Castro's Takeover of the Bacardi's Cuban Interests in 1960

     I ran across this story that told of the take over of the Bacardi empire in Cuba in 1960.  I found it to be very interesting and thought you might enjoy reading it as well.

How Bacardi Was Exorcised from Cuba by Fidel Castro

Bacardi House in Santiago de Cuba

There is the rum, Bacardi, which we all know. There is this exotic country, Cuba. The drink was born centuries ago in the sugarcane plantations of the beautiful island country.  

Will the Soul Ever Return to the Body?

As the era of Fidel Castro teetered towards its end, that was the million dollar question resonating in the hearts of rum aficionados around the world.

There is the rum, Bacardi, which we all know. There is this exotic country, Cuba. The drink was born centuries ago in the sugarcane plantations of the beautiful island country.

But the happiness did not last forever. The day came when the soul had to leave the body with much anguish.

The revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, who stormed to power dethroning the Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista, saw red in letting private industries run free in a communist country.

But don't assume that the rapport between Castro and Bacardi had never been sweet. When Castro was fighting against Batista, the patriotic Bacardi’s who were deeply engrossed in Cuban social and political institutions cheered him on.

But the relationship turned sour after the honeymoon, after the fall of Batista, after the Castro regime formed its government.

Fidel meant business, and his business was to smother all capitalist ventures. In one swift move, he nationalized all sugar mills and other private initiatives in Cuba. Bacardi felt the heat of the red.

Bacardi Building, Havana

The company was now left with few friends and options.

On October 14, 1960, Cuban national radio announced the doom message, the takeover of a company built painfully by a family. The announcement was followed by national marines crashing into Bacardi's office.

Everything was against Bacardi but for one mistake the communist authorities made. Their marines stormed into the wrong building, the wrong city - Havana.

Meanwhile, at Santiago de Cuba where Bacardi's headquarters and production plant was situated, all was calm outside. Inside, the loyal staff of Bacardi was busy with serious business. A few minutes later, the job was finished; the officials walked out one by one, with a tense smile. They had successfully destroyed the genetic code of Bacardi rum - the last of the yeast cells, that particular breed found 150 years ago from the roots of a sugarcane plant which made Bacardi, Bacardi (only those specific yeast cells could build the unique taste of the drink after a feast on sugar).

Bacardi Rum Factory in Santiago de Cuba

The company had earlier slipped enough strains of the variety out of Cuba to Puerto Rico, where it was going to set up the company for future operations.

You can read the rest of the story at:

http://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/food-1539763-1539763.html

Bahama Bob's Fall Chillaxer

     A we head into fall, the weather is beginning to cool off and it is time to look at some different cocktails for the season.  Watching the leaves turning in the north brings to mind a different kind of fruity er and slightly sweeter cocktail.  Give this oe a try, I think you will find it to be quite satisfying.

Bahama Bob's Fall Chillaxer 

• 2 oz. Richland Rum
• 1/2 oz.Sweet Vermouth
• 1/2 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• 1/2 oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Orange Curacao 
• Dash of Fee Bros. Grapefruit Bitters

 Place all ingredients into a shaker filled with fresh ice and shake until chilled.  Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.

What's This "Drunk as a Sailor" Stuff All About?

     The expression, “drunk as a sailor” has an interesting history.  Back in the late 1600’s and the early 1700’s, it was well known that alcoholic beverages of different types were dispensed aboard the ships that traveled the oceans.  This was mainly because it was easier to keep alcoholic beverages than water.  Water kept in barrels would go rancid rather quickly, where alcoholic beverages would keep better. The men aboard were first given ale, wine, cognac and or rum rations some were given as much as four pints of ale or one bottle of wine daily. Or does it just refer to a sailor’s habit of over-drinking once they get to a seaport and find the nearest bar?  Actually, the truth was both.   Months aboard on the sea back in the days of sailing ships led to boredom, which also leads to drinking, there were many factors, but they all yielded the same result, a “Drunken Sailor”.

     The beer and wine proved to be to susceptible to spoilage, but by increasing the amount of alcohol and the volume of hops in the ale, they would last longer.  It was discovered that rum would improves with the more time it stayed in the barrel, so rum became a natural choice.  Rum was also available at many different islands throughout the Caribbean. The majority of the rum that the sailors received was about 55 to 60% ABV.  The way it was tested for “proof” was to pour some on gun powder and lit.  If the gunpowder burned that was “proof” that it was strong enough, actually by today’s proof standards about 109 proof.  In 1850, the British Navy decreased its traditional daily ration of rum of ¼ Imperial pint to a "tot", which was one-eighth of an imperial pint or 70 ml of rum at 95.5 proof (54.6% ABV), given out to every sailor at midday in 1850.   It’s amazing that more sailors weren’t too drunk to complete their duties.

     Too often the fresh water became filled with bacteria and, kill the bacteria, they took to mixing rum with the water.  This was a common practice even on land, rum was the cheapest alcoholic beverage around and did a great job of purifying the drinking water.  The rum could then be diluted by adding water, sugar, lime juice and spices, which got to be known as “Grog”.  This allowed the rum to purify the water as well as provide a “feel good” drink for the sailors and reduce the drunkenness. 

Always a Clean Finish or How Don Q is Going Green in Puerto Rico

Roberto Serralles

     Puerto Ricans have long been known for their love of rum, and particularly their love of Don Q.   More than two-thirds of the island’s population drinks this particular rum, which is distilled, manufactured, and distributed world-wide from Destilería Serrallés headquarters in Ponce, Puerto Rico.   Not only known for quality products, in the last decade the Serrallés family has made strides in implementing sustainable technology and reducing their foot print on the environment.  This issue has been reverberating throughout the spirit-making industry.

     Many of these green initiatives came directly from Roberto Serrallés, a sixth-generation distiller who left Puerto Rico to become a teacher, but wound up back at his family’s distillery.   “I wanted to teach; that was my calling in life,” says Roberto Serrallés, “I knew I wanted to teach at the university level, which requires a PhD, and that’s part of why I ended up in Environmental Sciences. As I was writing my dissertation, I got a call from Felix Juan Serrallés, Jr., my father and company president and CEO.  He said he needed help with the distillery’s wastewater system, so, I was initially hired on as a contractor and worked on this wastewater treatment system for years that we now have up and running.”

     Rum, and spirit-making in general, produces a lot of wastewater. “When you distill rum, wastewater ends up being five times the volume of the spirit produced”.   “We want to take that wastewater and reuse it, turn it into some form of energy, Serralles explains.   I see this as an extension of the process of rum-making, which begins with molasses, a byproduct of sugar making.”

     The Serrallés family began as sugarcane farmers, and rum-making naturally evolved as a way to utilize the leftover molasses.   “We took a waste stream and turned it into something value added,” says Serrallés. Eliminating wastewater runoff into nearby waterways also aligned with a perspective on environmental stewardship that Roberto learned during his PhD studies.  “Some of my guiding principles come from the field of industrial ecology, specifically Marian Chertow, who teaches at Yale. Part of her work looks at the lack of waste in naturally occurring systems and suggests we should mimic that in industry.”  “There is no waste in nature, and that is an ideal system. So, how do we find a use for all our outputs?”  This mission has led to significant changes at Destilería Serrallés over the last decade. Serrallés focused his work on the system the distillery uses for wastewater treatment, which several other distillers now emulate.  It captures carbon dioxide released during the fermentation process and distributes it to local soda producers, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

    Wastewater from the distillation process has a myriad of uses, finding its way into compost, biofuel, and irrigation water. Don Q has also has completely eliminated wastewater discharge into nearby oceans.  “They came to us and wanted to establish a partnership and we were thrilled.    We monitor the water in Puerto Rico, and we also do work protecting coral reefs, which are very sensitive to changes in water temperature and nitrification.  These potential impacts from wastewater discharge at nearby distilleries. Keeping wastewater out of the ocean keeps helps keep reef systems healthy.  In the future, Serrallés hopes to continue developing sustainable technologies for Destilería Serrallés, and encouraging the implementation of those methods industrywide. “Sustainability is not a destination,” he says. “It’s a commitment to a continual process. We are trying, and it’s about trying to be better every day.”

     This is a great conceptual project, especially when you consider that rum came about as a means of disposing of the waste molasses from the sugar making industry.

Jack-O'Blast from Captain Morgan is Back This Fall

     Captain Morgan Jack-O'Blast is returning this season! Captain Morgan Jack-O’Blast, the intensely delicious pumpkin spiced shot, is back on shelves nationwide.  Jack-O’Blast is a fall-inspired shot that blends Caribbean rum with favorite seasonal flavors – including fresh pumpkin, cinnamon and other autumnal spices. Best enjoyed as a chilled shot, Jack-O’Blast can also be served as a drop shot or in a number of seasonal drink recipes.

     The pumpkin spiced rum (60 proof, 30% ABV) with a suggested retail price of $15.99 for a 750 ml bottle and is currently available nationwide for a limited time this fall.

Lonely Sailor Arrives

     These days there are very few boats out on the Gulf.  Today I spotted a sailboat as it was arriving here at Sunset Marina.  It looked alone and had a relatively calm sea surrounding her as she came in.  It is a good sign to see boats back out on the waters, especially after a month of locating and marking all of the sunken and free floating vessels that broke away or were sunk by Irma.  Makes for a pretty picture in my mind anyway.

Week Four, Debris is the Biggest Issue

Debris on Eaton Street

     As week complete week four post-Irma, the debris removal was the most noticeable activity.  Lots of trucks and scoop tractors are going from street to street removing the debris from the edges of the roads.  This has revealed sidewalks, parking spaces and other important items.  It also is allowing the cable TV and telephone people to get to their lines and begin restoring them to many homes that have been without for about a month.

Chunks of Broken Floating Docks

   Pieces of floating docks are being removed from the waterways around Key West and repair to the docking systems are being taken care of.  Hauling these old pieces of the docks is going to be a monumental task to remove them.

Shel Silverstein House in Key West

    As debris is removed it has revealed the damage to the late Shel  Silverstein's historic house.  There is a lot of damage that has been revealed at the downed trees are being removed.  Ernest Hemingway's House looks to have only suffered damage to the landscaping, from an outside view of the house driving by.
Silverstein's

     More and more of the businesses are opening up and the ones that have been open for awhile are beginning to get busier.  More tourists are beginning to show up filling the hotels, restaurants, bars, and tour buses and trains.  All of these are signs of Key West coming out from under the mess caused by Irma.  I feel like in a few more weeks we will be getting a feeling of "normality" in our lives.

     Even up the keys where the damage was  horrendous, the are signs of recovery peaking their head up.  Still a long way to go, but progress can be seen.

Isla de Tesoro Rum The Favorite of the Late Fidel Castro

      “Santiago de Cuba is considered one of the best rums in Cuba”.   Cheaper bottles are aged from three to five years, but rum aged 20 to 25 years also is available, and the price goes up accordingly.  Among the most expensive bottles for sale are Isla de Tesoro (Treasure Island), available in a special ceramic jug and packed in a wooden chest, made to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the city of Santiago.  Isla de Tesoro sells for about $747, which was produced in a limited edition, and the favorite of the late Fidel Castro.  “This is a rum that you won’t find everywhere or even all over Cuba.”  Cuban rum brand Isla del Tesoro, once produced for revolutionary Fidel Castro, has been made available in the UK through distributor Spirit Cartel.   “It’s a rum for connoisseurs and aficionados. In my opinion, no rum collection is complete without a bottle of ‘El Caballo’s’ personal rum.   We can all be a little Fidelista even if we are not communist.”

     For 50 years Isla del Tesoro, or ‘treasure island’, was distilled for Castro’s personal consumption; gifted to visiting international dignitaries and senior members of Cuban government. Until recently the rum was not commercially available, and even now production is limited.   The original recipe for Isla del Tesoro was created from a collection of rums appropriated by the Cuban State from rum-producing families fleeing the Revolution. They were discovered in 1959 ageing in a cellar nicknamed the ‘Cathedral of Light Rum’.

The Original Bacardi Rum Factory

      There’s also a Bacardi connection to the rum factory in Santiago. It’s the old Bacardi factory, which was expropriated by the Cuban government on Oct. 15, 1960, along with the company’s Santiago headquarters. The day before, the Bacardi sales office in Havana was nationalized.  Bacardi, which is now headquartered in Bermuda, had made rum in Cuba since 1862.

     The rum is presented in an individually-numbered ceramic decanter encased in a handmade wooden chest.   A map accompanies the bottle, depicting the location of Isla del Tesoro, now called Isla de la Juventud.  Charles Marshall, Spirit Cartel, said: “Isla del Tesoro is truly the stuff of legend. We feel it’s our own little revolution and certainly a piece of history, just getting our hands on the UK distribution for the rum.   “The romance surrounding this rum, contributes to the myth that it has come to represent the Cuban people’s soul: pure and full of spirit, whilst maintaining a real sense of dignity and elegance.

Diplomático Rum Launches a New Limited Edition Distillery Collection

Diplomatico Distillery Collection

      Venezuelan rum company Diplomático brand is set to release two expressions in a new limited-edition range.   Designed to showcase Diplomático’s “diverse” distillation processes, Diplomático is to launch Single Batch Kettle and Single Barbet Column expressions.  The range, which launches with Single Batch Kettle and Single Barbet Column rums, is a result of Diplomático’s unique style of merging different distillation methods to produce a wide range of complex distillates.

Single Batch Kettle Still

     Single Batch Kettle was made with a batch kettle still that was brought to the distillery in 1959.  The batch distillation method was originally employed in Canada for the production of American whiskey. The “complex” and medium-bodied expression is made from sugar cane honeys, and is aged in American white oak barrels.

Double Barbet Column Still

     The Barbet Column distillation system, originally created in France was also brought to the distillery in 1959. The Barbet column is made of 100% copper, a type of metal that facilitates to the elimination of undesirable sulphur compounds that form during the fermentation process.   Described as having a “strong fruity” profile, Single Barbet Column expression is aged in American white oak barrels and uses high-quality sugar cane molasses.

José Rafael Ballesteros, CEO

     José Rafael Ballesteros, Diplomático’s CEO, said “The Diplomático brand name has become familiar to lovers of fine dark spirits, few are aware of the history of the company behind the brand, Destilerías Unidas S.A. (DUSA). DUSA’s distillery was originally created in 1959 by local rum producers and Seagram’s International, at that time the largest distiller of alcoholic beverages in the world.   We recognize that the rich distillation heritage left by Seagram’s is at the heart of Diplomático’s elaboration process today.”  “We are excited that the Distillery Collection gives rum lovers the chance to explore the history and distillation know-how of Diplomático, and what goes in to making our rums so special.”

Tito Cordero

     Due for official launch at this October’s Bar Convent Berlin, The Distillery Collection showcases Diplomático’s diverse distillation processes. Over the years, Diplomático has developed a unique style of merging different distillation methods to produce a wide range of complex distillates. The Distillery Collection highlights these distillation systems with two new expressions, a Single Batch Kettle rum and a Single Barbet Column rum.  A variety of distillates, with their distinctive aromas and taste profiles, characterizes Diplomático rums and allows the Maestros Roneros, Tito Cordero, to create one-of-a-kind blends. The Distillery Collection, on the other hand, offers rum aficionados the opportunity to discover these single distillates in their purest form, featuring each rum’s individual personality.  Given the unique sensorial profiles of these individual expressions, it is recommended to savor them neat.

 Both expressions are available at a suggested price of $81.00.

Bacardi names Mahesh Madhavan CEO Effective Immediately

Mahesh Madhaven and Mike Dolan

    Mahesh Madhavan has officially taken over from Mike Dolan as CEO of Bacardi, at the same time as announcing changes to the senior leadership team.  As announced in March, Bacardi’s current Asia, Middle East and Africa president Madhaven will take over from Dolan as chief executive, effective immediately.

    As part of his leadership succession plan, Madhavan has announced two internal appointments. John Burke has been promoted to the role of global chief marketing officer and Ignacio del Valle as regional president of the Latin America & Caribbean region.  Burke and del Valle serve as members of the Bacardi Global Leadership Team and report directly to Madhavan.

     Burke has spent more than two decades in various leadership roles within Bacardi. Burke will provide leadership and strategic direction for Bacardi’s global marketing organisation. He has had diverse experience working in country operations, regional and global sales and marketing.

Mahesh Madhaven

     Del Valle is responsible for leading commercial operations in the region for the company’s portfolio of premium spirits. For more than 15 years he has served on the regional leadership team in commercial and production roles. Del Valle succeeds Constantino Spas who has decided to pursue opportunities outside of the company.

“With more than 20 years at Bacardi, in different roles in different geographies, Mahesh has a tremendous track record of success. He inherits a business that is in great shape, with a healthy balance sheet, revitalized brands, and an engaged team of employees.

“Mike and Mahesh have worked closely to carry out the succession smoothly, and the Board is delighted with the progress they achieved,” said Facundo L. Bacardi, chairman of Bacardi Limited.  Madhavan will be based in the company’s global headquarters in Bermuda.

Bahama Bob's Rum Flyer

      A post Irma cocktail that is a simple one that really takes off with some good flavor and drinkability.   It is an idea that is a take-off on the Aviation cocktail, a real classic that is originally made with gin.  Give this one a try, I think you will enjoy it.


Bahama Bob's Rum Flyer

• 2 oz. Brugal Blanco
• 1/2 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• Dash of Fee Bros. Grapefruit Bitters

Place all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice, shake until chilled.  Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice.  Garnish with a citrus of your choice.

Bacardi Looks to be Hitting Sustainable Sugarcane Target Early

Facundo Bacardi

     Bacardi is on track to sustainably source 100% of its sugarcane derived products by the end of this year – five years sooner than the company originally planned.  In its 2017 corporate social responsibility report, the company measures its progress against self-set targets in Marketplace, Environment, Responsible Sourcing, People, and Philanthropy and Community Investment.

     The company reached more than one million underage individuals with underage drinking prevention education programs, and cut its greenhouse gas emissions intensity in half, a year earlier than its end of December 2017 target.  Through its Good Spirited initiative, the company achieved ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ status at 11 facilities, toward its goal of every facility by 2022.

     As part of its Philanthropy & Community Investment efforts, Bacardi worked within the communities where it operates and through its ‘Spirit of Life, Caring Together’ volunteer initiative in more than 40 countries.  Employees activated many local events such as blood drives, clothing and food donations, disaster relief, park cleanups, and tree plantings. The company also worked with the art community and through its No Commission events in Miami, New York, and London contributed US$3 million to more than 80 artists.

“Our commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen extends into every aspect of our business,” said Facundo L. Bacardi, chairman of Bacardi Limited.  “Our corporate values of trust, caring, passion, and excellence guide how we do business, the premium products we make, and how we respond to our consumers, employees, and communities.”

A Little Rain Must Fall

     After three weeks of staggering heat it is welcome to see a cloudy overcast day cools things down into a comfort zone of the low 80's.  The plants and the streets can use a little wash down and mother nature can handle that very well.  Just as long as she doesn't get carried away.  There is a certain beauty in a grey sky reflected into smooth water.

Three Weeks Later, Look What’s Happening in Key West

     The biggest event of the week was the arrival of the Empress of the Sea Cruise Ship.  This is the first indicator that things are returning to “normal” Key West style. Today we had a Carnival Cruise Ship.  More and more of the hotels, restaurants, bars, tourist attractions and souvenir shops are re-opening every day.

     The streets are slowly losing the debris, downed trees ground to sawdust and hauled away.  Most everyone in Key West and Stock Island have electricity, Internet and cable TV.    All of the grocery stores are open along with Sears, Kmart, Home Depot and the drugstores.  The lines at the gas stations have disappeared, the only line seems to be at McDonald’s on the boulevard.   FEMA has closed the food and water distribution centers that were so essential for our survival in the first weeks after Irma struck.

     It is fair to say that we are operating very well and the comfort level for those of us living in Key West is good overall.  There are still those in the middle and upper keys that suffered the total loss, who are not progressing quiet so well.  Those of us that live at the end of the road are feeling very blessed to be returning to a kind of normalcy.  It will take a year of more to get everything back just like it did after Wilma struck in 2005.

Savannah Spirits Distillery to Open in Savannah’s Historic District

     Savannah Spirits Group is to open a 12,000 square foot distillery in Savannah, Georgia next year, with plans to release two rums.  The distillery will open in Savannah’s National Historic District in March 2018. Savannah Spirits Amber is now available in Savannah at retailers, restaurants and bars.  The distillery will also include an “upscale” chophouse next door with a private event space. Both the distillery and restaurant will be located along Whitaker Street in several renovated buildings that date to the late 1800's, there will be multiple dining rooms, a full bar and a terrace on the upper floors.    The rums are said to reflect the “distinctive character and provenance of the city”, which is notorious for its history of bootlegging rum. 

     “This has been a long time in the making and to introduce Savannah Spirits to the Low Country starting with our rum, we feel, is the most apropos way to honor the bustling spirit of the region and its people, and to celebrate Savannah’s fanciful history,” said co-founder Dean Bell.  Tunnels were dug beneath the city for smuggling liquor into the once dry town. Following statewide prohibition in 1907, the city petitioned to secede from Georgia in order to allow its citizens to drink. Savannah was soon referred to as the “Bootleg Spigot of the South” for the amount of illegal booze being smuggled into its port.  “It’s all about the history. Our concept is, taste the history. A lot of people don’t really know how associated Savannah is with rum running and the craziness that went on, so we’re taking advantage of that.”

     Savannah Spirits rums are currently being distilled off-site in partnership with Charleston’s Striped Pig Distillery while renovations continue on the buildings.  “We worked out a collaboration that allows us to work in their distillery. Our distiller goes up to Charleston several days a week,” Dean Bell, co-founder of Savannah Spirits said of the temporary partnership.

Have You Been Saying These Cocktail Names All Wrong? The Most Commonly Mispronounced Drinks Revealed and How to Get Them Right.

Bahama Bob at Rum Bar

     I found this to be an interesting article that I thought you would enjoy.  As a former barman, the many ways that people would ask for a cocktail would blow your mind.  I sometimes thought that I needed an interpreter to figure out what they were asking for.

    We all know how to order a gin and tonic or a martini without sounding foolish, but these days bars have dozens of exotic cocktails - with equally exotic names - on their menus.

Now a new guide reveals exactly how to say the most commonly mispronounced drinks on offer at late night drinking spots.   And the colorful graphics show that many of us may not be as au fait with modern cocktail menus as we thought.   While some of the drinks you will know how to say from years of ordering, others, such as a caipirinha, are much harder to pronounce.  The guide, by Hospitality Training Solutions, reveals exactly how to say the names of popular drinks so that next time you want to try a new cocktail, you won't stumble over how to say it.

Caipirinha

Glögg (left) - pronounced 'Glug' -  is the Swedish version of mulled wine - but it usually contains a lot more booze than the English version. Sgroppino (right) - pronounced sro-pee-no - is an Italian dessert of a glass of Prosecco mixed with vodka and topped with a scoop of lemon sorbet

Caipirinha (left) is Brazil's national cocktail, made with lime, sugar, and Brazil's most common spirit, cachaça. Caipivodka (right) is the same cocktail but prepared with vodka instead of cachaça

A Wahine (left) is a Tiki-style cocktail that contains rum, vodka, pineapple juice, lemon juice and sugar syrup. A Vieux Carré (right) is a New Orleans drink named after the city's French Quarter made with whiskey, cognac, vermouth, Benedictine liqueur, and bitters

A Baja Gold (left) is made with tequila, triple sec, pineapple juice, lime juice, and sugar syrup. An Añejo Highball meanwhile contains rum, curacao liqueur, ginger beer, lime juice and bitters

The Boulevardier cocktail is composed of whisky, sweet vermouth, and campari. The Spritz Veneziano is a wine-based cocktail commonly served as an aperitif in Northeast Italy that contains Prosecco, Aperol and soda water.

The Ti' Punch is a rum-based mixed drink that is especially popular in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti,

Ti Punch

French Guiana and other French-speaking Caribbean islands that contains rum, lime and cane syrup. The Marguerite is a precursor to the dry martini and contains vermouth, orange bitters, and gin

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-4876928/Have-saying-cocktail-names-wrong.html#ixzz4t0zfeJ2A

Home Brewing Beer or Wine for Personal Use is Legal, but Home Distilling is Not, Why is This?

Home Still Available on Amazon

      “Just because someone buys a still doesn’t mean they’re out to break the law.  A lot of people are making fuel.”  And there’s the crux of the problem: Although home brewing has been legal in the United States since 1979, home distillation of spirits for consumption has remained illegal since the days of prohibition.  This is not to say that distilling is illegal.  Distilling by definition is no more than separating a liquid by first vaporizing it then condensing and collecting the vapor. It’s a great process for purifying water, convert seawater to fresh water and the method by which one creates fuel alcohol, or ethanol.   Because distilling has practical, non drinking applications, both owning and selling stills remain legal provided a few guidelines are followed.

     But the pressure is on to decriminalize non-commercial micro-distilling.  A Hobby Distillers Organization popped up this year with the express intent of modifying federal law.  Remember, federal law trumps state law, several states have moved toward legalization.   Alaska, for instance, excludes “private” manufacture of spirits from its alcohol control laws…except in quantities that exceed federal limits.   In other words, Alaska allows zero liters for home distillers.   Missouri is more explicit, asserting that “No person at least twenty-one years of age shall be required to obtain a license to manufacture intoxicating liquor…for personal or family use.”   Arizona expressly permits personal distilling of spirits such as brandy or whiskey if owners register their rigs with the state’s Department of Liquor Licenses and Control, of which no one has done so.   

     Legality aside, home distilling does carries some much-debated risks of explosion during the process and methanol poisoning from the finished product.   While the occasional home distillery tragedy generates headlines, hobby advocates assert that these risks are overstated.   “It is no less safe than frying a turkey. I think it is actually safer”.   Advocates who use the safety of the craft often focus on a competing theory for why their favorite hobby remains illegal, taxes.

    Resistance to excise taxes on spirits dates to our founding fathers. During his second term, President George Washington imposed an excise tax on all spirits, a decision that didn’t go down smoothly with the farmers who just a few years earlier were fighting against centralized taxation. This led to the Whiskey Rebellion, the details of which you probably slept through during US History.

     Things haven’t changed much in this regard since 1791. The prohibitive cost of permits and excise taxes drive artisanal distillers underground.   Some find imaginative ways to skirt the law; others simply hide their stills in basements or attics.

The Basic Process of Distilling

    " Why would a hobby with risks like blindness, death, and prison time be on the uptick?"   Time Magazine’s Josh Ozersky sums it up:, “Because it’s delicious. Because it’s illegal. And because it’s cool.”  That coolness comes from the craft’s outsider, non-mainstream nature. Ozersky compares the “white whiskey” revolution to the rise of food trucks, bloggers, and “yahoos” suffering from the delusion that they know better how to run a municipality than do seasoned politicians.   “The moonshine revolution, in other words, is utterly a part of the libertarian mood of the times”.   “And if its illegality adds an excitement of rebellion to the pleasure of making something good all by yourself, then so much the better.”

     This is an interesting dilemma, just like different people like different types of alcoholic beverages, some people like to make their own from scratch.  This includes choosing the basic materials to ferment, yeast to get a specific flavor, watch the fermentation process bubbling away, to the final step of distillation and tasting the product.  Following well documented instructions and using the proper equipment to distill with, it can be a s safe as any other type of cooking.  As a distiller at a rum company, I understand the safety issues, but I don't understand the discrimination between the two types of making alcoholic beverages at home.

Bacardi Releases One Liter Santa Teresa 1796 in its Global Travel Retail Store

Santa Teresa 1796

     Bacardi Global Travel Retail has rolled out a one-liter format of its Santa Teresa 1796 Single Estate Rum, exclusively in travel retail.  The one-liter format is available initially in Lagardère stores at Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport.  The company took on the global distribution of the family-owned Ron Santa Teresa portfolio in January 2017.

Santa Teresa Cane Fields

     Santa Teresa 1796 is grown, harvested, aged and each bottle is hand-sealed, as a single estate rum using the Solera method – where no barrel is fully emptied, the most recent blends mixing and ageing with the oldest. The blend is a combination of rums, aged from four to 35 years.  The Solera method takes sugar cane grown on the Santa Teresa estate and juices it to extract the molasses, which are then taken to the estate distillery. Water used in the rum production comes from natural wells deep in the estate land.  Continuous fermentation and distillation in pots stills is followed by long ageing in French oak barrels with refinement in oak vats, before hand-blending by maestro Ronero, with every bottle wax sealed by hand.  To support the launch, a team of in-store ambassadors will introduce and explain the story behind the Venezuelan rum brand. Shoppers can sample the rum in a series of sampling events across key airports globally.

Santaa Teresa Solera System

     Mike Birch, managing director of Bacardi GTR, said: “There is strong potential in travel retail for a super-premium rum like this, especially in terms of its age and craft, appealing to shoppers at the second stage of luxury whose key purchase motivations are for aged spirits and the discovery of something rare and out of the main-stream. For the same reasons, we also see an opportunity to recruit new rum shoppers from the whisky category.”  Bottled at 40% abv, Santa Teresa 1796 is available in global travel retail in one-liter bottles at $60.

High End Rum Up Double Digits in United States Bars

     While total rum volume sales declined in the United States, in the bar industry during 2016/17, the ultra-premium segment increased by 15.8% .  This is a good indication that “a new wave of premiumization” for the category.   Total rum volumes declined by 0.4% in the year ending 15 July 2017, while flavored rum, which accounts for 22% of the category and does not include spiced rum, grew volumes by just 1% year-on-year.

     Scott Elliott, senior vice president of Nielsen CGA, says rum “has plenty of options to meet the desire for premiumization and experience that on-premise visitors come to expect”.  “As consumers continue to visit on-premise channels for the experience, bars and restaurants should continue to broaden their rum range in the same way it does other categories”.  “There is a portfolio distribution opportunity where, compared to the well-represented light rum category – stocked in 90% of traditional on-premise – 43% of bars and restaurants don’t stock a dark rum, and 24% don’t stock a gold rum.”

    According to Nielsen, if current velocity per outlet is maintained and 25% of distribution gaps were closed, additional sales for the category would generate $74 million for light rum and $180 million for gold and dark rum combined.   The analyst suggests that retailers will need to move rum “beyond the confines of generic serve styles” to focus on premium mixers, sipping rums and offering rum-based takes on classic cocktails, such as the Old Fashioned.   Looking across the spirits sector, premium spirits grew by 2.6% year-on-year, while ‘mainstream’ brands grew volumes by just 0.5%.

     For those of us who enjoy a Ultra-premium rum when we go out, this is great news.   I can mean that there will be more of the bars carrying these brands and expressions to enjoy.

Back Where We were Two Weeks Before

     Today two weeks ago we were at the Conch Republic Seafood Company in defiance of Irma, and here we are again enjoying our coming out from under her messes.  We for the most part have power, water, internet, cable TV, and the streets are being cleared of the debris.  All in all, a pretty amazing accomplishment bay everyone here in Key West.  Today we begin to have a little bit of fun seeing our friends and neighbors again.