Narrator:
RUM COMES FROM BY-PRODUCTS
OF THE SUGAR INDUSTRY,
LIKE MOLASSES.
THE CARIBBEAN AND LATIN AMERICA
PRODUCE MUCH OF THE WORLD'S RUM.
LIGHT RUMS ARE THE BASE FOR
COCKTAILS LIKE THE MINTY MOJITO.
AMBER RUMS ARE MEDIUM-BODIED
AND AGED FOR FLAVOR.
THEY'RE OFTEN DRUNK STRAIGHT,
AS IS DARK RUM,
THE STRONGEST-TASTING OF ALL.
THIS FINE AMBER RUM
IS THE PRODUCT
OF A LONG AND COMPLEX PROCESS
THAT BEGINS WITH THE HARVEST
OF MATURE SUGARCANE PLANTS.
THE CUT CANE GOES TO
A SUGAR MILL WHERE THEY WASH IT
THEN CRUSH IT
TO EXTRACT ITS SWEET JUICE.
THEY BOIL IT DOWN.
THIS PRODUCES A KIND OF MOLASSES
THAT THEN GOES ON
TO A CENTRIFUGE MACHINE
THAT DRAWS OUT EXCESS MOISTURE.
RUM MAKING REALLY BEINGS HERE
IN THESE DISTILLATION TOWERS.
THIS IS WHERE FERMENT MADE FROM
MOLASSES DISTILLS INTO RAW RUM.
TO MAKE FERMENT, MOLASSES
MIXED WITH WATER AND YEAST
HEATS IN OPEN TANKS
FOR ABOUT 30 HOURS.
THIS CONVERTS SUGAR
INTO ALCOHOL.
HERE'S A SAMPLE STRAIGHT
FROM ONE OF THESE TANKS.
NOTICE THAT FOAMY TOP LAYER?
THAT'S FERMENTATION IN ACTION.
BEFORE DISTILLING THE CONTENTS
OF THE TANK,
TECHNICIANS FIRST TEST A SAMPLE.
IN THIS GLASS STILL,
STEAM HEATS THE FERMENT
AND RELEASES ALCOHOL VAPORS
THAT CONDENSE
AT THE TOP OF THE COLUMN.
AS THEY TRAVEL DOWN
THE STILL'S SPIRAL,
THE VAPORS COOL
AND CONDENSE EVEN MORE.
THE LIQUID THAT COLLECTS
IN THE BEAKER IS 80% ALCOHOL.
IT'S THE SAME PROCESS
INSIDE THE DISTILLATION TOWERS
ON A MUCH LARGER SCALE.
THE FERMENT MUST REACH
176 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT
TO DISTILL INTO RAW RUM.
THEN IT'S STORED IN THESE
13,000-GALLON CONTAINERS
UNTIL THEY TEST IT FOR QUALITY.
THESE GAS-POWERED BOILERS
PROVIDE THE STEAM HEAT
FOR THE DISTILLATION TOWERS.
WORKERS MONITOR THE DISTILLING
TOWERS DAY AND NIGHT.
THIS FACILITY CAN PRODUCE
MORE THAN 10,000 GALLONS
OF RAW RUM A DAY,
ALL STORED
IN THESE GIGANTIC SILOS.
FROM THERE, THE RAW RUM
GOES INTO CHARRED OAK BARRELS.
IT'S MIXED WITH WATER
AND LEFT TO AGE
ANYWHERE FROM 1 TO 12 YEARS.
THE CHARRED WOOD PRODUCES ASTERS
THAT GIVE THE RUM
COLOR, FLAVOR, AND AROMA.
THE LONGER IT AGES,
THE MORE INTENSE THE FLAVOR.
TECHNICIANS PERFORM TESTS
ON A SAMPLE
AT THE DISTILLERY'S LABORATORY,
CLOSELY MONITORING
THE AGING PROCESS.
FIRST, USING A HYDROMETER,
THEY MEASURE THE AMOUNT
OF ALCOHOL IN THE SAMPLES
TO MAKE SURE
IT'S IN THE STANDARD 50% RANGE.
NEXT, THEY SMELL EACH SAMPLE
TO MAKE SURE
THE AROMAS ARE IN BALANCE.
THEY KEEP A JOURNAL
OF ALL THEIR OBSERVATIONS.
QUALITY CONTROL
IS THE KEY TO PRODUCING
A CONSISTENT, FLAVORFUL PRODUCT.
ONCE IT HAS AGED,
THE RUM IS BOTTLED.
IT'S A FULLY AUTOMATED PROCESS.
FIRST, THEY STERILIZE
NEW BOTTLES
IN A SODIUM-CARBONATE SOLUTION.
THEN A CONVEYER MOVES THEM
TO A FILLING STATION
THAT CAN PROCESS 150 BOTTLES
A MINUTE.
ROTATING WHEELS DELIVER
THE BOTTLES TO A LEVER SYSTEM
THAT RAISES THEM UP TO
THE NOZZLES ON PNEUMATIC PUMPS.
THEY FILL UP WITH RUM -- MORE
THAN 72,000 OF THEM EACH DAY.
NEXT, ALUMINUM BOTTLE CAPS
COME DOWN A CHUTE
RIGHT ONTO THE BOTTLE TOPS.
A PISTON VALVE PUSHES DOWN
ON THE CAPS
AND TIGHTLY SEALS EACH BOTTLE.
NEXT STOP -- LABELING.
FIRST, A SPINNING ROLLER
APPLIES GLUE
TO PANELS
SET ON A ROTATING WHEEL.
THE PANELS PASS A DISPENSER,
AND A LABEL GLUES ONTO THEM.
ANOTHER ROTATING WHEEL GRABS
THE LABELS FROM THE PANEL
AND TRANSFERS THEM
ONTO THE BOTTLES.
SPONGES PRESS THEM
NEATLY INTO PLACE.
AS THE BOTTLES CONVEY
OUT OF THE LABELING STATION,
BRUSHES SMOOTH OUT EACH LABEL.
FINALLY, THE BOTTLES LOWER
INTO BOXES 12 AT A TIME
TO SHIP TO CUSTOMERS
ALL OVER THE WORLD.
