Hamilton, Edward “Ed” (1954–), is an American rum authority who has researched, written about, and imported West Indian rums since the 1980s. In 1984, the “minister of rum,” a Florida native, lived aboard a 38-foot sailboat in the Caribbean while engaged in inter-island rum arbitrage (read: smuggling). His research led to a broader interest in the spirit, and in 1995 he published his first guide to rum. In 2003 he acquired an importer’s license and began to introduce Martinique rums into the United States. In 2014 he started importing high-ester rums from Jamaica (as well as rums from other islands) under his Ministry of Rum Collection label.
Hamilton, Edward. The Complete Guide to Rum: The Authoritative Guide to Rums of the World. Chicago: Triumph, 1997.
By: Wayne Curtis