The first rum I ever tasted was Ron Zacapa. My father had a cousin in Guatemala who supplied him with the stuff long before it was imported to the US. He would ration it, sharing some with guests and sipping it from a snifter after dinner on special occasions. I thought it smelled like gasoline. But as I grew up and my palate evolved, there was always the hope that some special occasion would present itself so that I could take a whiff of that rum. (Note: Zacapa is one of the only rums you can--and should--drink neat. NEVER mix into your Coke.)
Since that first sip, I've learned that there's a whole lotta girl power going on with this brand. It's made by one of the few (literally: few) female Master Blenders in the entire world. Plus, those sleeves around the midsection of the bottle, called petate bands, are hand-woven by local women who may have otherwise been out of work in the poverty-stricken region. I'll drink to that. --Mary-Frances Heck