A recent seminar on Caribbean rum distilling brought together participants from nineteen (19) Caribbean rum distilleries and eleven other countries spanning the globe including Australia, China and South Africa. The diverse gathering of 140 attendees who converged on St, Lucia, from 15th to 19th April 2024, underscored the global reach of Caribbean Spirits and the universal appeal of the regional rum industry.

The occasion was the Caribbean Distilling Seminar, a collaborative effort between the West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA), Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits (LBDS) and the Ethanol Technology Institute (ETI), the educational arm of LBDS.

At the heart of the Caribbean Distilling Seminar is the dynamic interplay between innovation and tradition in the world of spirits. The Alcohol School, boasting over four decades of expertise and drawing insights from specialists across North America, Europe and the Caribbean, provided a platform for knowledge exchange, focusing on best practices in spirits production, particularly rum.

Speaking at the opening of the school, Angus Ballard, President of Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits, provided an introduction to the world of Lallemand Biofuels and encouraged the delegates to ensure that their course objectives were realised. He also expressed his gratitude for the ongoing collaboration with WIRSPA and the warm hospitality extended by St. Lucia Distillers.

Vaughn Renwick, CEO of WIRSPA underscored the seminar’s dual role in education and networking, emphasizing the invaluable opportunity for rum producers to learn from each other and the global experts. He said, “the Distilling Seminar is not only a very valuable learning experience, it also exposes our regional rum producers to international experts and provides them with an opportunity to network with their peers. This is of inestimable value because we have a lot to learn and appreciate from each other.”.

One of the major highlights was the visit to St. Lucia Distillers, curated by their CEO, Mrs. Margaret Monplaisir, and her team. They presented a special village fair theme with a sensory journey through their distillates, a sampling of each product meticulously crafted by the SLD blending team, which showcased the passion and craftsmanship behind their products. This was complemented by the inclusion of local delicacies and indigenous snacks, which all added an authentic Lucian flair to the experience.

Mrs. Monplaisir, who also serves as WIRSPA Chair, emphasized the significance of the seminar in bringing together regional and international producers and global industry experts, and highlighted that “the gathering of Caribbean distillers and other spirits specialists, as was done for this event, is perhaps unparalleled. It was an extremely successful seminar, which would say that St. Lucia was probably one of the more ideal locations to host the event, and it adds credibility to our distillery, with the visitors amazed at how much St. Lucia Distillers produce, and the variety and standard of our products”.