shot of Grand Marnier, half a shot of brandy, half a shot of sugar syrup, and lemon juice, served over ice. Jamaican Mules, Vanilla Rum Sea Breezes and several variations on the Mojito also feature on the list, all sold for £4 or £5 each.

Blackboards on the walls display the cocktail of the week, accompanied by a funny message, and there are also boards listing the nine rum brands found behind the bar. "Sometimes it's just a bit of a laugh," says Fiona. "People have a laugh at the board, and some people choose a cocktail simply because they like what it says."

"It's all about communicating to people," Fiona says. "The other night, I went out on the floor and really pushed it. We sold about 18 or 20 cocktails that night."

The Fox

"When I travelled around Cuba four or five years ago, I could have brought cigars back with me. But it was rums that really caught me." So says Glyn Morgan, new general manager of the Fox, in Shoreditch, London, which is due to re-open after refurbishment in December.

The Fox's customers will be glad that Glyn spent his travels drinking, rather than smoking, because Cuba inspired him to be passionate about selling rum.

In two years running the Crown, in Islington, London, Glyn transformed the pub's wet sales from a turnover of £6,000 a week to £10,000, largely thanks to introducing a range of rum cocktails (see above). Now he has his sights set on an even more adventurous rum offering at the Fox.

He will be promoting up-market plantation rums on the menu in the upstairs dining room, alongside an extensive rum range at the main bar.

Plantation rums are produced by Caribbean distilleries from the pure cane juice of a single crop. They are unlike commercial rums, which are generally distilled using molasses and can blend produce sourced from several different cane crops. Plantation rums are produced in small volumes, are usually vintage-dated, and vary greatly in character.

Plantation Guyana 1990, from the west coast of Demerara, and J. Bally 1989, from Martinique, will be the first plantation rums in stock.

Customers wanting familiar pouring rums will find them at the main bar, where Havana Club, Appleton and Gosling Black Label will have a place, as well as Venezuelan rum Santa Teresa - which Glyn describes as an "introduction" to the plantation rums.

Glyn believes that plantation rums make good after-dinner drinks, like Cognac. The Fox will not focus on rum cocktails, other than simple mixers such as a range of organic lemonades.

He plans to charge around £2 a shot for the standard pourers and between £3 and £4 for the plantation rums.

"I don't want to educate people," he says. "People get out to enjoy themselves, and sometimes what they want is Havana Club. I appreciate there are plenty who won't know about plantation rums. But most, when they discover them, ask 'why have I not had this before?'"

Glyn's tips for selling more rum

- "Cocktails can be an entry level to rum, but people often take them too seriously. For example, if you present them in solid glasses, rather than Martini glasses, far more pub customers will be interested."

- "Be adventurous, but hedge your bets by stocking a range. Start with Bacardi and then go for a few more unusual ones."

- "Tell people you will happily chat at the bar about drinks that are new to them."