Rumination Leads to Rum

Posted on June 29, 2018

Rebecca Lassiter ’09 believes each life experience builds upon the one that preceded it.

Her journalism degree led her from Chapel Hill to Chicago and a job in digital advertising. That position fueled her interest in analytics, leading to an advanced math degree at DePaul University — where she met her future husband, Gentry — and eventually to a
job in finance.

Then a date-night tour of a Chicago distillery, a craft gin operation owned and operated by accountants who had ditched their day jobs, got the couple wondering if they could do the same thing — not late in their careers, but right then. “We figured, if they could do this, why couldn’t we?” mused Lassiter.

In 2016, the couple moved to Knightdale — because of their love of the South and Gentry’s family ties to the area — to launch Lassiter Distilling, which became an award-winning producer of Jamaican-style rum. “Why can’t we be the ones to make a good craft rum in the United States? We couldn’t come up with a good answer, so we did it,” she said.

They started with white rum. “The first batch was undrinkable,” Lassiter recalled with a shudder, describing a brew that, despite thorough cleaning of their new still, reeked of oils and other residue. Subsequent batches were reassuringly flavorful. And just six months after its release, Lassiter’s North Carolina Rum won a silver medal from the American Distilling Institute.

Next came N.C. Amber Rum, which assumed honeyed caramel notes from light aging in charred white oak barrels. It, too, impressed judges, earning a bronze medal.

In March, they debuted Lassiter’s Rum Au Café, a collaboration with Raleigh Coffee Co. “We’ve talked to a lot of bartenders and mixologists, and they’re really excited about it,” Lassiter said, adding that it makes a sublime White Russian. “We had to put up a second batch faster than we expected, which is a good problem to have.”

Other flavors are under consideration, including coconut and mango, but they won’t be produced until they can be made without added sugar or stabilizers.

“We’re always asking ourselves, is it good enough to be Lassiter’s?” she said. “We want each step we take to lead to something better than the one before.”

— Jill Warren Lucas

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Lassiter’s Mai Tai

1 ounce Lassiter’s N.C. Amber Rum

1 ounce Lassiter’s North Carolina Rum

1 ounce gold rhum agricole (distilled from sugar cane juice rather than molasses)

1 ounce fresh lime juice

½ ounce orgeat (a drink made from orange flower water and either barley or almonds)

¼ ounce simple syrup

▶  Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice until chilled.

▶  Pour unstrained into a serving glass; garnish with mint sprig and spent lime shell.

 

Emily Denison’s Coffee Chili

Rebecca’s sister created this as a mild, slow-cooked chili that’s perfect for simmering in the afternoon for a savory supper. She serves it over spaghetti garnished with a mound of sharp cheddar and green onions. Add some diced jalapeno, if you like it spicy.

4 strips smoky bacon, chopped

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder, or more to taste

2 bay leaves

1 small stick cinnamon

2 pounds ground beef

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ cup Lassiter’s Rum Au Café

2 cups chicken or beef broth

1 28-ounce can tomato sauce

1 cup dried kidney beans, soaked and drained*

1 cup dried pinto beans, soaked and drained*

Salt, to taste

▶  Fry bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat until fat has rendered. Remove bacon from pan and discard.

▶ To build the flavors, add onions to the fat in pan and season with a generous pinch of salt. Cook onions over medium-low to low heat until soft and  beginning to caramelize (10 to 15 minutes).

▶  Add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently.

▶  Add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves and cinnamon stick, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.

▶  Add ground beef, season with salt and raise heat to medium. Break up meat, stirring occasionally until meat is browned.

▶  Stir in tomato paste and simmer 2 to 3  minutes.

▶  Remove pot from heat, and carefully stir in Lassiter’s Rum Au Café.

▶  Return pot to heat, cooking until liquid reduces and the scent of alcohol dissipates.

▶  Add remaining ingredients, and season to taste with salt.

▶  Bring chili to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 to 2 hours, until beans are tender and desired thickness is reached.

▶  Add water as needed if beans need more cooking time.

* Note: Canned beans can be substituted to speed cooking time. They should be added in the final 10 to 15 minutes, simmering to warm without overcooking.

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