The River Antoine rum distillery in Grenada is well worth a visit. Driving up from St George’s takes about 90 minutes, but the drive is a great way to see more of the island. As in all travel Grenada, get a driver!
Rivers farms about 400 acres of sugar cane which provides 85% of the mash they need. The rest comes from elsewhere in the Carribean.
Cane
The cane is mashed with a water wheel operational since the 1800s.
Gears for the cane conveyor also use water power.
Cane detritus
The mash evaporates from a 4% concentration of sugar in several stages into a 15% concentration. It is then put into a vat to ferment into beer (with natural yeast fron the air). The beer comes in around 15% before heading into the pot stills.
Beer vat
Pot still one
Fired by wood.
The still runs off a proof of about 150 (75% alcohol). The coil is water cooled from the river.
Loading the still cooker
Storage of unmixed product in 500 gallon tanks below.
This used to be a bonded tank measured with a stick.
The computer (batch notes)
By all means visit the distillery when you are on Grenada.
For more about Grenada, see this entry on Laluna.