There’s enjoying tropical rum cocktails when you’re in the Caribbean on vacation… then there’s becoming an actual “RumMaster.” Now you can spend a day with kindred ‘spirits’ immersing yourself in the history and the practice of rum on an island with a rich rum history and a growing unconventional rum scene.

St. Kitts Tourism has launched its “Kittitian RumMaster” program a pair of courses led by two of the island’s prestigious rum experts. Travellers to the island who complete both courses are given a certificate – imagine waving that at home at your next cocktail party as you shake up some rum.

While many of the islands have a long history with the spirit distilled from cane sugar, as St. Kitts’ minister of tourism says, “The history of Caribbean rum and its influential impact can be seen throughout St. Kitts.'

You don’t have to be a rum expert or a qualified barchef, you just need an enthusiasm for rum. This first-of-its-kind, one-day program gives participants a deep-dive into the history of rum and distilling rum, gain hands-on experience in creating spiced rum and the methodology of creating rum-based cocktails. 

 

The first part of the program is at Wingfield Estate, 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 U.S. Founding Father 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. 

 

Part II: Visit Spice Mill – home of Hibiscus Spirits:

 

The second course takes place at the Spice Mill Restaurant on Cockleshell Bay and is run by rum expert Roger Brisbane. He continues to innovate the rum space for St. Kitts with Hibiscus Spirits. Hibiscus Spirits rum is created by infusing handpicked and locally grown Roselle Hibiscus calyx, known as sorrel, to flavour the rum and create a natural red color.  

 

This course showcases spiced rum creation methodology, rum-blending techniques, and cocktail creations using tasting procedures and elevating nuances in different types of rums.