A New Rum for Summer: Copacabana 1940 Añejo

Copacabana 1940 and rum-glazed shrimp at the launch party

Copacabana 1940 and rum-glazed shrimp at the launch party

There’s nothing like a new rum for summer sipping.

Beautiful people gathered on July 8 at New York’s Copacabana night club to celebrate the launch of a new rum, Copacabana 1940 Añejo. Celebrity chef Alex Garcia partnered with restaurateur Spencer Rothschild to develop this new rum, which they served in handcrafted cocktails and in hors d’oeuvres like rum-glazed shrimp. Guests looked out onto the Times Square crowds from the lounge’s glass atrium. Hundreds of invited guests sipped their drinks as DJ Miguelito performed and dancers from Melanie Torres’ Dance on Two Studio twirled.

“We wanted to pay homage to 1940’s New York City, a time when the Big Apple was becoming the capital of commerce, and fashion and music ruled the night,” Rothschild told Max Luxe.
The new spirits brand, produced by Barrio Spirits and based in New York, takes its name from the pair’s celebrated nightclub, as celebrated in the song (“At the Copa, Copacabana…”).

The rum itself, which Garcia helped design, is made in Panama at the noted Las Cabras distillery in Herrera. It’s now on sale exclusively in New York State. Rothschild described his new añejo, or aged rum, as a “rich, balanced, sensual rum with strong hints of citrus and a light caramel and almond finish.”

This is the first beverage brand for Barrio, which owns a list of popular and chic restaurants across New York City (A.G. Kitchen, Good Enough to Eat, Oval Cafe, Ramen.Co, Amigos Mexican Bar & Restaurant, as well as the Copacabana). Garcia, who is Cuban, is a celebrity chef on the Food Network’s “Melting Pot.” Diners have been flocking to his interpretation of Latin cuisine for many years at New York restaurants like Patria, Erizo Latino, and Babalu. Rothschild similarly has a long history of owning popular restaurants in New York, including Union Pacific, Rain, Main Street, Django and BLT Prime.

The concept of a chef-centered rum plays to diners’ growing interest in chefs and their culinary personalities and their ability to pair food and drinks. Restauranteurs and other hospitality buyers are laser-focused on taste when it comes to rum, but they are beginning to develop an interest in rum as an ingredient, Rothschild said. As they sample his new rum, buyers typically ask to try it both as a drink and as part of a dish. If the crowd’s reaction at Tuesday’s launch party is any indication, there may be a new contender in the market for premium rum.

The Max Luxe Blog is purely editorial, not advertising. We showcase products, destinations, and solutions we think Max members will find useful. Max does not receive compensation for mentions on the Max Luxe blog.