5-Day Rum Course - 2020
to
Moonshine University 801 South 8th St., Louisville, Kentucky 40203
The 5-Day course will guide attendees through the financial, marketing, production, aging, and blending of rum, so each person can leave with a complete understanding of how rums can fit into the economic landscape. The course will offer a great combination of theory and practice, making it the ideal learning tool for anyone whose livelihood will depend on their ability to properly produce and commercialize excellent rums.
STRUCTURE
Day 1 – The Business of Rum
- Overview of the rum market in the USA and Europe
- Overview of stills and the rums they produce: start with the end in mind
- Overview of the rum market in the rest of the world
- USA and subsidies, who is getting them, who is not
- Cost increases through the supply chain
- Marketing and promoting rum: options, costs, budgets
- Business Plan: Phased approach vs. “all in”
- Compliance
Day 2 – The Classifications of Rum
Classifications of rum based on:
- Raw material
- Fermented method
- Distillation method
- Age
- Blending technique
- Style
- Added flavors
- Alcohol strength
- Color
- Marketing hype
Day 3 – The Art of Rum Making
- Exploring the basics of fermentation
- Customizing a fermentation plan based on business restrictions and needs
- Year-round fermenting: how to diminish the effect of a changing climate
- Pot still distillation
- Column still distillation
- Aging warehouse setup
- Aging rum: how long is long enough?
- Workplace safety
Day 4 – History and Science of the Barrel
- The Art of Cooperage
- Why oak?
- Physical properties of oak
- Chemical properties of oak
- Understanding tannins
- Curing the wood
- Components and manufacture of the barrel
- Toasting vs. Charring
- Rum transformations inside the barrel
- Oak alternatives: acceptable and unacceptable approaches
- Soleras, single barrels and specialty barrels
- Choosing the perfect barrel for your rum
Day 5 – Essential Rum Laboratory, Introduction to Rum Blending
- Best practices for safety
- Essential glassware
- Essential equipment
- Basic laboratory tests
- Defining the target
- Organoleptic dimensions of rum
- Best practices for blending basic rums
- Understanding additives and their use
- Blending exercises:
- White Rum
- Spiced Rum
- Standard Aged Rum (2-3 year old)