In 2007, Matt Pietrek began what he describes as his “spirited journey,” which started with the creation of a home bar and then evolved to writing about distilling, cocktails, spirit regulations, and the history of spirits through his website Cocktail Wonk, as well as several drinks publications including PUNCH and Bourbon Plus. Pietrek is a four-time nominee by Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards for The Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication, and he serves as a rum judge and the Community Envoy for the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association. Around 2019, Pietrek and his wife Carrie Smith created Wonk Press with the mission to partner “with independent authors to bring passion projects to life without compromise.” Since then, they have published Minimalist Tiki: A Cocktail Wonk Look at Classic Libations and the Modern Tiki Vanguard, as well as their newest book, Modern Caribbean Rum: A Contemporary Reference to the Region’s Essential Spirit.

At 850 pages, Modern Caribbean Rum is a massive book and the result of five years of work that required detailed notes, extensive conversations, and repeated trips throughout the region. But despite its intimidating size, the book is clearly laid out into four parts and includes some beautiful photography and excellent illustrations. From the outset, Pietrek and Smith specify that the book will focus on modern Caribbean rum, yet they do an excellent job of setting the stage in part one with clear and succinct chapters on the history of sugarcane cultivation, distilling, and rum classifications. Part two provides an excellent primer on the basics of making rum, and part three provides an introductory course on the business of rum. All these sections contain lots of detail to help the reader make sense of the wide cultural, regulatory, and production practices that encompass Caribbean rum without feeling wonkish or dense. Lastly, part four details the 20 or so rum producing countries as well as the 100 distilleries and brands that are at the center of modern Caribbean rum.

True to its title, Modern Caribbean Rum is an extensive reference guide to its eponymous spirit. However, readers looking to learn more about their favorite brand or hope to dive deep into what specific production practices create the flavors they love will not find that information. Pietrek and Smith eschew the common appeals to artistry and romance found in other spirits writing and instead deliver a very sober and detailed accounting of Caribbean rum. And yet, one cannot help but feel that a book like Modern Caribbean Rum could not have been written without a deep passion for the subject and desire to share that passion with others. Modern Caribbean Rum records the fermentation, distillation, and aging parameters that help to create some of the most fantastic spirits, and it will stand as a testament to one of the world’s great distilling heritages.

Matt Pietrek and Carrie Smith, Modern Caribbean Rum: A Contemporary Reference to the Region’s Essential Spirit, (United States: Wonk Press, 2022), 850 pages, $90.00. ISBN 9780578271392