We're well into the dark-spirit months, the time of year when G&T's and daiquiris and Trinidad gin swizzles yield to manhattans, sidecars, and old-fashioneds; when rum, gin, and tequila traditionally step aside in favor of whiskey, brandy, and more whiskey. Okay, the margarita is pretty much a year-round drink these days, and if G&T's fade there's always the martini, which knows no season. So really, it's only rum that gets lost in the seasonal shuffle.
It doesn't have to. Rum is a shape-shifter: Whatever type of booze you prefer, there's likely to be a sugarcane-based analog, something with the same weight, texture, and intensity of flavor. That's not to say they're exactly the same (although some white rums are pretty damned difficult to tell apart from vodka), but when it…
