Infusions: Tobacco Infused Rum?

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Infusing rum with tobacco sounds like a keen idea!

Superb, why didn't I think of that?
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Not on your life! Or mine.
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Capn Jimbo
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Infusions: Tobacco Infused Rum?

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Smoke this! (grabbing crotch)

I was recently sipping a bit of that amazing cane juice rum - Montecristo - and reflecting on the similarity of its name to a well known cigar. I then happened upon a thread over at Count Silvio's discussing a poster's intent to try infusing rum with tobacco - namely a cigar.

I raised the concern of carcinogens in the tobacco. The crew pretty much minimized this on the basis that (1) there would be very little of the carcinogens and (2) only a minimal exposure in a single cocktail. After ruminating on this I posted:
"Points well taken friends. Interesting points of view. It is certainly true that alcohol - particularly in excess - can lead to erosion and cancers of the oral-esophogeal route. I see plenty of that in my practice. I've come to terms myself based on the data that alcohol - in moderation - is really quite a low risk.

The same is not true of tobacco in any form or by any route. All it takes is for the carcinogen to modify just one cell in your body. And some of us possess genes that make us very susceptible to even very limited exposure to carcinogens in tobacco.

A cigar contains more carcinogens than a pack of cigarettes. It is not simply an equivalent. And it is VERY important to note that via the route of smoking, most of these carcinogens are lost to the atmosphere and never enter the body. Without any data in front of me, I'll take what I consider my worst case smoking analysis, and assume that 10% of the available carcinogens are absorbed. I daresay the actual amount absorbed by smoking is much less than that.

Infusion is quite another matter.

Most if not all of the carcinogens will infuse into the rum and will accordingly be taken into the body. Based on my assumption this is more like a carton of cigarettes at the least, and very likely much more. Based on about 24 ounces per 750 ml bottle of rum, 10 packs of cigarettes per carton, and 20 cigarettes per pack: a two ounce drink would be at least the equivalent of smoking 16 cigarettes in 20 minutes!

I sincerely believe the real number is higher."
Thus there is a significant risk. To make matters worse, I found this (undocumented) post:
"Tobacco-infused rum certainly sounds fascinating, but be careful about extracting too much nicotine, which is very poisonous by itself. I remember reading several years ago that a can of snuff contains a lethal dose of nicotine if you extract it correctly. Apparently 1-3 drops of pure or nearly pure stuff will kill within 15 min.

So try it, cos it sounds really neat, but do be careful."
Fair warning. Proceed at your own risk...
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Mon Mar 01, 2010 9:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Capn Jimbo
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Ouchie!

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Tobacco Infused Rum: a work in progress...

Please forgive me for rattling on, but as a BSN/RN hospice nurse, I have a special interest in this subject. The case gets worse...

Nicotine in large cigar: 400 mg
Nicotine in cigarette: about 2 mg

Cigars are "fermented" or aged, and accordingly contain a much larger percentage of the really bad stuff - TSNA's (tobacco-specific nitrosamines). So not only does a cigar contain relatively huge quantities of nicotine and carcinogens, but those carcinogens are the really dangerous ones.

Chewing tobacco leads to greatly increased rates of oral/esophogeal cancer (over smoking). On a dose-for-dose basis (smoking vs smokeless), smokeless tobacco delivers 3 to 4 times the nicotine (and other substances). Worse yet, carcinogens and nicotine from smokeless stay in the blood stream longer, are delivered to more cells in the body.

So let's do the math:

Cigars deliver 200 times the nicotine of a cigarette if smoked.
Multiply times at least 10 for increased carcinogens infused into rum and delivered.
Multiply times 3 to 4 for delivery by the oral route, and more for gastic delivery.
Multiply times an X-factor for remaining in the blood stream longer. And last...
Multiply times a Y-factor for containing much more of the worst TSNA's.

I'm sure you get the point.

I'd hate to estimate the real delivery of nicotine and carcinogens delivered by even a single infused cigar. I believe my estimate of one drink being the equivalent of smoking 16 cigarettes in 20 minutes is quite low, even without considering the additional TSNA's and their increased time in the blood stream.

Mind you, I have no problem with those who wish to try tobacco/cigar-infused rum, but I would feel extremely remiss if I failed to point out the tremendously increased risk of this method of delivery. The notion that such an experiment is relatively benign, or that minimal amounts of nicotine and deadly carcinogens appears to fail rational analysis.

But it sure sounded good!
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Pyrate Surgeon
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Post by Pyrate Surgeon »

As an ICU/ER nurse, I couldn't agree more with your commentary upon 'tobacco-infused' rums. I have heard that there are those who prefer the other-way-round of rum-infused cigars. Again, not to my taste.
The Rhum comes After the surgery, mate!
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