Sitting in front of a table with flasks, droppers and vials at the Spice Mill Restaurant on St. Kitts briefly made me think of the "Breaking Bad" TV series, in which the main character, in dire health and financial straits, resorted to manufacturing illegal drugs. But in this instance, I wasn't cooking up narcotics, I was making my own spiced rum.
Five drops of cinnamon extract? Check. Five milliliters of orange extract? Done. Following the instructions of Spice Mill Restaurant and Hibiscus Spirits owner Roger Brisbane, I created my own spiced rum nine ingredients later, including high-proof rum, to take home. It was like high school chemistry class, sans toxic combinations that can go boom if mixed incorrectly.
A variety of extracts result in the hibiscus spiced rum created by Hibiscus Spirits on St. Kitts. Photo Credit: Omar Perez
The experience at Spice Mill Restaurant, where Hibiscus Spirits operates, was half of the Kittitian Rummaster Certification Program, which seeks to educate visitors on the history of rum on the island, which goes back to the 18th century, distilling it, and making one's own. The St. Kitts Tourism Authority launched the program last year.
The first stop, earlier in the day, was the historic Wingfield Estate, where Old Road Rum Co. distillery stands. Its founder, Jack Widdowson, taught us the differences in rum styles (French-style rhum, Spanish-style ron and English-style rum each have different flavor profiles) and the history of rum production. But rather than merely hearing or reading about it, guests can explore the estate grounds, which include a recently excavated distillery on the onetime 18th-century sugarcane plantation that was owned by a direct ancestor of Thomas Jefferson. After a walking tour that includes exploring a preserved aqueduct, chimney, mill house, boiling house and lime kiln, guests get to label their bottle to take home.
While Old Road Rum comes in one style (aged in former bourbon casks for 12 years), Hibiscus Spirits offers varieties such as coconut rum, as well as tequila and spiced gin. (Many of the company's spirits are made using the hibiscus flower, also called sorrel in the Caribbean.)
The three-hour Kittitian Rummaster tour costs $150 per adult 18 and older.