Jester Artisan Spiced Rum (from Warwickshire)
Shakespeare Distillery (Warwickshire) makes its own rums in an eco-friendly distillery (growing its own rosemary to make gin). The distillery was founded by a man who began making dry gin at home, in a small copper still.
Inspired by a love of the Tudor period (this is the home of Shakespeare!), he has a PhD in Astrophysics, so creating gin was child’s play!
The distillery packs everything in glass bottles, uses compostable tamper seals and has removed all plastic display windows on boxes. It also offers a local refill scheme, for discounts on returning empty bottles. The range includes:
- White rum combines sweet summer fruits with soft citrus notes, and molasses.
- Spiced rum combines fruits with sweet mace, cinnamon & warming cloves
- Cask-aged rum is aged for 30 months in ex-industry bourbon asks, with notes of sweet butterscotch, toffee apple and sweet cinnamon spice.
- Tropical rum combines the white rum with warming spices, pineapple & mango.
Why Switch to Artisan Rum?
Rum is one of the world’s most popular spirits, enjoyed by ‘old dog’ sailors and pirates! Created in the Caribbean in the 17th century, rum is made from sugarcane that is crushed to extract the molasses (if you like gingerbread, you’ll like rum).
The sugar converts to alcohol to produce a high-alcohol spirit, so keep measures low. It’s easy to get smashed on rum! Soldiers were so fond of it, they were often paid in rum.
Corks are too dense to compost, so recycle at off license or send in bulk to Recorked.
White rum is not aged as long as dark rum (which takes years to mature) and some brands age in oak barrels for deeper flavour. A few rums offer blends with honey, but apart from that, most rums are vegan.
You can’t really have a ‘local rum’, because most rum contains Caribbean ingredients (we have too much rain and cold, to grow sugar!) But you can support artisans who blend the rum, and bring money into local communities.
