A fierce overproof cane-juice rum, bottled at strengths too high to carry aboard an aircraft. It has been distilled at the River Antoine estate in St Patrick since 1785, still powered by a waterwheel, making it one of the oldest working distilleries in the Caribbean.
Distilling is illegal without a licence, and this rum is defined by a waterwheel mill and open-air fermentation troughs whose resident yeasts are the distillery itself.
What goes into it
- fresh sugarcane juice from the estate
- wild yeasts
- water
How it is made
Cane cut on the estate is crushed by a waterwheel-driven mill, and the juice is fermented in open stone troughs by whatever yeasts are already in the building. It is then distilled in a small pot still and bottled straight, at around 75 percent alcohol, without ageing or dilution.
How long it takes: days to ferment; no ageing
How it is eaten
Neat in small measures, or cut with water and lime; almost never in cocktails.
History
Distilled at the River Antoine estate in St Patrick since 1785, still powered by a waterwheel, making it among the oldest working distilleries in the Caribbean.
Frequently asked questions
What is River Antoine rum?
River Antoine rum is a wine & spirit from Grenada: fierce overproof cane juice rum, too strong to carry on aircraft. Distilled at the River Antoine estate in St Patrick since 1785, still powered by a waterwheel, making it among the oldest working distilleries in the Caribbean.
How is River Antoine rum made?
Cane cut on the estate is crushed by a waterwheel-driven mill, and the juice is fermented in open stone troughs by whatever yeasts are already in the building. It is then distilled in a small pot still and bottled straight, at around 75 percent alcohol, without ageing or dilution. It takes days to ferment; no ageing.
Can I make River Antoine rum at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. Distilling is illegal without a licence, and this rum is defined by a waterwheel mill and open-air fermentation troughs whose resident yeasts are the distillery itself.
What goes into River Antoine rum?
Fresh sugarcane juice from the estate, wild yeasts, water.
How is River Antoine rum eaten?
Neat in small measures, or cut with water and lime; almost never in cocktails.
