Missionary Work

There are those days when you wonder: what have I gotten myself into? August 28th was such a day. It was the day of the 3rd Whisky Festival 'The Still's', a whisky festival where we were going to have a stand with Rum.

How it began

2 years ago we were approached by The Still's, a Whisky club from Lebbeke, asking if we would like to have a stand at their 2nd Whisky Festival. They knew we only sold Rum, but because we are local and already had some name recognition, they wanted to include us. We agreed back then and we were pleasantly surprised by the number of people who visited our stand during that festival. Admittedly: the festival was very small, and we had the advantage of a large group being present due to the publicity we had made ourselves, but still.

Again?

The question followed whether we would like to participate again the next year. And so we said: "Yes, of course". However, it's not straightforward for us, because just like the year before, we were tearing our hair out over which Rums to bring.

Here is the dilemma:

You know that most guests there are present to taste Whisky. So they have a preference for that flavour profile, and they know the brands from the Whisky world. Therefore, we could opt for a selection of Rums that borrow some of the flavors of Whisky, and preferably also from brands that sound familiar, like Cadenhead's, Watt and Berry Bros. & Rudd.

On the other hand, you naturally also want to promote Rum that looks more towards the tropics, with delicious Rums from Cuba, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad, etc., because those are the Rums you will see most often and which offer the greatest variety.

As we always do when we can't choose, we ended up bringing a bit of everything. The result was that we brought 1/6th of our shop's inventory. My 2CV was suddenly riding low to the ground...

The day of the festival

The festival had become much larger compared to the previous edition. The decor was also beautiful and the reception was well organised. Many more people came to look around than during the previous edition. We were in for a very... uh... interesting day.

There was a lot of interest in our Rum. We had decided to pay close attention to the reactions. We wanted answers to these questions:

What do people actually know about Rum?

Have they ever drunk Rum?

If they don't want to taste: Why not?

What ideas do people have about Rum?

Our missionary work in the lion's den had begun!

What do people know about Rum?

Overwhelmingly: little. To our great surprise, there were many people who knew Rum by name, but had no idea where it comes from or what Rum is made from. It is clear that we still have our work cut out for us there, because it remains difficult to convince someone of a drink when that person has no idea what it actually is. Add to that the enormous variety which, let's be honest, is much greater than with Whisky, or any other spirit, and you notice that people are a bit lost in the tangle of flavours and styles. So we also need to step up our efforts to create clarity there.

Have they ever drunk Rum?

3 answers to that: "yes", "no", and "only with coke". That, in turn, is not surprising. Yet it also shows that there is still a lot of work to be done, because contrary to what many think, Rum is a very noble drink with very humble roots, which is preferably drunk neat. The idea that cola must be added to every Rum is of course wrong. We are convinced that we must look especially towards the HoReCa (Hospitality sector) for this. Anyone who still puts "Rum & co" on their menu today reduces Rum to an inferior drink. Do you still want to offer this? Then buy some lime, use quality Rum and put "Cuba Libre" on your menu. Additionally, create a nice menu with a specific selection of Rums, et voila: you now sell more of both and you do it with respect for the craftsmanship that goes into every bottle of Rum. You're welcome. So our missionary work also continues beyond the borders of the Whisky festival.

If they don't want to taste: Why not?

That was a difficult question to get answered, but primarily: peer pressure. Yep. There were individuals who gradually stepped towards our stand with a clearly adventurous look in their eyes, but who were suddenly put off by someone at the stand next to us who shouted: "That's Rum! You don't have to drink that, eh! This is a Whisky festival, you know!"... the adventurers drifted away.

Yet there were plenty of tough guys and fierce lasses who didn't care about this fanboy and came to visit our stand. The fanboy suddenly drifted away too, so the blockade was gone. Most of the visitors who didn't want to taste did so because they had already tasted a lot by then and still wanted to get home safely. We were also standing at the back, which increased the risk that people might have already had one too many. A wise decision by the tough guys and fierce lasses. Almost all of them took a business card with them. Missionary work is never easy, but we don't give up.

What ideas do people have about Rum?

That varies greatly. Let's start by saying that many people don't have any real ideas about it. They know it, they know some of the bigger brands, and they will have drunk it in some cocktail or another, but most do not really recognize Rum as a drink that should be drunk neat, and that is of high quality. Some also see Rum as a competitor for Whisky. This idea is rooted in the fact that they don't know Rum. Rum is completely different from Whisky, and bottles like the Master Blender's Reserve from Black Tot, the Matusalem 23 Lefebre and the Hampden 1753 clearly demonstrate that. What these bottles also demonstrate is the rich history of Rum, because that is also something people think: that Rum originated very recently and has no history. The surprise is therefore great when they conclude that Rum has a very rich and interesting history. As missionaries, it is of course our duty to spread the word of Rum.

And what have we learned?

We mainly learned that Rum is appreciated once people have been given the right insights. The enormous variety may be a stumbling block for those new to the world of Rum, but it is simultaneously Rum's greatest asset. Everyone will be able to find their taste in it, and those who are adventurous will have a lot of fun with it. Our missionary work was therefore a success, and we will certainly continue it next year.

We will keep spreading the word of Rum, we will keep promoting this divine drink, and to the fanboy: come and have a taste next time too. You won't go up in flames.