Club Kokomo Spirits, Head of Distilling Operations: GEOFF LONGENECKER

TRL: Who is Geoff Longenecker?

My name is Geoff Longenecker and I am the Head of Distillery Operations and one of the founders of Club Kokomo Spirits, a new rum distillery based in San Diego, California. In addition, I am the founder and distiller for Seven Caves Spirits, a craft rum and gin distillery, now partnered with Club Kokomo Spirits.

I grew up in New Orleans, went to college in Kentucky, and returned to New Orleans for law school. My wife and I moved to San Diego and have lived and worked here for almost 30 years, raising two beautiful kids, cohabitating with countless animals, and starting and managing a distillery focused on traditional rums and reimagined gins during that time.

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

Growing up in Louisiana, it is hard not to become enamored with rum. From visiting cane farms and munching on cane stalks as a kid, to drinking rum drinks while in law school, to making my rums with sugar and molasses from the same fields I used to visit long ago, rum, and now the creation thereof, has been a part of my life forever. I became particularly enamored with Barbadian and Jamaican rums, which led me to style the rums I create with those as inspiration.

TRL: Three essential characteristics that define the rum according to your perspective.  

Authentic, Pure, Delicious.

Authenticity, to me, means a rum that is fermented and distilled from the best cane source available, then aged or not. No undisclosed additives, no tricks. When I reference the word ‘pure’ in rum, that means that the distillation technique was as close to perfect as possible, that the distillate was endorsed afterward, and the only flavors added (if any) are fully disclosed. For far too long, the mass market rum world has been plagued with additive-laden ‘aged’ products that do not resemble rums I love. And lastly, it simply must be delicious.

TRL: What is the most important contribution you have made to the rum industry?

This is a tough question for someone who has only been a part of the world for the last eight years, but I’m very proud of the rums I’ve made for Seven Caves and Club Kokomo Spirits and let them speak for me in the market.  That said, since I started my journey creating rum, I have been an emissary to pure, additive-free rums and how important they are, not just to my products, but to the industry in general.

I’m also very pleased to say that Club Kokomo Spirits entered two rums, Club Kokomo Artisanal White and Club Kokomo Barrel Finished in the 2024 San Francisco Spirits Competition and both of the rums won Double Gold Medals. In addition, the Artisanal White rum is in the running for Best White Rum overall. These rums immediately put Club Kokomo Spirits in the conversation with other amazing rum producers worldwide, and both are as authentic, pure and delicious as everything else I try to make.

TRL: Benefits that the rum industry has given you.

So many friends and so many delicious rums over all of these years, it is very tough to narrow. One constant benefit that has remained throughout is the inspiration I have gotten from all the above. I’m constantly in awe of rum and its myriad flavors, all from such a simple stalk of grass.

TRL: What’s another thing you are passionate about besides rum? Why?

Cooking. I have been a pretty serious cook for almost my whole life. I love to take deep dives into various cuisines and techniques, learn everything I possibly can about them, and iterate to make something that is my own using those flavors and techniques. That process has run the gamut, from all types of barbecue to Cantonese to bread baking to ice cream and beyond. I constantly read cookbooks and food blogs, mess with new ideas daily and always, always strive to create something new and delicious.

TRL: What is your favorite place for drinking rum?

In my shop, with family, friends and like-minded people who want to share a rum and talk about the spirit, its flavor, its interesting characteristics and what inspiration comes as a result. Wouldn’t hurt to be doing this on an island surrounded by warm, turquoise water, but I just love talking rum and flavor anywhere.

TRL: Favorite drink + Recipe

Another impossible question!  I’m a traditionalist.  If I’m unfamiliar with the rum, I’ll always start with a daiquiri (2/.75/.75).  If I am making it with our amazing line of Club Kokomo Spirits, it has to be a classic Trader Vics ’44 Mai Tai (1oz Club Kokomo Artisanal White Rum, 1oz Club Kokomo Barrel Finished Rum, .5oz Dry Curacao, 1oz fresh lime juice, .25oz orgeat, .25oz simple syrup).  Much like our founder, Mike Love, these rums create a perfect harmony in this classic.

TRL: Why is it important to educate the rum consumer?

Education of the consumer, especially in the rum world, and especially right now, is critical.  I feel like rum has, for so long, been at a make-or-break moment for the wider spirit-consumer audience. With whiskey prices reaching the astronomical levels they are now, rum is seeing a resurgence in interest. When that consumer finds a beautifully aged, undosed and additive-free rum, similar to the Club Kokomo Barrel Finished Rum, they will find a spirit as complex and interesting as the whiskies they own. We made a new customer but also opened the door to other rum brands. If, instead, that consumer buys an expensive bottle of an overly sweet, questionably aged rum, it hurts not just that brand and their expression, but the wider industry.  I’ve spent the better part of my time in the rum world repeatedly saying that just because rum is made from sugarcane doesn’t make rum sweet!

TRL: Any tips to train the palate and taste a good premium rum?

If new to rums, I always suggest picking a region (Jamaica or Barbados) and trying 3-4 expressions at a time, in small formats (.5oz each).  Even better if you have a tropical-themed bar in your area, go there, talk to the bartender and get their ideas about these selections.  The best case would be an unaged, moderately aged, and older expression from the same maker.

Since everyone has a different palate, it is hard to narrow what works for everyone.  When tasting through spirits in my shop, I drink my spirits neatly using a standard rocks glass. I typically pour about half a finger into the glass, give it a small swirl, smell, and a quick, small sip. Then I’ll take a bigger sip and exhale. Since I tend to prefer high-proof spirits (the rationale being they are often closer to the distillate, fermentation, and, thus, raw ingredients) the exhale after drinking can help detect nuance.

But honestly, the main advice is just to enjoy whatever is in your glass, hopefully with people who share your passion!

TRL: How can the rum contribute to improving the crisis in some countries?

Much like the bourbon industry in Kentucky has created a massive ecosystem of bourbon tourism and revenue in that state, the same thing could (and is) happen in less developed countries where some of the finest rums on the planet are produced. This will only increase as rum becomes more and more popular.

TRL: Is the commitment to sustainable development the key of success for the permanence of the rum industry in the world? Why?

At Club Kokomo Spirits and Seven Caves Spirits, we strive to apply sustainability as much as possible to our production practices. This includes such things as sourcing our sugars domestically, using local providers of paper products and limiting how far our packaging products come from to reduce carbon output from transportation.  This is a constant concern of ours, of the industry at large, and one that we will continually refine.

TRL: Who would like to meet in the rum industry? What would you say to him/her?

I’m very fortunate to have already met many folks in our industry that I greatly admire, from producers to farmers to bartenders to passionate enthusiasts. That said, and since I’m such a fan, I’d love to meet Vivian Wisdom sometime, to chat about under and drink some beautiful high-ester rums.  

TRL: What are your next goals in the rum industry?

My next goals are the same as I’ve had since Day 1… make the best rum I can make, share it with people who are interested and continue to try to move forward the vision that pure, undosed American craft-produced undosed rums have a voice on the global rum stage.

TRL: Plans you have when you leave the rum industry.

To live near the water somewhere, with my family, in a place close to some fishing or hiking, with a nice collection of rum at the ready!

TRL: Why is the role of the bartender important in the rum industry?

Bartenders are critical to our industry rum for a few reasons.  First, and most simply, when a bartender creates a beautiful rum drink and features it on their menu, particularly when used as a substitute for another spirit in a classic (Rum Old Fashioneds and Rum Sazeracs come to mind), it allows the consumer to experience rums used differently.  This is particularly true with well crafted classic rum cocktails such as mai tais and daiquiris using unfamiliar rums. It allows customers (and the bartenders themselves on occasion) to try out the differences between various rums.   

Secondly and equally important, bartenders are often the first line of contact for a brand to consumers, especially for new brands. I’ve been in countless bars and asked bartenders what their favorite rums are, having the chance to try expressions I’ve never had before.  This interaction can often lead to a customer to try the products of a brand they haven’t heard of before, then hopefully buy a bottle and then become an advocate to their friends. Word of mouth marketing is always one of the most powerful forms of advocacy a brand can have.

Lastly, most bartenders I’ve had the honor to work with share the same kind of passion I have to create new and different flavors.  Cocktails, especially with rum, offer amazing avenues to create and be inspired.  I’m in constant awe of the creations of most of my bartender friends.

TRL: What is your advice for new generations in the rum industry?

Again, while I feel my time in the industry is too short to be in a position to render advice for new generations or producers, what I will offer is this…

Rum has a storied history and has been produced by generations of distillers who will always know more than any of us today.  Our role in the industry should always be to respect and pay homage to that history, to preserve and embrace its legacy of people, techniques and flavor.  And when imagining and producing our products, to every extent possible, our goal should be to further the beautiful conversation that rum is, and do so in as authentic and honest a way we can.  That’s what I’ve tried to do with Club Kokomo Spirits and Seven Caves.

TRL: How can people learn more about you? Website? Social media page?

www.clubkokomospirits.com  – @clubkokomo

www.the7caves.com  – @sevencaves