Chalong Bay Rum Distillery
A cool afternoon breeze flowed through the open bar and restaurant. Netty, our tour guide, smiled as she went over the rum varieties. Though shy, Netty’s enthusiasm was clear as she walked us through the ingredients and flavour profile of each rum. Perfectly encapsulating the care and attention to detail that is at the heart of Chalong Bay Rum Distillery (CBRD), Netty was one of many staff members we met that emulated the compassion and humanity driving the young distillery.
Established in 2010, it was two years before the distillery began producing the rum that has achieved global recognition. Located in the eponymous Chalong Bay on Phuket’s southeastern coast, Chalong translates to “celebration”. Its rich history certainly justifies the name.
During the Ayatthaya Kingdom of the sixteenth century, the area was a strategic location on the Malaysian Peninsula. Phuket was a major trading post for the region, attracting British, French, Portuguese, and Chinese ships. The blend of Western and Asian influences in the region created a symbiotic relationship between Thailand’s rich sugarcane heritage and Western rum production.
Currently Thailand is the fourth largest global sugarcane producer, continuing this historical relationship between East and West.
There are two distinct types of rum production: industrial and natural. For rum producers concerned with profit margins and cost reductions, industrial production (the use of molasses) is the way to go. Burning sugarcane fields after harvesting saves time, never mind the effects to the surrounding environment. To cut labour costs, the sugarcane is transformed into molasses, an easily transportable and long-lasting substance that usually includes flavouring additives. This, Netty explained, is how over 95% of the world’s rum is created.
But this is not how CBRD operates. In a crowded and highly competitive international industry, sustainable production and quality assurance give the young distillery a distinct edge. Keeping to the pure flavours of its ingredients, CBRD distils its rum using sugarcane juice.
“We always take care to put the people first,” Netty said. Its first two years comprised of rigorous research. Out of over 200 sugarcane varieties, CBRD chose to use one indigenous to Thailand. Distillery founders Marine Lucchini and Thibault Spithakis were determined to find a local sugarcane supplier who would agree to harvest the resource by hand without the growth assistance of chemical fertilisers. This would ensure delivery of natural sugarcane’s pure essence.
It was no easy task.
Some farmers were willing to pick the sugarcane by hand, but refused to do without chemical fertilisers. Others had the opposite problem, perfectly happy to do without chemical enhancement but unwilling to pay for the time-consuming effort of handpicking sugarcane. After some time, Lucchini and Spithakis were able to partner with local farmers who utilised traditional, pesticide-free methods of growing and harvesting sugarcane.
Heralded as first-press juice, this means the farmers do not repeatedly press or soak cane in an effort to extract more. With no additives or preservatives included in the juice, CBRD works with 100% pure first-press sugarcane juice. During the distillery tour, visitors were offered shot glasses of the pure juice to taste. Its deep-green colour was reminiscent of the foliage surrounding the CBRD restaurant and bar, and its smooth palette and subtle tones were the refreshing hit we needed.
The sugarcane used by CBRD is harvested once a year, producing approximately 30,000 bottles annually. When the sugarcane juice arrives at the distillery, it goes through fermentation before distillation. Fermentation is a crucial stage of production, where the unique aromas, characters, and quality of the rum are developed. Boiling the liquid at high temperatures transforms the sugar into alcohol. Evaporating into a series of tubes in the French copper still, the separation of water and alcohol - which evaporate at different temperatures - occurs naturally as both gases flow through different tubes. Later, the tubes are cooled, turning the gases back into liquid.
French-style rum (or rum agricole) is exclusively created with sugarcane juice. This style of rum production originates from the French Caribbean, where debt-ridden sugar factories found a suitable workaround by incorporating sugarcane juice into the rum-making process.
At CBRD, these traditional methods are used with an imported French Armagnac copper still (copper being a natural bacteria killer). The still runs at all hours of the day under direct fire.
After the active separation of the sugarcane juice, the rum is left to mature. Maturation periods for cane juice rum range between three months to a few years. For CBRD, the sweet spot is a resting time of no less than one year. This causes the alcohol to mature to the desired 40% alcohol content. The lengthy process also manifests the spirit’s delicate taste.
To the side of the rum maturation room sat the bottling room. Expecting some component of automation, we were pleasantly surprised to see a cluster of Thai women chatting amiably. “Everything at Chalong Bay is done by hand,” Netty explained, smiling at our stunned expressions. “Each bottle is checked and labelled by hand before it leaves us.” Surrounded by bare bottles, the women laughed and waved at us.
Our distillery tour ended with a taste test of Chalong Bay’s rum series. Of the three series - pure, tropical notes, and spiced - there are seven rums in total. Series one is 100% pure sugarcane rum. Like everything else in CBRD, the fruits and botanicals used in this series are fresh, locally sourced, and hand prepared. Unique flavours, including kaffir lime, Thai sweet basil, and cinnamon, are vapour infused during the distillation process. The spiced series combines first-press organic sugarcane rum with nine Thai and Southeast Asian botanicals such as chilli, coffee, vanilla, and panda. With each taste test, Netty described the ingredients in each and how CBRD showcased it in their cocktail menu.
After the tour, we were placed in Hoi’s capable hands. Head mixologist at CBRD, Hoi’s affable demeanour immediately set a group of strangers at ease. Jokes and laughter diffused into his easy-to-follow instructions. Out of CBRD’s impressive cocktail collection, Hoi taught us how to make three. Standing at the head of the table, Hoi held up each instrument and ingredient when needed, waiting until we all located and held up the material before continuing.
Our first drink was the classic mojito. Hoi’s garnish trick? Slap it. “We want the flavour to pop, but we don’t want the mint leaves to go limp,” he explained. For a minute, all you could hear was laughter and the soft slapping sound of mint leaves hitting the backs of our hands.
We were given time to enjoy our mojitos and order a choice of complimentary tapas. I thoroughly enjoyed a shrimp rice roll. The crisp raw vegetables and the its citrus tones brilliantly highlighted the freshness of the shrimp.
Second on the cocktail-making menu was a Chalong Bay original: the Thai Fling. A sharp and savoury drink, the Thai Fling fuses the crisp notes of Thai sweet basil with the heat of red-hot chillies.
“How hot is the drink?” one attendee asked as they warily eyed the shot glass full of chillies.
Hoi grinned. “If you only want a little heat, just put them in the glass. If you’d like the drink to be spicy, then muddle the chillies before putting them inside.” Everyone broke into a chorus of “ahhhh’s” that made the mixologist chuckle.
Our final creation was the Shake the Passion daiquiri. The rum’s intense flavours - sweet hibiscus, cinnamon, and Thai sweet basil - harmonised perfectly. The addition of honey syrup and two ounces of fresh passionfruit further heightened its flavour profile. When the passionfruit was mixed in, its sunset-yellow hues burst through, engulfing the rum with its vibrancy. Three quarter ounces of fresh lime juice helped the passionfruit cut through the sweet rum and honey, creating an impeccable balance between sweet and sharp.
When the workshop ended, we all cheered for Hoi. Many of us decided to stay awhile longer, ordering more food and sipping at our craft cocktails. Hoi joined us in easy conversation before calling it a day.
Playing with one CBRD’s Jenga sets, the cool night air, refreshing drinks, and good company made for a perfect way to end a sensational day.
Originally published in CULTURE Magazine Issue 180 (December 2019-January 2020)
