Be a Rum Master in St Lucia

What’s the ingredient… well, you’ll just have to go out to the Caribbean if you want to be a rum master in St Lucia.

For me, I caught the rum punches bug myself in the West Indies and made Saturdays my cocktail-making day.

And that skill I learned at the hands of my Bajan pals and took back here with me I’m happy to say I passed onto the Son and Heir.

Not that I come anywhere near the rumaristas of the Caribbean.

All of which brings us to our Kittitian (their denonym) friends.

And they have only put together a special rumarista (mine) package for those who pay them a visit.

Out on a wing

So to the first part of the tour which will take you to Wingfield Estate distillery.

And that’s where rum expert Jack Widdowson (Founder of Old Road RumCompany) will teach rum theory and the history of rum production.

While there it’s worth considering too who might have come before you.

And the recently excavated distillery is found on the 18th-century sugar cane plantation owned by a direct ancestor of Thomas Jefferson.

And yes, you’ll be sipping Old Road Rum and learning the history.

While there will be a chance to see a preserved aqueduct, chimney, mill house, boiling house, and lime kiln and learn how to label their own rum bottle.

Spice it up

Now onto the second course which takes place at the lively Spice Mill Restaurant on Cockleshell Bay.

Run by rum expert Roger Brisbane this course will showcase spiced rum creation methodology,  rum-blending techniques, and cocktail creations. 

So a key part of the whole rum experience is of course the Hibiscus that you’ll see around every Caribbean island.

And which Roger curates with Hibiscus Spirits. 

It is created by infusing handpicked and locally grown Roselle Hibiscus calyx, known as sorrel, to flavour the rum and create a natural red colour.  

And, of course, you’ll get a certificate to show your friends at the end of it all…

To take pride of place alongside others I’ve passed over the years.

Such as the Guinness pouring scroll from Las Vegas ,

So just a notch on the Neon City tour.

Stay the course

And we’ll get started with a visit to Wingfield Estate – home of Old Road Rum, and the oldest surviving rum distillery in the Caribbean:

• Introduction of Rum
• History of Rum in St. Kitts
• Rum production methods
• Learning How to Taste + Identify Flavour Profiles
• Tour the estate
• Label your own rum bottle

And visit Spice Mill – home of Hibiscus Spirits:

• Learn how to create spiced rum
• Methodology of creating classic rum drinks
• Learn nuances of creating rum cocktails
• Rum appreciation methods

So get your bookings in for the Kittitian RumMaster programme cost $150 per person.  For booking information, visit Our Stories | St Kitts Tourism

St. Kitts can be easily reached from the UK via twice weekly (Wednesday & Saturday) direct flights from London Gatwick with British Airways.

And come back with a new skill when you’ll be a Rum Master in St Lucia.