Rum Connoisseur
Interview of the Week

ALEXANDER BELL
Managing Director
Master Distiller
Milton Rum Distillery

 

1. Who is Alexander Bell?

I was an elite amateur golfer, but towards the end of high school, I began to take interest in the entrepreneurial activities my parents did. After graduating, I was accepted into Chemical Engineering and Business Management at The University of Queensland. Early on, I found the chemical engineering program was heavily skewed towards preparing undergraduates for oil and gas, which wasn’t of interest to me. However, at the start of 3rd year, I was introduced to distillation and discovered this is how the world’s spirits are created.

Shortly after, I purchased my first equipment and began experimenting in the backyard of my parents’ house. The first products were very rough, but I quickly began applying my chemical engineering knowledge to improve my understanding, techniques and quality. After several years of study and practice, I felt confident to design and launch my own commercial rum distillery. It took many iterations of the business model and many investor/business partner meetings, but I found my current business partners and launched the rum distillery and  bar. The distillery itself started in 13m², but has now grown to 98m², which is still very small, but for our size, we punch far above our weight in production capacity, quality, creativity and innovation.

 

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

Rum, to me, is the most complex of spirits. It is the spirit that isn’t limited in its expression or personality. It embodies the depth and complexities that people display in their lives, and it does it with such precision, but without the pretentiousness that can accompany other spirits. It is a drink of the people, enjoyed in celebration and in commiseration.

I fell in love with rum during a stay in Myanmar when I was 19 years after a game of golf with my father. It was one of the first times I had alcohol, but it was a Captains Morgan’s Spiced and I thought it was fantastic. Being one of the first times drinking, I didn’t understand what I was drinking, but it was the experience that got me hooked. For the remainder of the trip, I drank a variety of rums, local and international brands, and it made for one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

 

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

3. Being an analytical person with a strong appreciation for the artistry of a master distiller/blender, the characteristics that define rum for me are as follows:

4. a) A spirit derived of a product of sugar cane;
5. b) A spirit distilled and blended with quality front and centre, not an age statement; and,
6. c) A spirit that sparks a series of memories, many of which I had forgotten, but are remembered because of the series of smells and flavours remind me of various times in my life.

 

4. What is the most important contribution you have made in the rum industry?

I believe many of my achievements are yet to come, but the achievements I have made thus far contribute to reimagining/changing the perception of rum, particularly in Australia. We have a very strong culture built around rum, but it has been consolidated by large brands, and people have a preconceived notion of rum tastes like. Being a young distillery championing integrity, quality, creativity, and innovation, we are looking to push the boundaries and show people there is more to rum than they know. We started on this path with our flag ship Spiced Cane Spirit. It is a vapour infused spiced rum (except Australia, as we have a 2 year age minimum to be called Rum). At the time we created the first batch, all spiced rums were produced using spice maceration, not vapour infusion. As a result of using vapour infusion, the resulting spirit has a level of maturity and complexity that is rarely seen in a spirit as young as it is. There are many more contributions to come, but we are keeping them under wraps until we are happy with the process.

 

5. Benefits that the rum industry has given you.

There are a number of benefits the rum industry has given me, including speaking to likeminded distillers and hopsitality professionals who love the industry, but the biggest thing it has given me is a creative outlet. I am a creative person, but in a mathematical way. Due to the variations of rum around the world, I am able to think of new concepts, design the products, the distillation system, then go build it and make it a reality. There are very few industries that allow someone with a technical background to work in a ‘skunk-works’ like environment to create new and exciting things.

 

6. What´s another thing you are passionate about, in addition to rum? Why?

I am passionate about sustainability and creating business/process systems that work with natural systems, not against them. I have made a few inventions, including a miniaturised continuous column still and a cooling tower that have reduced our raw material and utilities consumption by between 30% and 90%, depending on the metric. I am fascinated with sustainability because it requires outside-the-box thinking and a wide knowledge base to create unique solutions to complex problems.

7. What is your favorite place for drinking rum?

I don’t have a favourite place, but I do have favourite occasions for drinking rum. I love drinking rum with friends and family. However, I enjoy my favourite rums when I am celebrating a special event.

 

8. Favorite drink + Recipe

My favourite drink changes with my mood and the seasons, but my go cocktail is a Coffee Negroni made on Milton Rum Distillery – Coffee Storm. The cocktail is the same as the classic, but substituting the gin for the Coffee Storm. I prefer my cocktails on the stronger side, so the ingredients are combined and stirred down with ice for a shorter period to get the chill, but not too much dilution. Then, I like it garnished with an orange peel, but changing it up every now and then with an orange wedge is also an option.

Regarding straight spirit, my go to is Appleton Estate 21 Year Old. The spirit is just a magnificent representation of an aged rum, but I only enjoy this rum on very special occasions.

 

9. Why is it important to educate the rum consumer?

It is critical to educate people about rum for a number of reasons, but the most critical reason why education is important has to do with bringing rum to the forefront of society’s minds again. When people are told the rich history of rum in an engaging story, they are enthralled at every turn. They then understand why rum is so important in certain cultures and how it shaped history. They find a newfound appreciation for the spirit.

 

10. Any tips to train the palate and taste a good premium rum?

Certainly. Every tasting I direct, the very first thing we cover is the technique with how to taste spirit correctly. The first step is to take a small volume of air through the nose and keep the glass at a distance that allows the person to catch only the faintest whiff of the aroma. When tasting the spirit, I tell people to create a little bit of saliva in the mouth, take a very small sip and then mix the saliva and spirit immediately, coating the mouth with the diluted spirit. This allows for all of the flavours and textures of the spirit to be experienced without the ethanol burn that people may not be accustomed to. The second step I teach people is not to pick flavours, but to remember back to an experience they have had. Smell and taste are linked very strongly to memory and people remember experiences they have had, so they are able to find the specific elements that the smell or flavour is  reminding them of.

 

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

Yes, I believe it is a critical factor. Rum started centuries ago from a waste product of sugar refining, so it is ingrained in rum’s history to be a driver for sustainable environmental practices. Additionally, the social change that has occurred from the early attrocities of colonial times is a testament to the industry’s evolution and transitioning to a business model that maximises the triple bottom line.

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

There are just so many people from so many distilleries I would love to meet, but my top two are Richard Seale and Joy Spence. In a slight cliché, I would first say “G’day” to them, but I would love to ask them about the future of rum. As I am still very new to the industry, I would love to gain some insight into where they believe the future of rum will go, given the wealth of knowledge they have.

 

13. What are your next goals in the rum industry?

My next goals will be to introduce into the public sphere the new process innovations we use at the distillery. They aren’t quite ready for disclosure yet, but they aren’t far off. However, my immediate goal is to continue changing people’s perception of what rum can taste like. I believe there is a long way to go to reinstate rum’s image in the mainstream market, particularly in Australia, so I am focusing on this first.

 

14. Plans you have when you leave the rum industry.

I don’t believe I will ever leave the rum industry. I may branch out to other spirits, such as brandy, but I don’t see myself leaving. I have dedicated my life to learning this industry, and I see this as a lifetime’s endeavour.

 

15. Why is the role of the bartender important in the rum industry?

The bartender is critical for so many reasons. I learn an incredible amount from high-end bartenders who have also dedicated their lives to learning their craft. They have a vast knowledge of history, flavour profiles and drink creation. They are also very creative. I have had some of my best ideas talking with my bartenders, learning why they make drinks in certain ways and the different ways they use ingredients. Additionally, they are your pseudo brand ambassador when you, as the brand owner, can’t be there to talk about your products. Educating bartenders on the history of rum is as important as educating the end-consumer.

 

16. What is your advice for new generations in the rum industry?

Great question. As someone who is part of the new generation entering into the rum industry, I don’t believe I am in a position to give advice, but what I can say is my reason for entering into the rum industry. I entered the rum industry because I love rum and I want to leave behind a legacy of quality, integrity, innovation and creativity. My mantra is to create a world worth inheriting.

 

17. How can people learn more about you? Website? Social media page?

Everyone can take a look at the Milton Rum Distillery website, Facebook and Instagram for more information on our brand and what we are up to. We also have a monthly newsletter where I briefly talk about a concept I have been thinking about. I am also on LinkedIn, where I am becoming more active and connecting with like-minded people.