Rum Guide to The Netherlands 2024   Gateway of the Rum World Reading time: 11 minutes  The geography of the Netherlands is defined by its low-lying, reclaimed land with a network of lakes, rivers, and canals. There are over 250 km of sandy beaches and magnificent dunes (no sandworms) to explore.  Shaped by a challenging landscape, the Netherlands’ history with rum is rooted in its geography. Centuries of managing its waterways led to skilled seafaring people. This propelled them to become dominant global traders in the 1600s. The Dutch East Indies Company controlled trade in A ..read more

Rum Guide to South Africa 2024   The Ultimate Rainbow Nation Rum Tour Reading time: 12 minutes  South Africa has breathtaking landscapes from mountains to deserts and wide beaches. Twice the size of France, South Africa’s contrasts range from elevated plateaus called the highveld, to the Great Escarpment mountainous divide between the interior and the coastal plains. Perched at the southwestern tip of this is the iconic Table Mountain and its surrounding mild maritime climate. Famous for the Cape Winelands, the Garden Route, and nature reserves to see the big 5 up close. But there ..read more

Spirit of An Intense Island Reading time: 9 minutes  Réunion has an intense concentration of geography, it’s oceanic, volcanic, and tropical. It has one of the most active volcanoes on earth, incredibly diverse landscapes, and awe-inspiring waterfalls which present visitors with stunning vistas around every corner. And, then there’s the rum! Réunion is a Department of France, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean and part of the Mascarene Islands. It has a tropical maritime climate wet season between December and February, and a dry season between May and November. Nature lovers come to ..read more

Visiting a Rum Legend Reading time: 10 minutes  In the world of rum, Jamaica is held in the highest esteem. It is an evocative place where island people, music, culture, and spirit combine to become the ultimate pilgrimage destination for rum lovers. Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean Sea, after Cuba and Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles. This West Indies island has a tropical maritime climate, defined by a mountainous interior with narrow valleys and coastal plains. World-famous Blue Mountain coffee is grown in Eastern Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. Blue Mountain Peak is t ..read more

Quisqueya – Mother of all Lands Reading time: 11 minutes  The Dominican Republic shares the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Geographically diverse, it has stunning white sandy beaches, the majestic Cordillera Central, often called the ‘Dominican Alps’, and the highest mountains in the Caribbean, with Pico Duarte peaking at 3,098m or 10,164 ft. It can get chilly and wet up there, below are lush forests and fertile valleys. The Dominican Republic even has desert landscapes with dunes – but thankfully no sandworms. With a tropical climate nuanced by northeast trade winds, the Dom ..read more

Journey to Paradise Island Reading time: 10 minutes  In the Indian Ocean, southeast of Africa, and east of Madagascar, lies the stunningly beautiful island of Mauritius. This pearl-shaped island encircled by coral reefs near the Tropic of Capricorn, is part of the Mascarene Islands. Known as Maurice in French, it has a subtropical and maritime climate with hot, wet summers and slightly cooler, drier winters. Geography lovers will find Mauritius is as good as it gets! Mauritius is a blend of European, African, and Indian cultures. Despite its long history in sugar production, Mauritius ru ..read more

A Rugby and Rum Lover’s European Tour  Reading time: 6 minutes In Europe, the odd-shaped ball tournament is called the Six Nations. The nations involved are England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Played every year on weekends in February and March, its history goes back to 1883, but in the current format since 2000. The 2024 Six Nations Championship will receive a total number of visitors over 500,000, or approx. 65,000 for each game. In Europe, stadiums are often in the city, but there are so many rum distilleries in such prime real estate. However, we’ll take you on a to ..read more

Self-Drive The Butterfly Island Reading time: 9 minutes 24 seconds In the Caribbean, between Dominica, and Antigua is the beautiful island group of Guadeloupe. Rum is made in three out of its six islands; Basse-Terre, Grande Terre, and Marie-Galante. The two main tropical volcanic islands, Basse-Terre and Grande Terre create a butterfly shape (l’île Papillon). The islands are separated by a narrow channel the rivière Salée (the salty river) which you drive over. Guadeloupe’s geography contrasts dramatically. On the east is the Grande-Terre, a limestone plateau with rolling hills, and more dev ..read more

Rum Aficionados Geek Guide Imagine all the answers on one page for a thorough quiz and you don’t have to read 10 books to find out. Welcome to our Rum 101. We’ve created a list of the most burning rum questions and their answers. Something for everyone; newbie to rum nerd can use this swot guide for your next pub quiz or rum tasting. Now the pressure is on, how many will you get right? Get ready to dive in and feel the brain flex. Are you prepared for production, history, brands, cocktails, largest rum distillery, oldest rum distillery, how many and other quirky facts? It’s time to unravel t ..read more

Grenada Turns 50 Reading time: 9 minutes The Spice Island of Grenada is a top 10 Caribbean vacation destination and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024. With rum distilleries, resorts, and gorgeous beaches, this island has it all. Rum-making has a long history here. You can step into the past, and see the future of rum on one island. Grenada is part of the Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc, with a north-to-south mountainous spine and narrow coastal plains. Volcanic mudslides in the south, lush rainforests, and a tropical climate made this a sugarcane-growing economy in colonial times. The dry ..read more