Richland Rum, produced just over two hours from Atlanta in southwest Georgia, is the nation’s only single-estate rum and just gained Atlanta Kosher Commission certification.

Both Richland Rum and its unrefined sugarcane syrup, Almost Rum, are certified.

Rum is traditionally made from fermented molasses. It was the original alcoholic drink of the American colonists and played a major role in the colonies’ relationship with Britain.

Slaves in the Caribbean harvested sugarcane and processed it into sugar, which was then sold to the colonists. The byproduct of sugarcane processing is molasses, which was collected in vats to ferment. The fermented mixture was distilled to create rum.

Richland Rum owners Erik and Karin Vonk grow sugarcane on the farm they purchased in 1999 after Erik left Randstad, where he was president and CEO.

Sugarcane, which looks vaguely like oversized bamboo shoots, grows to about 8 feet tall over the summer and into the fall. Come late October and November, the fields are harvested, and the cut stalks are transported to the distillery a few miles away at 333 E. Broad St. in the center of Richland. (The distillery is open for tours weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

No other U.S. distillery grows its own sugarcane for its rum. Richland Rum is cared for by the same group of people from farm to glass.

Richland also uses pure sugarcane juice instead of molasses, which makes for a lighter, almost sweeter product.

I visited the sugarcane fields and distillery during Sukkot with a group of bartenders and cocktail writers and talked with the Vonks. My work forkoshercocktail.com came up.

Read more at source: Atlanta Jewish Times