Jean Baptiste Spirits LLC, President & CEO: TIM WESTCOTT

Jean Baptiste Spirits LLC, President & CEO: TIM WESTCOTT

Tim Westcott has a deep love for the history and culture of South Louisiana. His parents were born in St. Martinville, where most of his ancestors have lived for over 200 years. While most of his heritage is Cajun, he also represents the many other cultures that settled in this area. Like a gumbo with many ingredients, he is also part French, Spanish, Irish, Creole, and Native American.

His ancestors have been involved in all aspects of sugarcane farming and the distillation of rum and tafia since the past days of the Louisiana Colony. He carries on that tradition and passes it on to the next generation.

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

Like many distillers, I started making locally inspired beers as a home brewer in my early twenties. That eventually led to sugarcane beers being made like the early Cajun and Creole colonists made in S. Louisiana. The next logical step was distilling this sugarcane beer into rum. Research into the lost techniques that the early Cajuns used to make rum on their farms has piqued my interest even more.

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

·         Taste the culture that it was produced from.

·         Unique – not a “normal” rum.

·         Extravagant – an indulgence.

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

Resurrecting the Cajun-style of rum. After the Civil War destroyed most of the farm distilleries, Cajun rum-making went underground and was passed down from generation to generation.

TRL: Benefits that the rum industry has given you.

Making premium rums is my raison d’être these days, my reason for being. I love doing it, and I look forward to doing it again at the end of every day.

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

Family, faith, & good food.

TRL:  What is your favorite place for drinking rum?

Anywhere with good friends.

TRL: Favorite drink + Recipe

Summer: Creole Mojito

·         1 1/2 oz. unaged white or silver rum from Louisiana

·         2 oz. French Champagne.

·         8 mint leaves

·         1/2 lime cut into eighths

·         2 tbsp raw sugar (or brown sugar if not available)

·         Pebble ice

Instructions:

·         Combine 8 fresh mint leaves, 2 tbsp raw sugar, and 1/2 lime in a sturdy glass, then muddle. Don’t be gentle.

·         Top with ice.

·         Add rum, give a stir, and top with French Champagne

·         Garnish with a stick of sugarcane or slice of lime.

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

Rum has been made all over the world. It is as diverse and unique as the many places it is made. Though it was unfortunately viewed as a cheap drink for many years, many of us are working diligently to elevate the category to where it belongs: an ultra-premium spirit.

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

To purchase a sugarcane farm and build a large onsite distillery to increase production and provide a visitor experience to educate consumers about what makes Cajun rum unique.

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

I will be enjoying making rum for the rest of my earthly life.

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

Be original. Don’t settle for mediocrity.

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

• Website: https://jeanbaptistespirits.com/

• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CajunRum

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jean_baptiste_rum/