Rum Connoisseur Interview of The Week RICHARD BUCCI BOTRAN RUMS’s Midwest Regional Manager
Rum Connoisseur
Interview of The Week
RICHARD BUCCI
BOTRAN RUMS’s Midwest Regional Manager
1. Who is Richard Bucci
Richard Bucci is the Midwest Regional Manager of Botran Rums. He’s a passionate sales individual looking to bring the new and different to the front of the bar, through events tastings and Botran Rum Promotions. He believes in “Setting the Pace, not just keeping It” someone who cares about the customer’s needs, he looks into the account to see how Botran Rum will fit and bring incremental dollars to an account, showing the difference of Botran Aged Rum.
Richard believes in not looking back, always forward, living a positive lifestyle, enjoying life to the extreme. Seasoned through many years in the Hotel Business to the Distributor side, now representing an Iconic Brand, Botran Aged Rum.
2. Biggest achievement you personally feel you have accomplish for the rum industry.
The diversification of traditional rum drinks, taking rum out of just Tiki Drinks into classic Bourbon Cocktails, also stressing that every cocktail list needs a Rum Cocktail.
3. What made you fall in love with rum and when did it happen?
I fell in love with rum five years ago through the passion of the Botran Family. Not only do they produce a great tasting rum selection, they also follow the seven decade old method of making Rums in the “solera method”, using only first press sugar cane, which the family grows on Volcanic Soil. They are family to all of us, from the people in the field to the sales force around the globe. Not only do they produce the highest quality Rum, they also achieve one of the highest EU standards for Environmental Standards.
4. What is that thing that makes you want to continue in the rum industry?
5. Favorite Drink + Recipe
Botran Old Fashion
Ingredients:
– 2 parts of Botran Reserva 12-year-old
– 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
– 1 splash of water
– 1-2 tsp sugar
– Cubed ice
Directions:
To garnish: Orange peel & cherries.
Place sugar and bitters in a shaker and muddle.
Add orange wheel, muddle again
Remove orange peel.
Add Botran Reserva 12-year-old.
Add ice, shake vigorously.
Add ice to rocks glass, pour.
Garnish with orange rind and Maraschino cherry.
Botran Coquito Cocktail
Ingredients:
– 2 cans (15 oz) Evaporated Milk
– 1 can (15 oz) Cream of coconut
– 1 can (13.5 oz) Coconut milk
– ½ cup of sweetened condensed milk
– ½ cup of Botran Reserva Blanca
– 1 tsp. of vainilla extract
– ½ tsp. ground cinnamon. (You can use cinnamon sticks for garnish)
Directions:
Blend on high until mixture is well combined (1-2 minutes).
Pour coconut into glass bottles, cover. Transfer to refrigerator. Chill until cold.
To serve, stir or shake bottle well to combine. Pour coquito into small serving glasses. (Garnish with ground cinnamon).
6. Where do you see the rum industry today and in the next 5 years?
Today Rum is exploding, it is still affordable, great quality and value for the consumer. I believe some bourbon and scotch drinkers, will not entirely shift but will incorporate aged rums into their bar.
7. What do you think needs to happen to grow the premium category of rum?
Education, tasting’s and more education.
8. Which rum would you recommend a person that:
a. Sipping a premium rum for the 1st time
Botran Reserva 15-year-old
b. Likes Scotch Whiskyy
Botran Solera 18-year-old
c. Likes Bourbon
Botran Reserva 12-year-old
d. Likes Gin or Vodka
Botran Reserva Blanca
e. Likes Cognac
Zacapa 23 year old
9. Share some (2-3) of your mentors and how they have help you.
Jean Pierre Etcheberrigaray, Leader of The Team, Mel Dick, for his insistence of drive.
10. What 3-5 things do you have in your bucket list for the next 12 months?
A reunion of our team of coworkers from over 20 years ago next year.
11. Any last words?
Get out and visit your favorite Mixologist, aged Rum and enjoy.
12. How can people learn more about you? Website? Social Media Page?
www.botranrums.com
https://www.facebook.com/RonBotranAnejoUSA/?ti=as
