Tuesday, November 6, 2012

old new orleans rum distillery.


my final new orleans post is our trip to the old new orleans rum distillery!  it was really neat to check out this little warehouse distillery & learn quite a bit about one of our fun activities.


did you know that rum comes from molasses??  i truly did not.  i guess i had never really thought about where any liquor comes from.  so you can learn too - vodka comes from potatoes, whiskey from grains, tequila from the blue agave plant, gin from grains & flavored with juniper berries.  look at all of this knowledge you get reading our blog!


{our adorable tour director, bob}



{the water line from katrina in the distillery}

so this whole process starts with louisiana molasses, water, & yeast.  the yeast is what gives the product its alcohol - it eats the sugar in the molasses & produces alcohol.


{three steps during the rum making process:
molasses, distilled rum, & the final rum output}


{the wall of spices to flavor their rum}

there are two different distillations - pot still & column still - that purify your alcohol.


then the rum is aged in oak bourbon barrels.  they smell pretty fabulous.

                              {"the angels' share"}                              {charcoal is used as a filter}

then the rum is blended with various ages for consistency in flavor.  & the spiced rum is aged with fresh spices.


the owner of old new orleans rum is, by trade, an artist.  he has designed many labels & finally chose their current one.  however, on the inside of the label, he keeps prints of his artwork.


currently, they carry four kinds of rum - a crystal white rum, an amber 3-year aged rum, a cajun-spiced rum, & a 10-year aged rum.  the 10-year rum survived katrina, as it was kept in barrels in the loft of the warehouse.  the fifth bottle is their new creation - a carbonated drink with rum & natural ginger juice.


a fun & delicious tour!  learning & tasting.  two wonderful things.

we absolutely loved our week in new orleans.  already looking forward to our next trip back.

love love,
kjp.

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