Ex-Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar used to fancy himself a bona fide tequila purveyor, but has since shed the shackles of the priced-out alcohol in favor of a new boozy solvent. "It's so pure," Hagar told the Associated Press, raising the question: is rum the new tequila?

According to the Van Halen News Desk, Hagar sold the remaining portion of his investment in Cabo Wabo Tequila in 2010. The Red Rocker then channeled his business ingenue into Sammy's Beach Bar Rum—brewed and bottled in Hagar's Hawaii—and has since given life back to the watering hole's least rock 'n roll spirit. Is Hagar's enthusiasm—"You can do shots like tequila"—misplaced or welcome?

Let's take a look at the facts.

  • Lord Byron once said, "There's nought, no doubt, so much the spirit calms as rum and true religion."
  • "In the 1800s, rum was considered excellent for cleaning hair and strengthening its roots."
  • Rum is given a shoutout in an old pirate standard that appeared in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island; by extension, this means Stevenson would likely endorse rum in a similar fashion to Hagar if he were still alive today, donning a "RUM BUM" T-shirt to go with his high-waisted pantaloons.
  • According to Mens XP: "Rum is the first branded spirit to have ever been made, seeing as how it's been around longer than most modern alcoholic beverages!" Dubious reporting.

Last we checked in with tequila, it was caught partying with Justin Bieber, which speaks to its imminent decline in popular culture.

Reinvigorated by the power of mojito, Hagar was a pillar of self-faith:

"I would just like to be the real most interesting man in the world," he joked. "I want to do so many things. And I want to do them good."

Whichever liquor you choose, just make sure you don't drink and drive.

[Image via AP]