We didn't. We sure have drank enough of it though! So, in an effort to educate ourselves - last week we decided to head to one of the oldest working rum distilleries in the Caribbean the River Antoine Estate. Ever heard of it? Probably not - because it is only sold in Grenada. The rum produced by this distillery is rumored to be the strongest in the Caribbean. So strong, in fact, that it is actually illegal to export via airplane due to the fact that it is HIGHLY flammable at over 75% alcohol (that is over 150 proof for those of you that care). My brother, Scott and I hopped into the taxi of our tour guide for the day, "Cat Eye" and made the two hour drive up north to see what the fuss was about.
Driving up to the estate, you are immediately greeted by the distinctly damp and sweet odor of fermenting sugarcane, which is the main ingredient in the making of Caribbean rum. Mountains of crushed sugar cane surround the 300 year old estate and you feel like you are stepping back in time. The building doesn't look like much more than a relic of time gone by, but upon closer inspection - it is still working in it's incredibly simple and antiquated way. Central to the rum-making process is the water wheel, which was brought to the estate by ship from England in 1785 and has been working slowly and steadily, crushing bushels of sugar cane, ever since.
To make a long story short, the sugar cane juice is filtered, fermented and boiled and, believe it or not, it is the steam that is the rum. The steam, or condensation is then collected, tested and - if it's strong enough - bottled. If not, it goes through the boiler again. The rum produced is crystal clear (Fun fact: "dark" rum is aged and gets its color from the wooden barrels where it's stored) and VERY strong. These people don't mess around, they have no time for "aging" and can barely keep up with the demand of just Grenada. Judging by the contorted faces made by Kevin and Scott upon their complimentary shot, it really is that strong. Scott felt the 'burn' in his chest for the rest of the day and Kevin honored it with the moniker "white lightening" and thought he might possibly go blind. I am in the process of editing a video which will give you the entire tour, so stay tuned for that.
The tour was well worth it and very informative, and though we didn't learn exactly why sailors like their rum, we did get a little closer...
Love,
Brittany & Scott
2 comments:
Sailor's love of rum goes back to the British Navy and their daily rum ration. Med sailors had to drink "Black Jack" a cheap Spanish wine, and rum was preferred.
Correction..."Black Strap".
My favorite rum is Pyrate.
Post a Comment