Mount Gay Rum Tour: Drinking in the AM

Real drinkers drink in the morning. I consider myself a real drinker which is why I went on a rum tasting tour on the way to the airport. The tour began promptly at 9:30AM at the oldest rum distillery in the world, Mount Gay. We initially signed up for the baby rum tour for $15 but upgraded to the signature tour for $10 more. That was the best decision of the trip.

The tour begins with a rum punch and history of the distillery. This was followed by a short video. I paid attention in order to deliver the readers the inside stuff on how rum is made.

Here are the key takeaways:

• Mount Gay is the oldest rum brand in the world. It was started in 1703.
• Rum is made from two ingredients: molasses & water.
• It is distributed the most in the United States followed by Barbados.
• It is made in Kentucky white oak barrels. Mount Gay buys them after they are used to make bourbon.
• The rum starts clear. The charcoal effect of the barrel turns it amber. And it gets darker.
• Barbados has 1800 rum shops. Some rum shops never shut and some open at 5am.
• The man’s name, who purchased the Mount Gay plantation/distillery, is John Sober.
• A bicycle drink is a shot of rum in a beer.

Following the video, we sampled a few kinds of rum. With no breakfast, I became buzzed almost instantly. That made it hard to comprehend what the tour guide was saying. (Think ouzo shot scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding.)

After the tour was over, we headed downstairs for the premium part of the tour. We were given a private sampling of five different types of rum including the heralded 1703 rum which goes for hundreds of dollars a bottle.

Basically hammered at this point, we ordered two drinks to go and headed for the airport. Next stop Trinidad.

Mount Gay Rum: There’s a Time and a Place.