Post #722469 by Miss Kitty Baby on Mon, Jul 14, 2014 10:52 AM

Hello friends! I have a question about Fair Trade Rum. Is anyone choosing to specifically use it? If so, what brands? Distribution sources? Normally I like rums that are just delicious. However, I am hosting a small Tiki party that I've ensured guests would be 'Culturally Respectful'. This is not implying that a general tiki party is disrespectful. Many folks in the group who have been invited have a heightened sense of awareness and discussion around cultural appropriation, systematic racism, and in particular the controversy surrounding the public disrespect of the Kara Walker art exhibit in NY. In order to make every one feel comfortable, I wanted to let my guests know that I had thought this through. While I will drink rum that's not fair trade, I thought that saying we would use it for this party would be a respectful gesture to acknowledge that we understand the dark histories of the rum and sugar trades. I made this claim before I sourced fair trade rums. I assumed, like coffee, it would be easy to find. If I can't find options, I may have to just resort to locally sourced. At least then I will know a part of it's production by speaking to a distiller directly. Do any wise rum drinkers have any input? Am I in the "wrong forum" on Tiki Central to talk about this?