The "Crucians" Story
It was an ordinary day. We had just returned from our trip to the Cruzan Rum Distillery in St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. The “We” is Jerry, Just Sue, Carol and I. Natives of St. Croix are called “Crucians”, therefore they named the rum after the natives. The distillery is located near the city of Frederiksted which is on the western end of the island. After arrival we paid our entrance fee and met our tour guide. No rules or regulations we
re explained to us, “Just keep up with the tour guide.” We first had a quick lecture about how they make the rum. Molasses is extracted from the sugar cane which is grown on the island and then is added to water and yeast. This is heated until the yeast converts the molasses to alcohol. All this is done in large vats which we are about to visit. We entered this metal building which has some of the sides opened, I guess for ventilation. We travel up a ladder to a metal catwalk which is located directly next to the open vats. It sure is hot in here! Unbelievable! We can touch the brew (not supposed to, but.....), smell it, spit into it (didn’t see anyone do this), pee into it (now that I’m sure they would see, I guess), etc. Can you imagine taking a tour like this in the US. OSHA would shut this place down in a heartbeat. When the alcohol level is 10% they pump it into a column and remove the alcohol. The faster the brew reaches the 10% level, the less bacteria is formed. Not quite sure how that is done. I missed that part of the explanation, since I was thinking about all the things people probably have done to the brew over the years. That, and looking forward to the taste testing at the end of the tour. The alcohol is then placed in wooden barrels for aging. I’m 
pretty sure I got this explanation right. We leave the catwalk and follow our guide. Where is she by now? See, I could still be back in the metal building doing something I shouldn’t be doing. OK, we find her and walk between the large metal columns to the building with all the wooden drums. Different varieties of wood are used based on what the final product will taste like, be used for or what color it will be. Our next stop is the bottling line where the workers have no dress restrictions, no hair protection or wear no gloves. I guess the alcohol content is so high it will kill anything that gets into the bottle with the liquid rum. Bottles are sealed and packed in boxes. On to the testing. St. Croix molasses has a slight licorice taste and is very sweet and this influences the taste of the rum. Today we are tasting three of the six flavored rums they produce: coconut, raspberry and mango. They certainly don’t skimp on the quantities they give you. Bathroom cup size samples. The girls try one sample and pass on the rest, but Jerry and I have to g
ive all an equal try. How about that 12 year aged bottle on the shelf. Sure! Now this is way to strong for me to drink straight. A sip is all I can handle. Jerry, being in the Navy, chugs the sample right down. He’s starting to feel the testing session. We just finished with the best part of the tour. Time to head back to our resort. Carol, you better drive!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - group photo: Carol, LDub with the rum, Just Sue and Jerry.
re explained to us, “Just keep up with the tour guide.” We first had a quick lecture about how they make the rum. Molasses is extracted from the sugar cane which is grown on the island and then is added to water and yeast. This is heated until the yeast converts the molasses to alcohol. All this is done in large vats which we are about to visit. We entered this metal building which has some of the sides opened, I guess for ventilation. We travel up a ladder to a metal catwalk which is located directly next to the open vats. It sure is hot in here! Unbelievable! We can touch the brew (not supposed to, but.....), smell it, spit into it (didn’t see anyone do this), pee into it (now that I’m sure they would see, I guess), etc. Can you imagine taking a tour like this in the US. OSHA would shut this place down in a heartbeat. When the alcohol level is 10% they pump it into a column and remove the alcohol. The faster the brew reaches the 10% level, the less bacteria is formed. Not quite sure how that is done. I missed that part of the explanation, since I was thinking about all the things people probably have done to the brew over the years. That, and looking forward to the taste testing at the end of the tour. The alcohol is then placed in wooden barrels for aging. I’m 
pretty sure I got this explanation right. We leave the catwalk and follow our guide. Where is she by now? See, I could still be back in the metal building doing something I shouldn’t be doing. OK, we find her and walk between the large metal columns to the building with all the wooden drums. Different varieties of wood are used based on what the final product will taste like, be used for or what color it will be. Our next stop is the bottling line where the workers have no dress restrictions, no hair protection or wear no gloves. I guess the alcohol content is so high it will kill anything that gets into the bottle with the liquid rum. Bottles are sealed and packed in boxes. On to the testing. St. Croix molasses has a slight licorice taste and is very sweet and this influences the taste of the rum. Today we are tasting three of the six flavored rums they produce: coconut, raspberry and mango. They certainly don’t skimp on the quantities they give you. Bathroom cup size samples. The girls try one sample and pass on the rest, but Jerry and I have to g
ive all an equal try. How about that 12 year aged bottle on the shelf. Sure! Now this is way to strong for me to drink straight. A sip is all I can handle. Jerry, being in the Navy, chugs the sample right down. He’s starting to feel the testing session. We just finished with the best part of the tour. Time to head back to our resort. Carol, you better drive!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - group photo: Carol, LDub with the rum, Just Sue and Jerry.
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