I grew up in Venezuela, enjoying some of the world’s best rums without even knowing it! I left Venezuela to study Economics and Engineering in the U.S. But I always found ways to get my hands on a nice bottle of Venezuelan rum, it helped me keep a connection with home. After graduating, I had the chance to come to Cambodia on a project bringing renewable energy to rural school. This was supposed to be a summer trip, but I quickly realized that I was going to stay here longer. I continued working in the field and eventually started a solar energy company, which I’m still involved with.
But my love for rum was growing stronger the further away I was from home. With a couple of friends who also loved and missed good rums, we started looking for local rums and were shocked to see that no one was making rum despite there being sugarcane fields all over the country! We couldn’t resist the opportunity and eventually created Samai, Cambodia’s first rum.
Aside from being lucky enough to have started businesses in both of my passions, I like to spend my free time with my daughter, and travelling as much as possible.
Hard to pinpoint a specific moment… Rum has been part of my life, a connection to my country and culture no matter how far away I am. Growing up in Venezuela, drinking rum always meant friendship and adventure. I didn’t appreciate the beauty, complexity, and history of rum, back then. After leaving Venezuela, rum started to have a deeper meaning as my connection to my roots. I was also lucky that it was around that time that the premiumization of rums was taking off, and I began to enjoy rum as a drink itself.
But it wasn’t until about 6yrs ago that rum became a true passion. Living in Cambodia, we were missing Venezuelan rums, or any premium rums for that matter. Our initial quest to find a Cambodian rum failed, but seeing that there was sugar cane being grown in every corner of the country, and no one making rum, we couldn’t let this opportunity go by. We dove head first into this adventure, its history, its process, its complexity, its beauty, and fell in love with it.
So many things come to mind… but the ones that stand out to me are connection, culture, history, versatility, discovery. Ok, I cheated but it was hard to pick only 3! In a way all of these are related. Rum is unique because it’s a product, an experience, that can connect people from all backgrounds, cultures, ages, and taste. Rum is probably the most varied category of spirits out there. There is always something new to discover, which also means that there is definitely a rum out there for someone to fall in love with and connect with. On top of this, once you get into the history of rum, and how it has actually shaped history and cultures along the way, it’s impossible to not find a connection to rum. This makes rum an experience that allows people from all walks of life connect and enjoy a moment together… at least until the rum runs out.
I’m definitely still learning and hope to contribute to the rum industry significantly one day. But I am proud to be part of the team who not only created Cambodia’s first rum, but to have, in just a few short years, put Cambodian Rums in the world map. Since very early on Samai has been recognized internationally with over 12 medals in recognized competitions. But most importantly we have created a product and a brand that Cambodians enjoy and feel a connection with.
Aside from the things that I’ve mentioned about the connection with my culture, rum has given me an incredible adventure and the opportunity to share one of my passions with the world. The experience of starting Samai and growing it, has given me a deep understanding and appreciation for the product, the history, and the people that are involved. It has given me friendships and experiences that would have not been possible any other way.
Because of the way I was introduced to rum, I have to say there is something special about drinking a nice glass of rum at the beach surrounded by friends and family. But one of my favorite things to do is going to a rum bar and discovering new rums, flavors, experiences, while learning from passionate people behind the bar.
Walnut Old Fashioned:
– SAMAI GOLD 50 mL
– MAPLE SYRUP 10 mL
– WALNUT BITTERS 3 dashes
– WALNUT 1 piece
But I’ve also tried some incredible cocktails that blew my mind in places such as Origin Bar, Native, Jungle Bird…
Educating consumers is extremely important for a nascent category such as premium rums. Despite the fact that amazing rums have existed for decades, unfortunately most people have not had the chance to experience this, and only know rum as a cheap drink responsible for some bad experiences while they were young (or maybe not so young). Rums are so much more than that: from the terroir of Agricole rums specific to each region, to the complexity and smoothness of aged molasses-based rums… From its incredible an intricate history, having played a role in shaping history itself, to the fascinating modern techniques and developments taking it to a whole new level. Bringing this knowledge and experience to those who haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy a nice rum is essential in developing the industry to its full potential.
Practice, practice, practice … haha no but seriously, it’s a very personal experience and a skill that takes time to develop. Don’t be distracted or intimidated by the tasting notes of those with experience and knowledge. Start but trying a few different types of rums by yourself to see which types of rum you like (juice-based vs molasses, young vs old, dry vs sweet). Once you have a sense of your preference, visit rum bars and find people who are passionate to share their knowledge and experience. Don’t be shy, start with “Like”, “Don’t Like”, and you will develop the palate and vocabulary to describe it as you go.
As with any product or industry, I believe the rum industry has the responsibility to help its community. Especially through these tough times. Our story is an example of how this is possible as we literally created a new industry in the country. We are now not only creating employment, but also developing Cambodia’s first rum distillers. During a crisis it’s important that any business takes care of its own people.
Sustainable development is essential in the success of most industries nowadays, as it should be. I see it as a responsibility of all businesses to make sure that the busines’ success is not negatively affecting the environment and community. Consumers around the world are also becoming more discerning and demanding of sustainability and good practices. In the rum world in particular, which has not always had such as pretty history, we have the added responsibility to make up for the past. At Samai, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our sustainability efforts.
There are so many incredible people in this industry…. We have had the chance to meet a lot of pioneers in the industry, but there are so many more. I have always wanted to meet Nestor Ortega, Master Distiller of Santa Teresa, to hear his stories and learn from their pioneering efforts in creating not only one of my favorite liquids, but also an incredible distillery
My next goal in the rum industry is to continue growing our distillery and brand. We want to bring Samai to the world. We have been operating for the last couple years as a very small operation, but we are looking to finalize a large expansion by next year, in order to meet our growing demand and also allow us to experiment with other local flavors.
Definitely no plans to leave the rum industry. I see myself involved in this industry for a long time. We have a lot to do with Samai, a great vision that’s just starting.
Going back to my answer above, education is the key and bartenders are the link between industry and consumers. Bartenders are the gatekeepers in a way. They are usually passionate and incredibly knowledgeable about the drinks. People trust them with recommendations and cocktails. Their daily interaction with customers is key to developing the industry.
Enjoy the process. Making rum, and building a true brand, takes time and patience, so might as well enjoy it. Aside from that, I would recommend reading about rum, there are great books out there although sometimes hard to find, but they are out there. Knowing the history and learning from those who pioneered the industry will only make you fall in love with the craft more and more, helping you get through the tough times. Don’t forget to take a break every once in a while, to appreciate what you do. We open the distillery once a week as a bar, partly to force ourselves to appreciate the result of all the hard work.
You can follow us at:
https://www.facebook.com/SamaiDistillery
https://www.instagram.com/samaidistillery/
And me personally on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/danielpacheco85/
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