Earlier this month, I was lucky enough to work in southwest Louisiana, getting a solid dose of an unexpectedly awesome culture. Based out of Lake Charles, I was able to explore the Creole Nature Trail (gators galore), fish for speckled trout off oil rigs in the Gulf (ridiculously fun), eat a silly amount of fantastic seafood and Cajun treats, and explore a few local mainstays. The area — its people and its culture — captured a piece of my heart.
In between various outdoor adventures, I couldn’t help but take up the offer to explore a local rum maker and a brewery (stay tuned for that next week). And when I walked out of the warm, humid sunshine and into the headquarters of Bayou Rum in Lacassine, Louisiana, only to be greeted with a wall of molasses-scented air, I grinned.
Set on 22 acres, the Southern-style building is home to the entire 25-person Bayou Rum team, and hosted more than 30,000 tourists last year. Following an old-school authentic “sugar house” recipe, the team uses raw, unrefined sugar cane and molasses from seventh-generation M.A. Patout & Sons Enterprise Factory in nearby Patoutville. Both the cane sugar and molasses come from fresh sugarcane harvested in Louisiana fields, and the company takes great pride in its local sourcing.
The molasses arrives to the facility in tankers; cane sugar in whopping “super sacks” averaging 2,000 pounds. On average, one half acre of cane field produces one ton of sugar, equating each super sack to roughly one acre of cane.
One stride into the building, and it’s easy to discern the difference in the scent of this real molasses and the processed gunk most Americans are used to buying at the grocery store. It smells heavily sweet, earthy and thick. It smells, in an odd way, like home.
Bayou holds the title of the largest craft rum distiller in the U.S., and has trademarked the phrase “America’s Rum.” After a complex pasteurization, fermentation and distillation process, the rum is ready to be barreled and aged. The team takes obvious pride in their equipment; the wash still is named Ruby, the eight-plate pot stills are lovingly dubbed Uma and Marilyn.
According to distiller Jeff, the process produces three different cuts of rum: the first, called the “head,” is sold for industrial use in cleaners, etc. The second, the “heart,” is what the team uses to craft their rum. And the third cut, the “tails,” is saved for its own, separate distillation process. Leftover mash from Ruby is sent off as sweet feed for cattle.
Once the rum is ready, it’s aged in barrels sourced from different places on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, lending color and flavor. The rum is rotated through various barrels, top to bottom, and blended to balance flavors, for three years. Bottles are hand-crafted for the rum, rinsed with 80-proof to avoid cross-contamination, and then filled on-site at a maximum speed of 24 bottles a minute. All in all, the facility averages 8,000 bottles of rum each day.
The creative working space — the heart of Bayou Rum — is grounded by a large mural painted by Peter Cortese, brother to one of the founders. Many aspects in the mural speak to the company’s heritage, from its bayou roots to the T’Boy character in his boat. This is a region proud of its heritage, a fact clearly proclaimed throughout the Bayou Rum facility.
Founded in 2011 by brothers Trey and Tim Litel and long-time friend Skip Cortese, the company will have its product in an estimated 17 countries by the end of the year. The free tours (ours was led by the helpful Gabby Stahl) offer an excellent glance into the world of Bayou Rum, and end with a tasting of the company’s four rums: Bayou Select, Bayou Satsuma, Bayou Silver, and Bayou Spiced. My favorite was the Select… no, the Satsuma. Or the Spiced. You know what? They’re all worth a try. I can tell you the Spiced will be on hand this next winter for inclusion in holiday drinks.
You can explore the four rums here.
One of my favorite drinks from the trip was the Gator Bite Punch, a local favorite. This recipe is for a party — so plan accordingly — but it’s a solid summer staple:
GATOR BITE PUNCH
1 (750ml) bottle Spiced Bayou Rum
1 (750ml) bottle Silver Bayou Rum
1 (750ml) bottle Bayou Satsuma Rum Liqueur
1 (46oz) can pineapple juice
46 oz orange juice
3 limes, juiced
Splash of simple syrup
Dash of grenadine
Combine all ingredients and stir gently. Add simple syrup and grenadine to taste. Serve over ice and enjoy! (Serves 40)
Enjoy.
