Rum
By 1791 there were 173 rum distilleries in the Dominican Republic. It seems that the first truly West Indian rum was produced in the island of Hispaniola, since documents dating back to 1785 attest to the fact that, rum was already being produced in the Santo Domingo as well as other Windward Islands. Rum was even being exported to Spain, according to official records of 1779. In 1493, during the second voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World, sugar was brought to the Island of Hispaniola, today the Dominican Republic and Haiti, from where it disseminated around the Caribbean. Sugar plantations started to proliferate in the DR by the early 1500's. Sugar cane is a tall grass (presumably) native to India or New Guinea (from where it came, by the end of the Middle Ages), to the island of Madeira in Portugal and then to the Canary Islands. "The DR is the heart of the Caribbean," says Jorge Torres, the Export Manager for Brugal rum. "Its political, social and economic characteristics have placed us in a leading position in the region. Our country's vigorous and unique democratic life, with outstanding economic growth, skilled business and industrial development, in addition to the character of its people, all distinguishes us from other Caribbean peoples." "This country is the birthplace of the best rum in the world." During the second half of the 19th Century, Andrés Brugal Montaner, a Spanish national who had migrated to Santiago, Cuba moved to the DR and took up permanent residence in Puerto Plata. Don Andrés had gained experienced in the making of rum while in Cuba and on this expertise he founded Brugal & Co. in 1888. Brugal's rum producing plants are located in Puerto Plata. By the late 19th Century rum had become a veritable institution in Dominican social life. "Freshly cut sugarcane from the luxurious plantations that give shape to the beautiful Dominican landscape is milled to obtain its sugar-laden juice, which is then produces molasses, which is taken to the distilleries and stored in tanks before proceeding with the next step-dilution- with water that has been filtered and processed," Jorge explains. "Afterwards, yeast is added to the molasses to initiate fermentation, to metabolize the sugars to create the purest alcohol that can be obtained. This is Brugal's greatest secret!" Once the molasses has fermented, the resulting "wine" is vacuum-distilled and the alcohol that is produced is then taken to the plant for final processing. The distillery that produces alcohol for their rums is located in San Pedro de Macorís, a city famous for its sugar mills, about an hour east of Santo Domingo. The rum must meet three standards: 1) visual-rum must be clear, bright and not turbid 2) smell-the aroma must be pleasing, hinting of wood, intensify with age and slightly floral and fruity; and 3) taste-it must have body, taste of wood (tannin) and be fruity. Aged rums go up to five years; extra aged rums up to eight years; specialty rums up to 12 years.