Nate Sorby

Nate Sorby, global brand ambassador at CUT Rum, explains the pros of Ukraine as a travel destination and the joys of a sundowner on an Asian city rooftop

The CUT Rum ambassador shares his travel tales

WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE MOST MEMORABLE AND INTERESTING COUNTRIES AND PLACES THAT YOUR WORK HAS TAKEN YOU?

I think the most interesting place, or rather somewhere I had so many pre-conceptions about, that really surprised and delighted me was a recent visit to Ukraine. I had always assumed it would be very grey with postCommunist architecture and like stepping back 20 years, especially when it came to the bar and restaurant scene. I was very wrong. It’s an incredible country and Kiev is a stunning city with amazing history, people, food and culture and some of the best bars I have ever been to. It really is a hidden gem and I encourage anyone to visit.

The most memorable bar I was taken to was called Loggerhead. Hidden away off the main street (as all good bars in that part of the world are) and down some dodgy old stone steps, you enter into an amazing subterranean cocktail bar.

WHAT’S THE MOST MEMORABLE RUM THAT YOU’VE HAD ON YOUR TRAVELS?

One of the most memorable rums I have tried was when I was in Norway and was introduced to a brand called A.H. Riise which was a historic, family-produced rum from Denmark that I hadn’t heard of. The rum was good, a sweeter style of naval rum, but very drinkable and an amazing story.

RUM IS MADE ALL OVER THE WORLD. WHICH RUM DISTILLERY IS AT THE TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST TO VISIT?

I have always wanted to visit the Jamaican distilleries including Appleton Estate and Worthy Park, but also the smaller ones like the Longpond Distillery in Trelawny. I have in recent months stumbled across some amazing Fijian rums and would love to visit those guys and see how they do things as the rums have such a unique flavour profile.

WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO ENJOY A GLASS OF CUT RUM AND WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE WAY TO DRINK IT?

I would most like to enjoy a glass of CUT Rum on a rooftop in a south-east Asian city. It’s one of my favourite places in the world and I love the sights, sounds and smells you get in places like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Seoul. On a rooftop after a hard day’s work means you get the amazing views and the background noise, but you’re away from the hustle and bustle and able to soak it all in.

My favourite way to drink CUT Rum is probably neat over ice or in a simple cocktail like a Daiquiri. One of the key things I love about CUT Rum is that it’s one of the rare spiced rums on the market that is actually aged – for three years, in fact – meaning you can enjoyed it mixed, but it can always hold its own, with the rum shining through when sipped neat.

BRAND LOYALTY ASIDE, WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR TOP RUMS AND RUM COCKTAILS?

Rum-Bar Silver from Worthy Park (the same distillery as CUT Rum) is a shining example of a proper funky Jamaican white rum that’s perfectly balanced and super quaffable.

Berry Bros & Rudd 11 Years Old Fiji is quite simply my favourite rum of all time. Super complex, rich and buttery yet grassy and smoky. To me it’s like an agricole met a peaty whisky and made magic! It was so different to anything I had tried before and I was lucky enough to have a bottle before they ran out. I have no regrets about opening it.

In terms of top rum cocktails (excluding the Daiquiri) my go-to cocktail would be a Mai Tai, a well-made Trader Vic recipe one. I also love an El Presidente with a dry South American rum and when I’m feeling in a party mood, it has to be a Piña Colada. There is something delightful about coconut, pineapple and rum on a hot day, ideally with sand between your toes.

YOU’VE BEEN SHIPWRECKED ON A DESERT ISLAND. WHAT BOTTLE OF RUM WOULD YOU LIKE TO FIND WASHED UP ON THE SHORE?

I think if I had been shipwrecked, I would want to find something that I could drink neat, probably out of the bottle, but could also mix with whatever local fruit I can find. I would have to go to one of my old favourites which is Appleton Estate 12 Years Old: a brilliant Jamaican rum from one of the best master blenders in the world and one of the first rums I tried that really pushed me into the category.