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

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/ P.S. Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.