Balance

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Balance 

The word “balance” is used to describe a state of equilibrium, equipoise or an aesthetically-pleasing integration of elements. Professionals in all walks of life seek it and refined consumers reward it:

• Architects try to achieve balance between the practical and the elegant, or between organic and geometrical shapes,

• Chefs try to achieve balance between flavors, shapes and textures,

• Singers try to achieve it between the mechanical and the human sounds at their disposal,

• Photographers try to capture it also, through composition, lightning and focus,

• Mixologists strive to achieve it by selecting ingredients with the right flavor attributes and by combining them in the correct proportions,

• Everyday working people also attempt to create balance, for example between work and personal life.

Unfortunately for all the above (and for countless many others), there is no precise formula to achieve balance in any of its expressions: one must constantly tweak and observe the results, until we (or our clients) acknowledge and appreciate the balance in the result of our actions.

In the sugarcane and rum industries there are many opportunities to find the elusive balance:

• Between the bottom-line for the company and the quality of life for all the workers involved,

• Between using natural resources and impacting the environment,

• Between fiduciary and social responsibility and

• Between maintaining tradition and pushing the envelope of innovation

But balance, even if achieved, must also be maintained in order for it to endure. Sometimes the maintenance is due to environmental changes, other times it is the result of changes in consumer preferences, yet others it is simply due to a change in the artist’s tools or understanding of the craft.

May your drinks and your daily activities always be in balance!

Cheers,

Luis Ayala, Editor and Publisher