An Interview with Scryer & a Brief History of Rum

Prologue

Rum is synonymous with the Caribbean, rum evokes images of drunken pirates plundering the seas, corsairs, the slave trade, and even maybe that of the British admiral that was pickled in a rum barrel (and drunk) after being sniped. Rum was liquid money, its history is closely tied to the economy of the Caribbean islands as well as the founding of the 13 colonies. Rum is revolutionary; it even has a direct correlation with birthing of the United States. In post prohibition and World War II years, posters, ads, as well as marketing ploys represented rum as the go to vocational drink in the hot, sandy, Caribbean beachside paradise. In the 50s, it made Puerto Rico its most iconic residency. Its history is fascinating, intricate, full of action and folktales, and ironically enough, sobering. The spirit has evolved with the passing of time; adjusting to the improvements, regulations, current trends, and necessities and although we all know the big names which spearhead the product, micro distilleries all around the world keep it constantly on its feet.

Interview

I had the great pleasure of meeting one of the co-founders of Scryer Rum, Derek (left), at the soft opening of a mutual friend’s cocktail bar on the adjacent building. We exchanged a few words and with the introductions and pleasantries done, it didn't take long for the rum to arrive. My curiosity and eagerness were finally pacified when I had my first sip of Scryer neat. It was flavorful, smooth, butterscotch-y, and rich. Not long after the meeting I approached them with an interview request and Garrett (Right) , the other co-founder of Scryer answered my questions enthusiastically.

“Our entire essence is to re-envision how rum can be perceived as more than just a party drink or mixer - that it can stand next to the finest aged spirits and be enjoyed for its complexity, maturity and certainly its history.” - Derek

Q: "How would you define Scryer ? How was the idea conceived? What was taking place in your life that gave birth to the brand and the mission that the brand is spearheading?"

A "scryer" is someone that can see the future. For us, that future is the future of the rum category. Rum is, in our opinion, underappreciated on the global stage. We sought to develop a brand that would be held in higher esteem than the great Scotches, Bourbons and Cognacs of the world.

The idea of Scryer was conceived in a bustling whisky bar in Miami. I had been working at the time as a sommelier, a Scotch-whisky specialist, and manager for the distribution company Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits. During my tenure in these roles, and in these high-end spirits bars, I had noticed that rum, for the most part, did not receive its fair share of recognition in the mainland States. At the time, there was (and continues to be) a mad rush for small-batch whiskies, tequilas, gin, etc. However, rum was still sluggish to remove itself from the mass-produced, $10-15, white rum category in the vast majority of American bars. We decided to change that. We were certain that, between Derek's family history in Puerto Rico, alongside his precision from experience as a mechanical engineer, and my experience tasting and developing spirits, we could create a rum that could stand toe-to-toe, and exceed, the other categories that were receiving so much attention.

Q: "What is the business model for the Scryer brand? How does Scryer contribute to the rum world and the renowned Puertorican rum industry and culture?"

Our business model is simple: we will do whatever it takes to acquire the right ingredients and implement the right processes to push rum as a category into a new era of quality and respect. The rum category, in some regards, is more important to us than the brand. We want Scryer to become a beacon for the type of quality rum can achieve. We believe that a rising tide raises all boats, and that rum's tide, on a global sense, remains low. When we began this journey, fewer than 9% of all small-batch distilleries considered rum to be one of their core products. The rush was for whiskey and gin. By hand-aging, carefully crafting, and refusing to add sweeteners and additives to our rum, we hope to be among the first in that great wave that elevates rum in the coming years.

Q: "What does rum mean to you? What made you fall in love with rum and when did it happen?"

I'll speak for Derek in this regard. He has been in love with rum for as long as I've known him - for over 10 years. I attribute that to his family. His mother grew up in Puerto Rico, and family gatherings were always accompanied by quality spirit.

I needed a bit more convincing. But it didn't take long. Rum is, in my opinion, the most intriguing category of spirits. That's coming from a Scotch whisky fanatic. The purity of the ingredients is undeniable. There's little room for error in rum, whose aging I find more delicate than whiskey. Rum is able to express its aging more finely. It demonstrates the quality of the barrels more fluidly than other categories - which is why it's important to find top-quality barrels and know exactly what you're trying to achieve. I've always enjoyed rum, but I believe I began to fall in love with it when we first started using finishing barrels. We tried barrels that previously held Porto, Sherry, Madeira, Sauternes, red wine, Bourbon, Scotch whisky - you name it. The way rum retains its core character while intermingling with these beautiful secondary and tertiary characteristics is incredible. It's like cooking, with the barrels acting as spices. That intricacy is what moved me from appreciation to love.

Q: "What preparations have you undertaken in order to make Scryer a respectable addition to the puertorican rum lineage?"

We've been preparing for this opening for over five years, patiently waiting for the rum to hit its stride. It has been difficult making sure that the pieces line up perfectly and properly, especially with the unexpectedly tumultuous time that we've experienced in Puerto Rico. During our preparations to release Scryer, we've seen Hurricane Maria, during which time we shifted focus toward bringing wind- and solar-power to Puerto Rico via the Go Power PR charity. We saw earthquakes that threatened to damage our tasting room. We've run through tear gas to protect our warehouse on Calle Tetuan during the protests of July 2019. And, of course, we've battled through this unprecedented era of Covid, in a part of town that sees daily closures of historic bars, shops and restaurants because of its reliance on visitors from the main city of San Juan. I've spoken with Derek about these struggles, and we always agree: we have never second-guessed starting up here in Puerto Rico. Scryer belongs here in the Caribbean, like the rums of antiquity.

Q: "What is your definition of the perfect rum, how have you applied these concepts to Scryer?"

Our definition of perfect rum is about as specific as it gets: We believe that the perfect rum should be of sipping quality, have no added sugar, be pot-distilled and barrel-finished. Some of those statements will undoubtedly stir some controversy, especially here in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican rums are noted for their smoothness. That's because they're required, in order to be considered a Rum of Puerto Rico, to be made in a continuous column still (https://www.rumcapital.com/the-rum-standard/). These stills are the same used to produce vodka, and yield incredibly smooth spirits - but at a cost. In the process of distilling to 85% or higher, the distillate loses a lot of character and flavor as it approaches pure ethanol. Scryer is a bit different. Instead of column stills, we prefer copper pot stills, traditionally utilized by the Scotch whisky industry. These are laborious distillation methods that do not yield as high of an alcohol content. As such, they retain more of their original flavor. For Scryer, that original distillate flavor is layered with notes of butterscotch. That butterscotch is a major player in the profile of Scryer Rum. A column still would have stripped that flavor. Though both processes have the potential to yield incredible quality, this is one of the most glaring distinctions that makes Scryer unique.

We never add sugar, or any other additive for that matter, to Scryer Rum. All flavors beyond the original distillate come from the barrels we have chosen to age in. We also take a special pride in our barrel-finishing process, utilizing barrels that previously held Port and Sherry wine to add complexity to our rum. The rum, while not as easily mixed with juice and soda, is brimming with flavor. It's perfect for sipping or on a rock.

Q: "In your opinion, how is Scryer best consumed? Neat, on the rocks, in a cocktail and if so, in which cocktail?"

Our signature pour is neat, with just a few drops of water. Scryer is slightly overproof at 91.2 (45.6% alcohol by volume). As such, it retains some bite and a ton of character. Because of this high proof, the drops of water help to dramatically release the aroma of the rum: butterscotch, vanilla, walnuts, dark berries, toasted caramel, and a hint of banana.

Of course, we have developed eight signature cocktails at our tasting room with the help of the incredibly talented Allana Acevedo (@Allana Gabriela), a renowned bartender in a multitude of circles here in San Juan. Her core concept for the cocktail list was to allow the rum to do the talking. Specifically, she reimagined spirit-forward cocktails from both the rum and whiskey vein in order to accentuate the characteristics of Scryer. Think Old-Fashioneds, Sazeracs, and Daiquiris instead of your classic Caribbean cocktails like Mojitos and Piña coladas.

Q: "The history of rum is so rich and exciting; and especially on how the spirit has evolved and matured. How have you incorporated these long-standing traditions in your production methods?"

The history of rum is one of the most fascinating pieces of this puzzle for both Derek and I know it's what drew him to the spirit in the first place. The spirit, in many senses, shaped history, which we include in almost all aspects of Scryer Rum. Scryer is pot-distilled, which was the original distillation method of rum hundreds of years ago. We hand-label and hand-cork our rum. For me though, the most interesting element of rum's history is the barrel-finishing process. It was rum that began the process.

During the Age of Exploration, fortified wine was sent to the Caribbean to appease the appetites of wealthy landowners. The wine was fortified with brandy to ensure it would make its way across the Atlantic without spoiling. In Puerto Rico, it was most often Sherry de Jerez that was received. In return, rum was stowed away in the ex-Sherry barrels and sent back overseas to Europe, where it became a prized spirit. Over time, this process of aging the rum in fortified wine barrels became known as "finishing." As with most things related to alcohol, necessity becomes tradition. We've kept this tradition alive at Scryer by using the same traditional Sherry barrels from Jerez, Spain to finish our rum.

Q: "Can you mention some of your short and long term goals for the brand?"

Our short term goal is to survive and thrive during Covid. Seriously. It's a tough time for everyone, especially those starting new businesses or running small businesses.

Fortunately, we planned this project well and have the means to weather the storm for a time. We need the support of our fellow Puerto Ricans if we're to thrive, though. Our goal is to kick off our opening well and develop a group of bar regulars and brand advocates that love Scryer as much as we do. The bar industry of San Juan has been incredibly supportive of us, so we would like to give back as soon as we can. We look forward to hosting guest shifts with our friends and family that have struggled to find reliable income since the closure of many of Puerto Rico's great bars and restaurants. As long as people remain excited about Scryer, we will have the means to do so.

As for our long term goal, it has always been to redefine rum. We want to become a pivotal piece in the rum puzzle: one of the brands that convinces whiskey and tequila drinkers that rum has been their favorite spirit all along, they just didn't know it. We believe that this is a goal that benefits all rums. If the category can shed its $12 per bottle image - that same image that keeps it hidden under sweet juices and sodas, we believe that a new wave of rum enthusiasts will begin trying all of the great sipping rums that Puerto Rico has to offer.

Q: "Lastly, How do you know you completed your mission with Scryer? What are the tell-signs you look for in a customer that provide you with that answer?"

I'm not certain we will ever fully complete our mission with Scryer. The sky's the limit. So long as we're passionate, we will continue to find exciting ways to make Scryer unique and delicious.

But the mission we're focusing on now involves a complete upheaval for the majority of the population's opinion on rum. We will know that we've achieved this goal when the average Scryer consumer asks for the rum neat or on a rock - when they begin asking questions and giving their opinions on the tasting notes and intricacies of the rum. We will have accomplished our immediate goal when people no longer compare great

rum to their favorite Scotch, but rather great Scotch to their favorite rum. And we want that rum to be Scryer.

Brief History:

First, we cannot talk about rum, without sugar cane. This product, although made famous and exploited in the Caribbean during the 15th century and onwards, originates in places pretty far away from it. Originally from the southern Asian tropics, first domesticated around 8,000b.c in New Guinea, it makes its way slowly to the Philippines, northern India and receives a huge boost of traffic with the Arab invasion of Egypt in the 7th century. From there, it travels all of northern Africa and eventually reaches Spain with the Moorish invasion of the peninsula by the 715s. It expands through hundreds of years until European powers like Portugal and Italy start centering their commerce around sugar production in the 15th and 16th centuries, they quickly noticed that sugarcane grows abundantly in the hot and humid new world climate, and this marks a pivotal moment in its history.

Although the English manage to send a very small shipment of sugar to England in 1319, the Portuguese with their colony in Brazil are going to be the one kick-starts the industry, with being Brazil the #1 sugar exporter of all Europe. The British were a late entry in the industry, colonizing Barbados in 1627 and Jamaica in 1655 and thanks to a series of unfortunate events, England toppled the Portuguese in its exportation of sugar to Europe. England made up its late entries with a marvelous discovery, rum. Although the Portuguese had a rum that was made from sugar cane juice (guarapo), the English were the ones that started making it with molasses. What's the difference? Rum made with guarapo meant that a portion of the to-be sugar was taken out to produce it, in contrast to the English rum where it is made from molasses, a strong, black, sludgy by-product of the sugar making processes that until then was completely useless. So how did this discovery come to be? Slaves in either the English colonies of Nevis or Barbados found out that molasses could be fermented, a very small percentage of sugar remained in the molasses, and when subjected to airborne yeasts, well lets just say that it didn't take long for the English to notice it and distill it.

First known as killdevil for its repugnant taste, the spirit’s the origin story of how the spirit acquired its current name is a subject of debate. Here are a few of the most mentioned theories: some say that it comes from the Latin word for sugar “sachaRUM”, others say it comes from dutch glasses called “rummers” but most agree that its name comes from the word “rumbullion”, which means “great tumult” but it was quickly easily associated with “a drunken altercation” which quite frankly, were quite common. Like previously referenced, it is uncertain where it actually came from, either from the English colonies of Barbados or Nevis as I did the research I had articles that mentioned one of the other. What is certain It did not take long for the English capitalize on it. The first distillery was opened in Staten Island by 1664, and another one 3 years later in Boston Massachusetts. Rum became the 13 colonies’ biggest commercial industry, making up a total of 80% of its revenue and a future precedent for the American Revolution, but that's another story.

In Puerto Rico, when the gold ran out, sugar became its replacement. By 1523 Puerto Rico's, very own Añasco was the first to produce sugar on the island and by 1870, Puerto Rico was the Caribbean’s second biggest exporter of sugar, second only to our beloved sister island Cuba, and where there is sugar there is bound to be rum! Don Q opened up its doors in 1865, my hometown’s Santa Ana’s Del Barrilito in 1880 and the Cuban born Bacardi established themselves here by 1936. This was followed by a government issued standardization of quality, including a mandatory 3 year aging minimum, led by the father of rum in Puerto Rico, Cuban born Rafael Arroyo. This saw the immense explosion of the Puerto Rican rum industry spearheaded by the company “Rums of Puerto Rico” established in 1948, ultimately converting PR in the rum capital of the world. The. Rest. Is. History.

About the author:

My name is Ricardo Ojeda, I am an educator, historian, tour guide and an avid aficionado of everything culture, gastronomic and of course history: especially that of my island. I have a growing list of history related posts, articles, and content at my FaceBook and Instagram page “ElHistoProfe” and a beer/history page on Instagram known as @thebeerlovinghistorian. This interview is my first conducted one and I really want to thank the gang down at Scryer’s for allowing me to interview them and publish it, and for the warm hospitality overall. I wholeheartedly wish them the best with their project, I am very proud of them.

Sidenote: Allana made a Daiquiri lover out of me, if you ever get the chance, get HER to do one for you, you’ll thank me, and as always, remember to tip your bartender.

SALUD!