Rum Connoisseur
Interview of The Week:
GREG HILL
Master Rummelier® at Royal Rum Society

 

1. Who is Greg Hill?

I’m a passionate rum lover, book author, musician, traveler, husband and proud parent of two wonderful kids. Founder of the Royal Rum Society and Richmond Rum Society along with the developer of the Rummelier® program for rum education. Professionally, I am the  owner a Sales Training/Education/Enablement company in addition to consulting for a Fortune 150 corporation.

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

Growing up in Virginia, Whiskey was always the spirit of choice in my family (my great-great grandfather was even a noted moonshiner in the mountains of NC!), however, I never really acquired the taste for it!  My first experience with Rum came as a touring musician in the 80’s. One of the owners of a nightclub that we were perfoming in was really into rums and loved to share them. He gave me my “light bulb” moment with Rum! Later, in the 90’s, as I vacationed in the Caribbean, I began to expand my palate by purchasing and enjoying pretty much every rum I could get my hands on… a quest that still continues to this day!

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

Flavor. Distinctiveness. The Feeling that it gives you!

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

Founding the Richmond Rum Society and Royal Rum Society along with developing and implementing the “Rummelier®” Certification program for rum lovers. Professionally, I became interested in the adult education process in order to develop sales professionals and have applied that knowledge in the development of the Rummelier® Certification program. We federally trademarked the term to allow graduates to use the term as a professional certification designation.

The programs were originally facilitated at “live” events, but the pandemic has forced us to move to a more virtual environment. For that reason, all of the classes are now online (in a self-paced “learning management system”) or conducted virtually. This has resulted in rum lovers from around the globe becoming Certified Rummeliers®!

 

5. Benefits that the rum industry has given you.

I have met wonderful, passionate people from around the world that share the common bond of rum appreciation and struck up fantastic friendships with them.

 

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

In addition to my family, I’ve been passionate about Adult Education and ways individuals actually learn a particular subject. The variations are almost as diverse as Rum!

 

7. What is your favorite place for drinking rum?

With friends in my basement bar, backyard “beach”, rum society meetings or rum conferences.

 

8. Favorite drink + Recipe

I prefer my rums served neat (maybe with some ice if its hot outside!)

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

The old cliché “Knowledge is Power” comes to mind when discussing any subject. The more we know about a specific subject such as Rum, the more we can appreciate it and the passion that the maker has instilled. Just as a knowledgable music lover appreciates the craft of a well written song or technical intricacies of a specific riff, a fuller understanding of rum can greatly enhance the experience for the end users.

Variety of implementation is an important element in the the adult education process. Levels of passion vary greatly between individuals – ranging from the “mildly” interested to full on “deep-divers” that are obsessed with gaining a granular knowledge level. As a passionate rum lover, I have learned that as much as I want to “data dump” all of the information I’ve obtained throughout the years…it may be falling on deaf ears. My goal in educating “rum curious” folks is to inspire them to research and learn based on their own specific levels of interest. For this reason, we developed specific levels of the Rummelier® program each based on individual learning styles.

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

Expose yourself to and drink more varieties of rum! It is amazing how the palate morphs over time with experience.

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

Any and all rum lovers! It’s just a matter of time – we will share a rum together.

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

Continued diversification and expansion of the Rummelier® program. Our original “targeted” audience was the service industry (bartenders, etc.), however, we’ve found a wider interest level around the rum community. This has led to the development of Advanced Classes (where students get to deep dive on a one-on-one basis with Matt Pietrek!).

We are also in the developmental stages of creating a self-paced East Coast Rum Distillery Tour guide for rum lovers to get a look “behind the scenes” while gaining exposure for the distilleries.  The book’s working title is: “Rummelier® Rum Route”. Eventually, we’d love to be able to create similar experiences across the US…and the globe! We’re already in discussions with a tourism board in a caribbean island to feature their islands distilleries.

Additionally, I’m in the early stages of creating a book with a local distiller as an Introduction to Rum – it will definitely be a twist on the typical rum book!

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

Whether the bartender and wait staff in an establishment realize it or not – they are salespeople! I’m of the firm belief that the best salespeople are educators with specific industry expertise. If a salesperson is familiar with only one product, that is what they will steer a customer to – whether or not it is the right fit for the customer! Unfortunatly, that one rum “suggestion” may not be on target…potentially resulting in a negative customer perception! If the bartender were to take a few moments and determine what the customer typically likes, they may see the “lightbulb” moment! (one of my favorite moments with new rum lovers!)

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

Check out our websites on www.rummelier.com, www.royalrumsociety.com or www.richmondrumsociety.com.  Also, we tend to update our Facebook pages pretty regularly. https://www.facebook.com/rummelier/