Many Caribbean Rums are so Strong Travelers Are Banned from Bringing Home Some of These Expressions

      The powerful River Antoine Distillery Rum has been a favorite brew on the island of Grenada since 1785.  This wonderful rum is made from fresh sugar cane pressed in the water wheel driven press out behind the distillery.  The rum is distilled in wood fire heated double thumper pot stills.       Production of the crystal-clear brew dates to 1785 and production is powered by a waterwheel - brought over at that time when the British were in control of the island and still producing rum today.

River Antoine Water Wheel

    It's the oldest working waterwheel in the Caribbean and, possibly, the world. The distillation process begins with raw sugar cane, crushed so that the sugary juice can then be left to ferment in huge vats.   It’s then transferred to a giant copper still, and heated over a wooden fire so the liquid boils and then condenses before being drawn off to create a rum that is, staggeringly, up to 89 per cent alcohol by volume.

River High Proof Rums

    But it packs a punch so powerful, the authorities say it’s simply too strong to travel.  This is because of the highly flammable nature of the liquid the airlines require Hazardous Material papers to transport.   Airline regulations mean the famous bottles of rum breach regulations which state that alcohol levels of over 70 per cent ABV are a danger of catching fire should the bottle brake.

Legal to Travel Overproof Rums

     This is not only a problem leaving from Grenada.  Any bottle of rum over 140 proof has the same issue.  There are a lot of 120 to 130 proof rums out there that can legally travel back home with you without the danger of highly flammable spirits.  Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Trinidad, Barbados, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, Panama, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Haiti and others all produce overproof rums in the safe to travel range. Most of the time the extra strong rums are for dares rather than regular cocktails, Moonshine is what they are approaching in strength.