Clients can become Kittitian RumMasters
IAN STALKER
It’s time to raise a glass to a new tourism experience in a destination that’s home to the oldest surviving rum distillery in the Caribbean.
The St. Kitts Tourism Authority is launching a Kittitian RumMaster program, which allows travellers to delve deep into the history of rum, gain hands-on experience in creating spiced rum and rum-based cocktails, as well as learning how to taste and identify flavour profiles.
“It gives travellers the experience of getting a theoretical and practical side of the rum industry in St. Kitts,” Ellison ‘Tommy’ Thompson, CEO of St. Kitts Tourism Authority, told Travel Courier. “It’s really a first of its kind program.”
Designed to appeal to rum aficionados and visitors wanting to learn more about the spirit, the Kittitian RumMaster program is offered in partnership with two local rum producers.
“The history of Caribbean rum and its influential impact can be seen throughout St. Kitts,” said Marsha Henderson, minister of tourism, international transport, civil aviation, urban development, employment, and labour. “St. Kitts is home to the oldest surviving rum distillery in the Caribbean and is also home to a growing unconventional rum scene. We are excited to incorporate an integral part of our history into expanding innovative tourism opportunities. We are confident this tour will allow travellers to experience St. Kitts in a different way and take back home a part of our island’s rich history by becoming a Kittitian RumMaster.”
The first part of the tour is at Wingfield Estate, which is the home of the Caribbean’s oldest surviving rum distillery. During this Kittitian RumMaster course, rum expert Jack Widdowson (founder of Old Road Rum Company) will teach rum theory and the history of rum production methods. The recently excavated distillery is found on the 18th-century sugar cane plantation owned by a direct ancestor of Thomas Jefferson. While sipping Old Road Rum and learning the history, guests will see a preserved aqueduct, chimney, mill house, boiling house, and lime kiln and learn how to label their own rum bottle.
The second course takes place at the lively Spice Mill Restaurant on Cockleshell Bay and is run by rum expert Roger Brisbane. This course will showcase spiced rum creation methodology, rum-blending techniques, and cocktail creations utilizing tasting procedures and nuances in different types of rums. Roger Brisbane continues to innovate the rum space for St. Kitts with Hibiscus Spirits. Hibiscus Spirits is created by infusing handpicked and locally grown Roselle Hibiscus calyx, known as sorrel, to flavour the rum and create a natural red colour.
“This is just one of many upcoming opportunities where the destination will utilize local partnerships to market the island’s unique attributes,” added Thompson. “Furthermore, this program truly sets us apart from other Caribbean destinations while preserving the Kittitian history of rum and its meaning to the culture. We are excited to invite travellers worldwide to spend a day with kindred spirits.”
Bookings for the Kittitian RumMaster program cost US$150 per person.
