Exclusive Interview with Kevin and Erin Wright, Co-Founders of Striped Lion Distilling, LLC

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Q: What is your full name, title, company name and company location?

Kevin Wright, Co-Founder and Head Distiller – Striped Lion Distilling, LLC;  Erin Wright, Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer – Striped Lion Distilling, LLC.

We are located in Woodbury, NJ (Gloucester County, about 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia)

Q: What inspired you to get into the spirits industry and why rum?

We have always enjoyed rum, but after tasting aged rum while in Bermuda, more than a dozen years ago, the enjoyment turned into a fascination.  With Kevin’s fascination with chemistry and Erin’s love of exploring interesting cocktail flavors, we naturally felt drawn to the idea of merging those things together to create our own rum!

Q: I understand you love big cats.  Is this what inspired you to name your company Striped Lion?  Can you tell us more?

Our first “real” date was to go to the Philadelphia Zoo, where we soon discovered we shared a love of big cats!  

The rest, as they say, is history – but when it came to trying to find a name for our company that reflected something about us, we decided to honor our two favorite big cats: the lion and the tiger.

Q: Where did you gain your knowledge about the spirits industry in general, and rum in particular?

We started with a lot of self-study: reading books, attending seminars and festivals, visiting distilleries, and asking a lot of questions.  For hands-on distilling, Kevin has attended a couple of courses – including the 5-day Rum University course.

Q: What was the process like, working with your local government, to get your permit approved for the distillery?  How long did it take?

Fortunately, our local government has been wonderful to work with!  We have a good relationship with them.  Our rate-limiting step was the fact that we needed to get fire protection sprinklers installed to satisfy the requirements for our certificate of occupancy, which was needed for our state permit.  That process was long and arduous, and it took us about 4 years to finally solve that problem.

Q: What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

Our biggest challenge was getting financing for the sprinklers.  We were unable to secure traditional loan funds for that.  In the end, our landlord was able to work with us to make sure that requirement was fulfilled.

Q: You have mentioned that your operation is run by a majority of women.  Could you tell us more about the women involved and their roles at the distillery?  Is this something you plan to continue long-term?

Erin is one of the co-founders and is heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of the distillery, especially focusing on the tasting room, retail sales, and guest experience.  Kevin’s sister, Kanesha, is a minority owner and fulfills serving duties, as well as learning about managing guest experience operations.  We plan to always have women in leadership positions, even as we grow.

Q: What rum(s) are you currently producing?

  • STRIPED LION POT STILL RUM: This is our signature unaged rum.  It is fermented from molasses and 100% pot-distilled on our distillery premises, a blend of different distillates.
  • CITRUS RUM: To produce this rum our unaged pot-still rum is vapor-distilled through citrus peels to impart flavor naturally.
  • COCOA RUM: This rum starts off as our unaged pot-still rum, which is then vapor-distilled through cocoa nibs.
  • CINNAMON RUM: To make this rum, we vapor-distill our unaged pot-still rum through cinnamon sticks.
  • RUM COLLECTOR’S RESERVE 2020:  This is an aged blend of pot-distilled and column-distilled rums from four different countries (Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Panama, and United States). To comply with state regulations, the rum is finished in our distillery by resting it in a cognac cask prior to bottling.
  • OVERPROOF RUM: This unaged pot-still rum is fermented from molasses and is 100% pot-distilled on our distillery premises.  This rum is presented at 60% alcohol by volume.

*No sugar or coloring is added to any of our rums*

Q: What type of still do you use to distill your spirits?

We have a 100-gallon hybrid pot/column still with 4 plates and a gin basket.

Q: Can you describe your fermentation, is it the same for all products?

We ferment our molasses using a quick, 48-72 hour fermentation.  It is the same for all of our current products right now, as we are producing an unaged, low-congener spirit.  

Q: Do you plan to add new rums to your portfolio in the future?

Absolutely! We are working on some other flavors, we have plans to do some aging, and also to try to obtain some fresh cane juice.  We will also be experimenting with different yeast and different fermentation parameters.

Q: Where are your products currently available for purchase?

At this moment, they are only available in the retail store on our distillery premises, but we will be available in local retail liquor stores within the next few weeks.  We are currently only available in the state of New Jersey, but are working on being available elsewhere as well.

Q: We have all been through quite a change in our lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, how has it affected your operation and how did you overcome the challenges?

One of the biggest challenges for us has been that we opened in the middle of this pandemic, during a period of reduced indoor seating capacity, with regulations on how we place our tables, and increased rigorous cleaning protocols.  We have been able to use some outdoor seating, although it is currently winter and that is not as popular an option right now.  We are also allowed to sell cocktails to-go as a temporary measure.

Q: Do you offer tours of your distillery? If so, are reservations recommended or required? 

Yes, we do offer tours.  Reservations are required, because we have to continually be mindful of our reduced capacity.  

Reservations will likely be recommended even after the pandemic restrictions are lifted.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about what a customer will experience when they arrive at your distillery?

During our tour, we bring customers into our production area and give an overview of how our rum is produced.  Often production is under way while our guests are touring. Whether customers choose the walking tour option described above, or simply opt to hear some educational information about our facility before they enjoy a cocktail, everyone gets a little bit of education on our facility and our philosophy.

Q: You also have a tasting room, do you only offer tasting of your rums or do you also serve cocktails made with other products?

In our tasting room, we only use spirits that are made on-site. 

Q: Do you have a particular cocktail on your menu that is your favorite and if so, why?

Kevin: “The cocoa crème, because of all of the wonderful cocktails we have, that’s the one I created!”

Erin: What cocktail I want depends on my mood, but our top three guest favorites are our House Punch, Old Fashioned, and… the Cocoa Crème – which features our cocoa rum, paired with simple syrup, cream, and a little bit of seltzer.

Q: If people want to contact you, how may they reach you? 

drinkup@stripedlionrum.com

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

We encourage others to always enjoy their rum thoughtfully, and with an open mind!

Margaret: Again Kevin and Erin, thank you so much for this opportunity and I wish you and your entire team all the best of luck.

Cheers!

Margaret Ayala

Publisher of “Got Rum?”