‍Spirits historian and author Dave Wondrich once called Batavia arrack (Indonesian rum) ‘Godfather to the rum world’ and ‘the world’s first international luxury spirit’. These are titles, we believe, it’s truly earned.‍

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Batavia arrack became hugely popular in the16th century, when the Dutch began to export it from their newly founded Indonesian colony back to Europe. It's popularity predated that of its Caribbean and Brazilian rum cousins by at least 100 years.

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For centuries, it was found in the best bars, hotels and restaurants across Europe,America and the Western world. When other rums did arrive from the West Indies and South America, they couldn’t steal Batavia arrack’s glory, with the interlopers selling for half the price of the Indonesian don.

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Its demise sadly came when the Caribbean became the centre of commercial sugarcane production, making it much easier for these rum producers to trade with Europe.

‍There are three parts to this answer.

One, it’s the fermentation of molasses with red rice. The molasses for Batavia arrack come from an heirloom sugarcane - Saccharum robustum. And the use of rice is probably the biggest difference between West Indian and East Indian rums.

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Red rice is cooked, dried and crushed into a powder, then mixed into the sugarcane molasses and water to kick start fermentation. This method offer mentation is something of an art form. It’s been passed down from theChinese and adopted in Batavia arrack production because it gives unique character to the distillate.

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Secondly, the spirit is double distilled in rustic steel pot-stills. In the 16th century, it was a better made spirit from craftsmen ahead of their time, with no need for herbs, sweeteners, or additives to mask the true nature of the distillate - unlike nearly all comparative European spirits.

Batavia arrack was one of the first spirits ever to be transported and ‘tropically aged’ in wood barrels, arriving in Europe as a refined, mellowed spirit. What’s unique is that Batavia arrack is aged in teak wood barrels, not oak. Teak wood imparts a dry, refined character to the rum it holds.

‍There are three parts to this answer.

One, it’s the fermentation of molasses with red rice. The molasses for Batavia arrack come from an heirloom sugarcane - Saccharum robustum. And the use of rice is probably the biggest difference between West Indian and East Indian rums.

‍

Red rice is cooked, dried and crushed into a powder, then mixed into the sugarcane molasses and water to kick start fermentation. This method offer mentation is something of an art form. It’s been passed down from theChinese and adopted in Batavia arrack production because it gives unique character to the distillate.

‍

Secondly, the spirit is double distilled in rustic steel pot-stills. In the 16th century, it was a better made spirit from craftsmen ahead of their time, with no need for herbs, sweeteners, or additives to mask the true nature of the distillate - unlike nearly all comparative European spirits.

Batavia arrack was one of the first spirits ever to be transported and ‘tropically aged’ in wood barrels, arriving in Europe as a refined, mellowed spirit. What’s unique is that Batavia arrack is aged in teak wood barrels, not oak. Teak wood imparts a dry, refined character to the rum it holds.