FOOD NEWS
Puerto Rico's Oldest Rum Has French Roots And A Rich History
BY CLAIRE REDDEN
Puerto Rico is widely considered the rum capital of the world, and of the many rum offerings, Ron del Barrilito is the island's oldest and most beloved rum.
Pedro Fernȧndez founded Ron del Barrilito in 1880 after studying in Pairs, where he was inspired by the still distillation process of European spirits like sherry and cognac.
Fernȧndez returned to Puerto Rico and revolutionized the rum-making process with what he learned. He even imported ex-oloroso sherry labels to age the liquor inside.
While barrel-aging elevated rum to a complex drink, they weren't Fernȧndez's only change. He carefully controlled the process from maceration to distillation to aging.
Ron Del Barillito's three-star rum resulted from Fernȧndez’s innovation, and today, it's still made according to his exact formula by the fourth generation of his family.
Today you can enjoy the traditional three-star rum for drinking neat, the two-star for mixing, or the limited edition four- and five-star bottles, which are aged longer.