This is what you see at the end of the tour.

Touring the Four Square Rum Distillery was not only fun but very informative. The distillery is located on the southern slopes of the St. George Valley, St. Phillip, Barbados, West Indies. That is where the Tommy Bahama Rum is produced. Dawn, the Tour Guide walked the group of visitors through the small distillery, while cheerfully reciting the history of rum making.

Our first stop was a room that was filled with large silver tanks that were fermenting the rum. Fermentation is the conversion of sugar molecules located inside of molasses into alcohol. The entire process of fermenting can take up to two days.

I looked around the spacious room and noticed that there were various photos of finished rum that was bottled, labeled and poured in a glass filled with ice that hung on the wall. The tabled showcases, featured jars of molasses, a photo of Tommy Bahama himself, and tools that were used in the early production of rum.

The second process of making rum was located in the second room. This was called the CO2 Plant. Upon completion of fermentation, carbon dioxide is produced as a by-product. It is then washed, purified, liquefied and then used for soft drinks. The CO2 Plant had tall cylinder equipment that was barricaded by a pink gate. On the left side of the CO2 Plant there were large wooden barrels that stored the rum until it was aged enough to be sent away to be bottled. After leaving this room, we went outside to the Concentration Plant.

This plant focuses on waste management. This is where waste is separated into streams of concentrate or condensate. The concentrate is sent to an old tower for further treatment. While, the concentrate is used for irrigation and agriculture.

The last part of the tour was the best! The tour guide led us to the the gift shop/bar where the rum tasting took place. The bartender poured rum that was cheaply and expensively priced. Although, both rums were delicious, I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t served as a mixed drink. The bartender shared mouthwatering details on how to make mixed drinks with the rum but unfortunately the tour only allowed us to taste shots of the rum.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed touring the Four Square Rum Distillery. The tour guide was very friendly, knowledgeable and resourceful.

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The machinery used to make the rum.

Africah with the Tour Guide Dawn.