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PrintDeco Features: Miami Club Rum
Posted: 04/26/12
Archived Reports:
The Caribbean is home to some of the finest rum in the world. Bacardi has their home base right here in Miami, but no rum is actually made in Miami until now. Here's the story on Miami Club Rum, the first rum born in the Magic City.
Miami's Wynwood Neighborhood is home to hundreds of artists including Matt Malone.
But instead of a spray can or a paint brush, he's using sugarcane and a still named "Sugarlips" to create his masterpiece.
MATT MALONE: "So the first thing that boils off this tank here is the alcohol."
This is the home of Destilería Canéca. Miami's first rum distillery.
MATT MALONE: "Theres never been a distillery in the history of Miami at least not a legal distillery."
After getting a wall full of permits, Matt got to work.
MATT MALONE: "Our first brand is Miami Club Rum and I designed it to be ultimately mixable, it's a platinum rum handmade from sofla sugarcane and I designed it with a low profile so it's blendable with coke, with fruit juices.
For inspiration, Matt went straight to the masters.
MATT MALONE: "First thing I did was I went and talked to everyone in Puerto Rico, all the old guys that have lot of the families in PR had their own brands and I talked to them."
Then he added some miami flavor.
MATT MALONE: "Unique aging process we use is called infused with music, I play salsa music to the rum 24/7."
That's right before it hits your glass this rum gets a dose of rhythm.
MATT MALONE: "And what that does is it vibrates the oak curls and it release the flavor of the wood and and also infuses a very positive energy into the rum so we kinda put the party in the rum."
So far the reaction has been pretty sweet.
MATT MALONE: "I've been in the industry and I've studied the history of rum and I think it's a great product and it mixes really well."
But Matt doesn't just want to make great rum, he wants to be a great neighbor, that's why he teamed up with the Azuka Foundation.
MATT MALONE: "The foundation is established to help out the community south Wynwood the area, initially what were gonna do is fund local programs in the community."
So the next time you have a pina colada, or a cuba libre, put some Miami Magic in your glass.
But instead of a spray can or a paint brush, he's using sugarcane and a still named "Sugarlips" to create his masterpiece.
MATT MALONE: "So the first thing that boils off this tank here is the alcohol."
This is the home of Destilería Canéca. Miami's first rum distillery.
MATT MALONE: "Theres never been a distillery in the history of Miami at least not a legal distillery."
After getting a wall full of permits, Matt got to work.
MATT MALONE: "Our first brand is Miami Club Rum and I designed it to be ultimately mixable, it's a platinum rum handmade from sofla sugarcane and I designed it with a low profile so it's blendable with coke, with fruit juices.
For inspiration, Matt went straight to the masters.
MATT MALONE: "First thing I did was I went and talked to everyone in Puerto Rico, all the old guys that have lot of the families in PR had their own brands and I talked to them."
Then he added some miami flavor.
MATT MALONE: "Unique aging process we use is called infused with music, I play salsa music to the rum 24/7."
That's right before it hits your glass this rum gets a dose of rhythm.
MATT MALONE: "And what that does is it vibrates the oak curls and it release the flavor of the wood and and also infuses a very positive energy into the rum so we kinda put the party in the rum."
So far the reaction has been pretty sweet.
MATT MALONE: "I've been in the industry and I've studied the history of rum and I think it's a great product and it mixes really well."
But Matt doesn't just want to make great rum, he wants to be a great neighbor, that's why he teamed up with the Azuka Foundation.
MATT MALONE: "The foundation is established to help out the community south Wynwood the area, initially what were gonna do is fund local programs in the community."
So the next time you have a pina colada, or a cuba libre, put some Miami Magic in your glass.
