A rich aged Guatemalan rum made from cane honey rather than molasses, sipped neat after dinner. It was created in 1976 for the centenary of the town of Zacapa and is solera-aged in a warehouse 2,300 metres up above Quetzaltenango.
It is a commercial distillery’s rum, aged in a solera system over decades; distilling without a licence is a criminal offence.
What goes into it
- virgin sugarcane honey — first-press concentrated juice
- yeast
- American oak, sherry and Pedro Ximénez casks
How it is made
Concentrated first-press cane juice is fermented, distilled, and then aged in a solera: barrels are stacked in tiers, and each bottling draws from the oldest tier, which is topped up from the tier above. The warehouse sits at altitude where the cool thin air slows evaporation and extraction, so the ageing is gentler than at sea level.
How long it takes: solera-aged, with components from 6 to 23 years and beyond
How it is eaten
Neat in a tumbler after dinner, or over a single large cube.
History
Created in 1976 for the centenary of the town of Zacapa; the rum is solera-aged in a warehouse at 2,300 metres above Quetzaltenango.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ron Zacapa?
Ron Zacapa is a wine & spirit from Guatemala: rich aged rum from cane honey, sipped neat after dinner. Created in 1976 for the centenary of the town of Zacapa; the rum is solera-aged in a warehouse at 2,300 metres above Quetzaltenango.
How is Ron Zacapa made?
Concentrated first-press cane juice is fermented, distilled, and then aged in a solera: barrels are stacked in tiers, and each bottling draws from the oldest tier, which is topped up from the tier above. The warehouse sits at altitude where the cool thin air slows evaporation and extraction, so the ageing is gentler than at sea level. It takes solera-aged, with components from 6 to 23 years and beyond.
Can I make Ron Zacapa at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is a commercial distillery’s rum, aged in a solera system over decades; distilling without a licence is a criminal offence.
What goes into Ron Zacapa?
Virgin sugarcane honey — first-press concentrated juice, yeast, american oak, sherry and Pedro Ximénez casks.
How is Ron Zacapa eaten?
Neat in a tumbler after dinner, or over a single large cube.
