righland rum - Richland Rum

SVMINTERVIEW
RIGHLAND RUM
Georgia's own Richland Distilling Company will bring the taste of
high-end handcrafted Richland Rum to this year's Toast of the Town
A lifelong afJinity fOr rwn and a plot of land ripe fOr sugar cane
production turned Richland Distilling Company owner Erik ibnks
dream into a reality. In a market dominated by mass-produced
spirits, Richland Rwn brings back a unique artisan approach to
crafting premium rwn, with a total dedication to quality not
quantity. Riohland Rwn is handcrafted locally in historic dom:ztom:z
Richland, Georgia, with all natural ingredients; it is fermented,
distilled and aged fOrminimaJIy one year in oak barrels and bottled
by the Richland Distilling Company
Tell us a little about the history of Richland Rum and why
you chose Richland, Georgia as your headquarters?
I've had
a fascination with rum as long as I can remember. When there
was an opportunity in the early 1990s to buy farm land near
Richland, we did it because it was within reach, commutable and
the land was in an area that used to produce sugar cane. That was
our 'eureka' moment. We said 'ah ha' now there's an opportunity
to own land, grow sugar cane and make rum.
We also acquired an old, turn of the century building in
downtown Richland that had been boarded up for 26 years, to
house the distillery. Since then we have become part of the
downtown revival in Richland.
Since the first inclination of the future Richland Distilling
Company came to mind, what entrepreneurial
obstacles have
you faced? Some of the laws and regulations in place around alcohol
are antiquated, dating back to the prohibition years, meaning the laws
are overdue for revision. From day one of the process to being
granted the permits has taken 3 years. No entrepreneur should be put
through that. On the positive side, once we had the permits and
started to distil, we have seen very positive response in the market.
How do you differentiate yourself from the competition? By
taking a complete artisan approach. We're really bringing back a
handcrafted product as it was made hundreds of years ago. Most
rums, and spirits in general, are produced on a very large scale
using industrial techniques. We produce on a small scale and do
it all by hand, which is a big differentiating factor.
You only use two ingredients in your rum - sugar cane juice or
premium sugar cane syrup and water. Why is the absence of
molasses an important factor? Almost all rum is made from
molasses, which is a by-product of sugar cane. We never use
molasses, we only use fresh pure sugar cane juice, or the next best
version of it; condensed sugar cane juice with the water taken out,
known as syrup. When sugar cane juice or syrup is fermented, you
get a very different taste profile and there is a noticeable difference
in aromas and fullness of taste in comparison to fermented molasses.
Do you have a favorite rum cocktail you'd like to share?
Richland Rum is a high-end, high quality rum that should be enjoyed
as a sipping rum, either from a snifter or on the rocks. Having said
that, we have a favorite cocktail that was created by a professional
mixologist in Atlanta that is called the Richland Rum Gingerbread
Cocktail. The recipe is available at richlandrumcom
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