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 bottlerDown Island's process for selecting what to bottleHow he arrived at Down Island's inaugural four selectionsSourcing from brokers versus directly from distilleriesThe story behind Down Island's two newest releases from Brazil and MartiniqueThe style of Brazil's Epris DistilleryThe unique effect of aging rum in amburana casksHis love of St. James DistilleryOverlooked amazing rum travel destinationsGetting into the rum importing businessWhat types of releases we can expect to see in the futureAnd 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.