Hope Distillery is a small South African distillery in the heart of urban Cape Town. Established by Lucy Beard and her husband, Leigh Lisk, seven years ago as a small-batch gin distillery, Hope Distillery has grown into one of the leaders of the artisanal liquor scene, having grown from distilling its own boutique gin to launching various other spirits and distilling for a multitude of other craft brands. It has just launched its new Hope Rhum Agricole – their take on a rum.
Unlike classic rums, which are distilled from molasses, a Rhum Agricole is distilled from freshly-pressed sugar cane stalks. Rhum Agricole is a style of rum developed in the French Caribbean islands back in the 19th century and is a far more intense spirit than classic rum. It is often described as rum in its very purest form, and, if produced with skill, it is both intricate and dynamic. Freshness is key in a Rhum Agricole – once pressed the sugar cane juice will start fermenting immediately, so it is important to carefully oversee both the pressing and the pitching of the yeast to ensure consistent and controlled fermentation. Because it is the pure fermented juice that is distilled, it really celebrates the sugar cane itself.
Speaking about the new Hope Rhum Agricole, co-founder Lucy Beard says,
“There has been much talk of rum being “the next gin” but we feel that the gin boom is not quite over yet. Rather than distil a classic rum, we wanted to design something that was unique and more unusual, which customers and bar tenders would want to seek out.”
Lucy adds, “As with our Small Batch Vodka, which is a homage to the South African wine industry, being distilled from local Western Cape grapes, we wanted our rum to celebrate South Africa. We source fresh sugar cane stalks from Mpumalanga and press these on-site and then ferment in stainless steel tanks before careful distillation in Mad Mary, our copper still. The resulting spirit really tastes of the land: both grassy and earthy, yet fragrant and floral. Just like with wine, I believe that you can really talk about the terroir of the Hope Rhum Agricole.”
Customers interested in buying the new Hope Rhum Agricole can visit the Hope Distillery website - https://shop.hopedistillery.co.za/our-spirits/rhum-agricole/ or can find this great new product from a growing number of independent and boutique bottle stores in South Africa.
For more information, contact Lucy Beard via email: lucy@hopedistillery.co.za or check out the Hope Distillery website and social media platforms:
