A Signature night

After the rains that pounded over the weekend, Sunday night provided the perfect opportunity to warm the soul with a shot of golden goodness Appleton Estate rums.

Appleton Estate Jamaica invited a specially selected group to the scenic retreat of Boon Hall Oasis in Stony Hill, St Andrew, not only to be the first to view the new labels of the signature blends, but also to experience an evening of culinary excellence pairing the Appleton range with delicious dishes by the famed Jacqui Tyson.

The formalities were brief to introduce the new look of the three variants of the Appleton brand The VX Signature Blend, Appleton Estate Reserve Blend and Appleton Estate Reserve Blend 12-year-old.

ST ELIZABETH DELIGHT

The night started off with the St Elizabeth delight cream of pumpkin soup topped with a dash of toasted coconut. Tyson doesn't do ordinary, and the toasted coconuts proved the perfect addition to this soup.

Royal Pineapple Mix up and Blenda followed, served in a pineapple shell, a bouquet of hand-picked Blue Mountain greens, carrot and beetroot spaghetti, slivers of tomato and smoked marlin topped with Appleton Estate Signature Blend, caramelised pineapple and pepper jack cheese cubes served with a light otaheite apple vinaigrette.

Then Tyson's expertise was put further on display with a deconstructed curry goat. She crossed and mixed cultures using a light French crÍpe as a miniature pocket filled with yard-style deboned curried goat finished with a flambe of Appleton Estate Signature Blend. This was a treat for the taste buds; they begged for more.

All these dishes were enjoyed with The Estate Daiquiri.

Campari orange-infused melon balls were the perfect palate cleanser before the main course of the new surf and turf. Imagine lobster tail grilled to perfection then topped with gratin of Appleton Estate Signature Blend, Scotch bonnets hollandaise and grilled lamb lollipop accompanied by vegetable bundles and potato mash, enjoyed with Joy's Cocktail.

The entertaining and talented Tarrus Riley made the main course all the more enjoyable. But the best was yet to come.

The cherry on top was dessert of chocolate surprise dark-chocolate-encased cheesecake topped with a fruit sauce and Appleton Estate Rare Blend-infused whipped cream. For this, you didn't just dive in. No, you strolled in with the guidance of the extraordinary Joy Spence the first female master blender in the world. Not only did she explain the nuances of the rum, she made the palate come alive while teaching the right way to enjoy every sip of Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12-year-old rum which is aged to perfection. With her guidance, guests were able to enjoy this blend using all the senses to really appreciate the banana, lycee, pineapple and myriad other notes that remained in the unchanged Jamaica rum. It really was a signature night.

The Signature Rum Punch

Ingredients

2 parts Appleton Estate Signature Blend

1/2 part Lime Juice

1/2 part Simple Syrup

2 parts Fruit Juice

1 part Pineapple Juice

Method.

Use a jigger to measure ingredients.

Pour ingredients into a cocktail and shake well.

Strain cocktail into a glass (as desired) and add ice cubes.

Garnish as desired.

Joy's Cocktail

(This is a cocktail created and enjoyed by master blender Joy Spence herself).

1 part Appleton Estate Reserve Blend

3 parts ginger ale

Slice of orange

5 drops Angustura bitters

Orange peel (garnish)

Method

Squeeze the orange slice into a low ball glass and then drop it into the glass and muddle it. Add ice and build in remaining ingredients and stir.

The Estate Daiquiri

(This is a nod to the real Daiquiri, a drink that dates back to the 1800s and highlights Reserve Blend's smooth versatility).

11/2 parts Appleton Estate Reserve blend

1 part fresh lime juice

1/6 part simple syrup

Orange peel (garnish)

Method

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a chilled couplette glass.