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Forum GOD!
I'm giving @Bigboar a prod and a big hand of respect for his efforts and generosity in the area of Bay Rums ... me? I'm a little more selfish as I brew for myself, but I can offer some insight into how I do it. It might not be absolutely right and no doubt Greg does it right; I don't use the leaves, but take inspiration.
... and so, back to basics.
What is a Bay Rum? In it most basic sense, it's rum spiced with West Indian bay, splashed on liberally so the stink of a cross-Atlantic journey on a tall ship could be temporarily dispelled while you frequented the local drinking establishments and brothels of whatever port you just landed.
With the leaves not being native, nor that accessible in reality, we can still turn to inspirations all around to make up a good, fragrant brew that we'll enjoy splashing on after shaving.
Look to the internet ...
Get in a vial of Bay Rum oil. It will be steam distilled and carry all the scent you want in place of leaves. Beyond that, we read about lime, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, all manner of scented goodies going in. Yes, you could just get all those in oil form (and some retailers indeed do, some more obviously so than others as the liquor just separates) but it's more fun to steep. It's also fun to pick up on local and seasonal inspiration.
Previously, I've used clementine skins (from this time of year), cinnamon, ginger, lemon peel, the kind of smells you get at Christmas, drops of Bay Rum oil, rum, witch hazel and let it steep. I've used root ginger, I've used peppercorns, cloves, even done a sort of British example with gin, lime skins and juniper berries.
This year I've done things a little different ...
With a newfound appreciation of tea and a lovely visit to the glorious Betty's Tea Rooms on Christmas Eve, I now find myself with rum, Betty's Spice Christmas Tea, some cloves (check), witch hazel (check) and Bay Rum oil (check).
Woo! So, 200ml bottle, tablespoon of the spiced tea (a Chinese Congou tea, spiced with orange peel, lemon peel and cinnamon), 5 cloves, top up to the shoulder with Lamb's Navy Rum, 25 drops of Bay Rum oil and 10 drops of Cade oil. I love cade! This brew is dark and with the earthiness of the tea, I want it to be really tarry ... so the Cade oil went in. Topped up with witch hazel, I'll leave that for 2-3 months, shaking daily for the first couple of weeks, less frequently thereafter.
When it's strained off, I'll keep topping with witch hazel ... and might add a drop of glycerine.
Right, guys! Get brewing ...
... and so, back to basics.
What is a Bay Rum? In it most basic sense, it's rum spiced with West Indian bay, splashed on liberally so the stink of a cross-Atlantic journey on a tall ship could be temporarily dispelled while you frequented the local drinking establishments and brothels of whatever port you just landed.
With the leaves not being native, nor that accessible in reality, we can still turn to inspirations all around to make up a good, fragrant brew that we'll enjoy splashing on after shaving.
Look to the internet ...
Get in a vial of Bay Rum oil. It will be steam distilled and carry all the scent you want in place of leaves. Beyond that, we read about lime, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, all manner of scented goodies going in. Yes, you could just get all those in oil form (and some retailers indeed do, some more obviously so than others as the liquor just separates) but it's more fun to steep. It's also fun to pick up on local and seasonal inspiration.
Previously, I've used clementine skins (from this time of year), cinnamon, ginger, lemon peel, the kind of smells you get at Christmas, drops of Bay Rum oil, rum, witch hazel and let it steep. I've used root ginger, I've used peppercorns, cloves, even done a sort of British example with gin, lime skins and juniper berries.
This year I've done things a little different ...
With a newfound appreciation of tea and a lovely visit to the glorious Betty's Tea Rooms on Christmas Eve, I now find myself with rum, Betty's Spice Christmas Tea, some cloves (check), witch hazel (check) and Bay Rum oil (check).
Woo! So, 200ml bottle, tablespoon of the spiced tea (a Chinese Congou tea, spiced with orange peel, lemon peel and cinnamon), 5 cloves, top up to the shoulder with Lamb's Navy Rum, 25 drops of Bay Rum oil and 10 drops of Cade oil. I love cade! This brew is dark and with the earthiness of the tea, I want it to be really tarry ... so the Cade oil went in. Topped up with witch hazel, I'll leave that for 2-3 months, shaking daily for the first couple of weeks, less frequently thereafter.
When it's strained off, I'll keep topping with witch hazel ... and might add a drop of glycerine.
Right, guys! Get brewing ...
) the better ... let's splash it on, get on land and enjoy!