Robert was born in Germany and lived there until he met his wife and business partner Joana. They married and moved to her hometown of Rio de Janeiro. There, they enjoyed the beautiful beaches, rum and all things made from natural and pure ingredients.
Matthew, originally from New Orleans, was raised between the sugarcane fields and the city. Growing up around sugar crops gave him an appreciation for the art the curating the best ingredients.
…where they were living the island life as ex-Pats and enjoyed “island hopping” where they enjoyed sampling rum at local bars, daiquiris — Matthew and Robert’s favorite drink — and mojitos — Joana’s favorite. They visited at least a dozen islands during their two year-residency in the Caribbean, including long weekends in hard-to-reach places that tourists didn’t frequent.
From touring many small rum distilleries, as well as large international spirit conglomerates, they fell in love with the spirit. Each distillery offered a unique story of Caribbean culture, island living, and rum history. Robert and Matthew quickly discovered their shared interests in these stories and the artisanal sciences behind making truly authentic sugar cane spirits.
A tour of the St. Nicholas Abby Distillery on Barbados island left Robert dreaming of one day owning and operating a small-batch craft artisanal rum distillery in hopes of giving visitors the same kind of educational and entertaining experiences that he had.
Robert and Matthew will provide unique and memorable experiences, tours, and tastings at their distillery. The tasting room will reflect the same Caribbean lifestyle and vibes of the islands that Robert and Matthew both experienced, by featuring rustic, old-age, light-manufacturing finishes with exposed brick and distilling equipment.
