Jeffrey, let’s just jump into things. Please tell me a little about yourself and what you were up to before getting into the world of spirit distillation?
JZ: I was working in Hollywood as a producer. My other company Zentertainment produces film, TV, Music Festivals and used to have an entertainment marketing arm that represented major brands.
How did you come to be involved and what drew you to the project?
JZ: The co-founder went to Mauritius on vacation and tried the rum which was only available locally. He brought a sample back for me to try in NY. As soon as I tasted it, I was immediately hooked and realized that the only way I could myself enjoy drinking STARR was to import it.
Is there anyone else involved in this business with you?
JZ: We have a small but growing team in the US. My brother Mark is my right hand and serves as STARR’s Creative Director.
What has been the part you’ve enjoyed most?
JZ: Meeting so many interesting people. It’s a vibrant industry filled with many characters. I love chatting up bartenders and tasting the incredible concoctions they come up with.
What exactly does your job entail?
JZ: I’m the Chairman & CEO so everything. I’ve even been known to deliver a case or 2 every now and again. My main role is forming distributor partnerships and working with them to get both on and off-premise accounts to bring in our rums.
What rum expressions do you currently produce?
JZ: Currently, we only have 2 expressions. Our Ultra-Superior Light Rum and our 7 Year Oak Aged Dark rum.
What are your maturation conditions like?
JZ: Mauritius is a tropical climate and the ideal place to mature rum. We age our light rum up to 6 years before removing the colors and the impurities restoring it back to a light rum.
What three words do you want people to associate with your rum?
JZ: To quote Paul Pacult from his Superb/Highly Recommended (90-95) rating in Wine Enthusiast, “Chic. Racy. Delicious”
Walk us through the distillation process briefly. Is there a flavor profile you’re looking for before bottling the rum?
JZ: The most important part of the distillation process for us is our raw ingredients. The sugar cane in Mauritius is considered the highest quality in the world and the water is some of the purest as well. Our Master Distiller distills it in small batches to ensure the quality is consistent. Since our rum is a single estate rum and the distillery is on-site, we actually produce our own power when we burn the sugar cane to extract the sugar. During harvest season, we are actually making so much power that we are giving back to the electric grid.
So beyond just being a socially responsible company, we are also environmentally sustainable as well.
What are the most important factors affecting rum distillation? How do you ensure that these are carefully balanced to produce a consistently high quality product?
JZ: A lady never tells her secrets. Ha!
How do you plan to expand nationally ?
JZ: We are currently in less than 10 States. Over the coming 2-3 years, we plan to slowly launch throughout the country.
Do you think that your product is distinctive? If so, how?
JZ: Our light rum is one of the only ones that is so smooth you can just drink it on the rocks. Although it makes amazing cocktails like mojitos, its also a sipping rum you can drink on its own. Our new 7 Year Dark rum which is a limited release allocated item keeps winning awards as well. We received in 2017 the Double Gold Medal at NY World Wine & Spirits Competition in addition to another Superb / Highly Recommended Rating from Wine Enthusiast.
