87: From Rum Geek to Rum Bottler with Down Island Spirits Founder Mike Streeter

The Rumcast

In this episode, we sit down with Mike Streeter, founder of Down Island Spirits — a brand that's part of the new wave of American independent bottlers hitting the rum scene over the last few years. We talk through all aspects of starting a rum brand (and sourcing great rum), including:

The hardest parts of becoming an independent bottler

Down Island's process for selecting what to bottle

How he arrived at Down Island's inaugural four selections

Sourcing from brokers versus directly from distilleries

The story behind Down Island's two newest releases from Brazil and Martinique

The style of Brazil's Epris Distillery

The unique effect of aging rum in amburana casks

His love of St. James Distillery

Overlooked amazing rum travel destinations

Getting into the rum importing business

What types of releases we can expect to see in the future

And much more!

You can learn more about Down Island at their website: https://www.downislandspirits.com/

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