Cotton and Reed Allspice Dram Liqueur 750ml

Cotton & Reed is a rum distillery based in Washington, D.C., the first to open in the District when it launched in 2016 in the Union Market neighborhood. Founded by head distiller John Hayes, whose background is in chemistry, the operation has built a reputation for cocktail-driven rums made with what the team calls a restrained approach to sugar, distinguishing them from the sweeter styles typical of the category. Its core lineup of white, spiced, and aged rums has expanded over time into limited releases, including this allspice dram.

Allspice dram, traditionally known as pimento dram, is a Jamaican-style liqueur made by steeping allspice berries in rum, a category that has existed commercially since the mid-nineteenth century. Cotton & Reed builds theirs on their own rum base, distilled from raw cane sugar and blackstrap molasses fermented with a rhum agricole yeast strain, then steeps in allspice alongside other baking spices. Rather than relying on heavy sugar to balance the spice, they add dry-fermented lime for acidity and gentian for bitterness, a deliberate departure from the oversweet, one-note style common to the category.

The dram opens with roasted nuts and freshly ground spice on the nose, dusty and warm rather than candied. On the palate, nutmeg and clove take the lead, layered with a bitter gentian edge and bright notes of dried lime, finishing with a gingerbread-like richness that lingers pleasantly.