Phil Prichard, President of Prichard's Distillery
When it comes to traditional New England style American Rum, only one name comes to mind: Prichard’s. Since the beginning, Phil Prichard has been dedicated to reviving the once- lost style and, for tunately for his followers, he succeeded in doing so. Always at tentive to detail, Phil’s philosophy revolves around carefully-selected ingredients, impeccable distillation standards, and thorough reliance on honesty. We are happy to have witnessed Prichard’s rums from the beginning, and are even happier to see him enjoy the success he has earned through his work and dedication. - Publishers
Q: When and how did you get started in the rum industry?
A: I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and in 1980 I moved to Vermont where I purchased a small farm. My wife, Connie, and I married in 1982 and in addition to our real jobs; we began to import horses from Norway. In 1987 we moved from Vermont to upstate New York where we purchased a beautiful farm over looking the Mohawk River valley; a place where we could pursue the raising and breeding of our Norwegian Fjordhorses. It just so happened that a Christmas gift shop was included with the purchase of the farm. It was a good business until two of the counties near us raised property taxes to the extent of 100% of assessed evaluation. Almost at the same time, the federal government began to close the air force base in nearby Rome, New York where a goodly portion of business was dependent upon.
As our business deteriorated to the point of not being profitable, I discussed my fate with my cousin Mack Prichard, of Nashville. Seeking a change of life, I expressed the boredom of my chosen profession, that of being a dental technician, and a desire to do something else for the rest of my life. I ’m not exactly sure where it came from but Mack simply stated, “My daddy always thought we could make rum here in Tennessee from locally grown sorghum molasses.” Now that was an interesting thought!
Like most intrepid entrepreneurs, I approached my banker with the idea of building the first legal distillery in Tennessee in almost fifty years. You are going to make what??? Rum in Tennessee? I can still hear the muffled laughter !
By this time, armed with plans from a little paperback book called The Lore of Still Building, I had converted Connie’s old canning pot into a still and started to make a few batches of rum from sorghum molasses on the kitchen stove. I had fashioned a condenser from PVC and copper, propped it up on Connie’s ironing board and proceeded to watch as white dog rum dripped into a measuring cup in the sink. It was quite a contraption to see. With heart in hand, I offered Connie a sip. Whew…That ’s Good, she replied! I had obtained my first complement from my worst critic, a giant step indeed.
An old classmate f rom high school, Victor Robilio, whose family had been in the business of distributing wines and spirits in Memphis for many years, was the person who provided me the greatest interest in pursuing distilling as a business. Discussing my new venture with Victor at my fortieth high school
reunion in 1997, he asked me to bring him a sample. I can still remember his call. After tasting our rum, Victor provided, “Phil, you are producing one of the finest rums in the world. If you do not pursue this as a commercial venture, you are going to make a serious mistake.” With encouragement from Victor and other friends, Connie and I founded Prichards’ Distillery, Inc. in the fall of 1997.
The idea of making alcohol f rom sorghum had to give way as we were advised that Federal Regulations provided that rum must be made from the products of the sugarcane plant. However it did set us on a path that would lead us to the discover y of how rum was made in Amer ica some two hundred totwo hundred and f if ty years ago. Possessing a passion to remind everyone of much of the forgotten history of American Distilled Spirits, I set about to produce the first Traditional American Rum in over two hundred years.
Q: What rums do you currently produce?
A: We are currently producing seven rums, Prichard’s Private Stock, a rum that has been aged insmall fifteen gallon casks for as much as fourteen years now. Our P. Fine Rum is our best selling rum, a blend of rums between three and eight years in the barrel. Our P. Crystal Rum is the product of multiple distillations of rum made from the sweet table grade molasses as are our aged rums.
In addition to the aged and crystal rums, we produce four flavored rums to meet the market demand for greater variet y in rums. Our P. Cranberry Rum is a real favorite with bartenders and mixologists; the P. Sweet Georgia Belle, our Peach/Mango Rum is a nice blend of two flavors that complement one another. P. Key Lime Rum has been often been noted for its very fresh flavor that comes from our process of distilling our white rum through our custom designed fusion still. The last, P. Spiced Rum, is our newest addition but we set it on a f lavor course a bit different than other with the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg, giving it a bit of a New England flare deliciously mixable with hot apple cider or a hot buttered rum.
Q: What has been the market ’s response to your rums?
A: When we launched our rums, we essentially entered a new category; that of a traditional American rum made like we made rum in New England some 250 years ago. It has not been easy but we’ve carved a niche that is ours and it has been well received.
Q: Do you have any plans for developing additional rums in the near future?
A: We’ve been exploring the world of cream liqueurs. Discouraged from producing a cream rum some years ago because of it being a ver y small market segment; we have seen the cream category explode recent ly and with only a few players in the field, a cream rum is definitely under consideration.
Q: What have been some of the greatest challenges/obstacles you have encountered thus far as a craft distiller?
A: That ’s an easy question. Recognition by those of the three tier system.
Q: Over the years what are some positive things you have seen (or
experienced) in the rum industry? How about negative things?
A: As the saying goes, “A rising tide raises all ships.” We have benefited by
the entry of a relatively large number of craft distillers, all of which have helped
to overcome the recognition problem. As for negative, some of the folks are
not going to make it.
Q: Do you have any advice for anyone who is considering starting his/her own distillery in the USA ? What are the most common mistakes new distillers are likely to make?
A: I think I can answer both questions. Take your time. You cannot make good spirits fast! Most want to jump into the categor y and make some form of white lightning. Like vodka, the category is full and has been done just about every
way it can be done.
Q: You are, in our opinion, the first modern rum distillery in the USA to set the standard for “New England” style rum. Tell us, what is the definition of a “New England” style rum? Where do you see this style of rum headed and how best can we help educate the public about this type of rum vs. Cuban/Puerto Rican and Jamaican/Guyanese or other styles?
A: Early American spirits were produced in Pot stills making spirits drop by drop, a batch today and a batch tomor row, each slowly aging until each barrel works its magic. As each drop turns into those wonderful aged spirits produced here in Kelso, you will find that our rums are not unlike those produced in Colonial America.
Rum is as old as America itself. From the mid 1600’s to the early 1800’s, rum played a major role in shaping the economic, political and social practices
of early Americans. Rum was truly America’s spirit of choice. Among the contents of his wine cellar, Thomas Jef ferson listed 83 bottles of rum. Rum was so popular; it was supplied as a regular daily ration to the American military as late as 1862.
Rum was colonial America’s greatest export and New England’s most profitable industry. Recognizing this market, the British Parliament attempted to increase its share of the rum market in 1733 by imposing taxes on molasses imported from foreign islands. This tax and the tax on tealed to American petitions, boycotts and ultimately to the American Revolution. The American taste migrated from rum to whiskey after that war and for almost two hundred years, little rum was consumed in this country.
The bitter taste of battle led to the demise of rum as the spirit of choice of the early Americans. As ear ly immigrants from Ireland and Europe, practiced in the
arts of distillation, cultivated the familiar grains of corn, barley and rye, whiskey and bourbons gained in popularity.
It was another American war that resurrected the American taste for rum, World War II. The new “ tropical ” rums of the post war period however, are distilled from a molasses not at all like the molasses used to make the early American rums. Today, the large sugar refineries have learned to extract virtually every
available sugar granule from each gallon of molasses to make white table sugar. The by-product, of this process is called “Black St rap”, thickened goo of a sticky residue, having a disgusting taste, a terrible smell and limited fermentable sugar content. Only through the use of column stills and multiple,
high proof distillations, coupled with aging in used whiskey barrels, can the rum made from black strap become palatable.
Prichards’ Fine Rum is an accurate recreation of America’s first distilled beverage. It is made from sweet American molasses from the plantations of Louisiana and distilled in traditional copper pot stills using the techniques of the old master distillers. It is hardy in its flavor straight out of the still, bold and stout when aged in a proper barrel and truly a pleasure to sip as one enjoys the barrel notes of a f ine brandy. More akin to the poor man’s brandy of the age of Thomas Jefferson, Prichards’ Fine Rum is most certainly, nothing like the rum of the tropics we have come to know today.
Everyone knows it takes good water to make good whiskey. Doesn’t it make sense that it would take good water to make a good rum also? Clear mountain streams and bubbling springs with lots of pure limestone water are what we are famous for here in Tennessee. That’s why we say “ It ’s much better to bring the molasses to Tennessee than it is to find good water in the tropics!” The deep spring water from the nearby Teal Hollow Spring used to make Prichards’ Fine Rum is free of iron and other impurities that could affect the taste of our rum.
Q: If I came to a party at your house and ask for a rum-based cocktail, what are you most likely to offer me?
A: Summer time: A nice rum and tonic with a squeeze of lime and a sprig of fresh mint, either Prichard’s Fine Rum (my preference) or with P. Crystal Rum. Fall: Perhaps we might try our new P. Spiced Rum with cider. Winter: Definitely, a snifter of Prichard’s Private Stock or P. Fine Rum. If we go out for dinner, cocktails will include a Prichard’s Georgia Gimlet (two par ts Sweet Georgia Belle and one part Prichard’s Key Lime Rum. Shake with ice until the shaker freezes to your fingers. Strain and serve in a Martini glass and add a squeeze of fresh lime).
Q: If people want to contact you or want to know how to get a hold of your rums, how may they reach you?
A: Just send me an e-mail to: phil@pdspirits.com.
Q: Is there a particular message or comment you would like to share with our readers?
A: I ’m going to mention my favorite topic. If the rum industry is going to make significant inroads into the Premium Rum category, it is going to have to take seriously how premiums can define themselves from the paper umbrellas and fruity tootie rums so associated with cocktails that are designed to mask the bitter flavor of some rums. Fine, well-aged rums are quite often quite at home in a brandy snifter but with the present classifications of rum, there is little information on the bottle to inform the consumer and help him or her distinguish quality other than by trial and error. Considering there are over two thousand rums to choose from, this can be an expensive process. We need better classifications of rums.