A clear rum bottled at 84.5 percent — among the strongest sold anywhere. St Vincent Distillers bottle it at Georgetown; it carries warnings, is barred from aircraft cabins, and remains an everyday local staple regardless.
It is a commercial overproof bottling, distilling without a licence is a criminal offence, and at 84.5 percent the liquid is a fire hazard as well as a drink.
What goes into it
- sugarcane molasses
- yeast
- water
How it is made
Molasses is fermented and distilled to a very high strength and bottled with minimal dilution and no ageing. At that concentration it is flammable, which is why it cannot fly, and it is normally cut heavily by the drinker rather than the bottler.
How long it takes: days to ferment and distil; no ageing
How it is eaten
Cut with water, coconut water or juice; almost never neat, and poured on the ground first at a wake.
History
Bottled by St Vincent Distillers at Georgetown; its strength carries warnings and it is barred from aircraft cabins, yet it remains a local staple.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sunset Very Strong Rum?
Sunset Very Strong Rum is a wine & spirit from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: clear rum at 84.5 percent, among the strongest sold anywhere. Bottled by St Vincent Distillers at Georgetown; its strength carries warnings and it is barred from aircraft cabins, yet it remains a local staple.
How is Sunset Very Strong Rum made?
Molasses is fermented and distilled to a very high strength and bottled with minimal dilution and no ageing. At that concentration it is flammable, which is why it cannot fly, and it is normally cut heavily by the drinker rather than the bottler. It takes days to ferment and distil; no ageing.
Can I make Sunset Very Strong Rum at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is a commercial overproof bottling, distilling without a licence is a criminal offence, and at 84.5 percent the liquid is a fire hazard as well as a drink.
What goes into Sunset Very Strong Rum?
Sugarcane molasses, yeast, water.
How is Sunset Very Strong Rum eaten?
Cut with water, coconut water or juice; almost never neat, and poured on the ground first at a wake.
