Lavish rum dinner will benefit Children’s Hospital

A bottle of Panamonte Reserva XXV rum costs $400. COURTESYPHOTO A superstar in the world of rum making, Francisco “Don Pancho” Fernandez, recently finished a masterpiece. In the works for more than two decades, Panamonte XXV Reserva Preciosa will debut at an elegant $500-per-person dinner on Thursday, Feb. 9, at The Club at Renaissance.

All proceeds will benefit The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida’s capital campaign for a six-story facility designed to meet a growing demand for pediatric care and serve the most critically ill children and their families.

For Chef Justin Fleming, who is creating the dinner, the evening will be a study in extravagance.

“I want the night to be over the top,” said Mr. Fleming, executive chef and general manager of Hemingway’s Island Grill in Estero. He is also a partner in the company that will sell the $400 bottle of amber-hued spirits, Panamonte Brands. It also sells the $35-$40 per bottle Panama Red.

Each of Mr. Fleming’s four courses will be paired with a rum he has selected, and the finale — bread pudding, sea salt caramel and baby rum cake — will be paired with the new Panamonte.

The evening, from 6 to 10 p.m., includes musical guest Jeff White & Friends, and a silent luxury auction. Each guest will also leave with a bottle of the good stuff. Mr. Fleming wouldn’t be against sipping it, of course, although he suggests it could be a collector’s item as well.

“Panamonte is a blend of different rums that (Pancho Fernandez) has been aging for 25 years,” Mr. Fleming said. “He started blending this stuff 20 years ago to come up with exactly what he wanted. Part of it is the rum and part of it is the story, and that it has this much artisanal value.”

Panamonte’s primary owner and partowner of Hemingway’s Grill, Jim Wasson, had agreed to purchase the end product from Mr. Fernandez about 20 years ago, based on his relationship with the rummaker. Rum hasn’t enjoyed the renown of some other alcoholic beverages even though it can be just as varied and complex.

“I think people appreciate bourbons to a certain extent, and scotch. Rum hasn’t gotten the credit it deserves,” Mr. Fleming said.

Panamonte XXV Reserva Preciosa is a case in point. It was created in Panama by the Cuban-born Mr. Fernandez, and matured in American white oak barrels once used for bourbon. The mahoganycolored creation is one of the few sipping rums with an over-proof alcohol content, the company says, and has long, slow legs on the glass. Aromas of charred oak, honey and bourbon lead to a pleasant bouquet of brown spices, dark dried fruit and buttery molasses. An initial taste of smoke and oak with a sweet balance of vanilla and burnt sugar gives way to a medium dry palate of baking spices and a hint of old leather, cigar box and raisin. The finish is long and smooth, with echoes of wood and vanilla custard fading slowly.

“People who’ve tried it — even if they’re not rum drinkers — there’s nothing like it,” Mr. Fleming said. ¦

>> What: The Panamonte Experience dinner and luxury auction.

>> When: Thursday, Feb. 9, from 6 to 10 p.m. >> Where: The Club at Renaissance, 12801 Renaissance Way, Fort Myers

>> Cost: $500 per person. All proceeds benefi t The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.

>> Reservations: Call Justin Fleming at 287-8756

>> Menu: (Prosecco) Caviar Pizza with Paddlefish, Salmon, and Tobiko Caviar with Saffron Crème Fraiche on hand-rolled flatbread. (Panama Red Sky) Kabuki Escolar and Blackened Yellow Fin Tuna with Tropical Fruit Salsa & Chipotle Rum Glaze. (Rum Tomato Martini) Bone-in Tenderloin with Foie Gras butter and bacon foam accompanied by roasted Fingerling potatoes. (Panamonte XXV Reserva Preciosa) Bread pudding, sea salt caramel and baby rum cake.