WEBVTT

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- So when you think of rum, 
you'll always think

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of pirates or beach.

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Rum has always had 
that connotation or that reputation.

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We want to push 
the needle further.

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You know how people 
enjoy single malt?

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It has that sipping culture—
that's what we hope

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to build for rum.

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With Luisita Rum, 
we want to show the consumer

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that it can be enjoyed 
as a sipper as well,

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not just in cocktails 
but as a sipper.

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- Hi! I'm John Go.
I work with an importing

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and distribution company
called Grand Cru.

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So our purpose is 
to make more niche

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and boutique brands
available locally.

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I think Filipinos drink 
so much rum

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because it's 
a very accessible spirit.

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Like, we're a tropical country.

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It's easy for sugarcane to grow
in a tropical country.

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We have Tanduay
which is, I think,

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one of the biggest 
rum producers in the world.

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So the different brands
of rum you can find here

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in the Philippines
are Clairin, Flor de Caña,

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Doorly's, Tanduay,
and of course, Luisita Rum.

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For me, what makes a good rum
is it has to have texture

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and flavor.

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- In Tarlac City, Philippines,
the first and only

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single estate rum
in the country has been crafted

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from soil to bottles since 2016.

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Inspired by a deep fascination
with wine,

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father and son duo,
Nando and Paco,

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have been meticulously creating
Luisita Rum with the vision

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of producing a premium,
farm-centric wine of the tropics.

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- They know what it's all about.

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- I believe so. Yeah.
We have explained.

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Cheers, pop.

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Wow. The ----- stuff is really good.

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- Oh, wow. It's really good.

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- Yeah. I haven't tried
this one in a while

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but it's delicious.

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Of course, the bird.

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- This is the bird
I was telling them.

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- Philippine hawk-eagle.

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- Yeah. 2136.

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What's important with the brand
is that we really stick

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to the core value, right?

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So we're trying to make
a spirit that you can really

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be proud of, 
something that's done

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in the classic, 
traditional way of making

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a world-class spirit,

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and there are certain things
you cannot compromise on

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and you have to stick to that.

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- The three most popular ways
to make rum

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is the Spanish style,
the English style,

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and the French style.

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The most familiar style 
we have here is Spanish style.

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Luisita is different
from other rums made

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in the Philippines because,
one, they're single estate,

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so all of the molasses they use
all come from the sugarcane

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in their land which gives them 
more quality control

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with the raw material
and also gives a higher chance

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to expressing terroir.

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So it's essentially grass to glass.

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- Luisita actually was founded
in 1881—the estate.

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It was founded, at that time,
the Philippines, our country,

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was a colony of Spain.

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So it was put up 
by a company called Tabacalera.

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So Tabacalera was involved
at that time,

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they were the biggest 
tobacco traders in the world.

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So the original plan 
of that company

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was to plant tobacco here
in Luisita,

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but they found that the climate
was not suitable

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for tobacco farming.

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So around... some time
in the early, well,

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the third of the century,
early 1900s,

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they shifted to, okay, 
let's start planting sugarcane.

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So in 1927, our family,
we had no stake here in Luisita.

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My paternal great grandfather,
actually he and his siblings,

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they had a sugar mill
further up north

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called Paniqui Sugar Mill.

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So it closed down already
some time in the 90s,

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and they actually had a rum
at that time.

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And this rum was being sold
and really prevalent

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in the market after the war.

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Looking at the history
as I started, like,

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asking stories from relatives
and looking at history books,

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I slowly realized 
that rum making

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is actually, not in our blood,
but we've been doing it

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for a long time
without us even knowing.

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So here we have 
what we call a sandy loam.

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Actually, they called it 
Luisita soil,

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they gave it its own designation.

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And this kind of soil,
it's easily workable,

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high in organic matter.

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When you have good soil,
everything else follows.

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So the philosophy
is always just focus

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on the ground.

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So with sugarcane farming,
and any farming really,

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you have to be very observant,
take care of the soil,

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and that is actually 99%
of the battle.

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- Our farming improves every year.

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We don’t just plant sugarcane; 
we also take care of the soil.

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Crop rotation is necessary, 
or adding organic matter

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to restore fertility 
because the soil

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has become acidic.

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If your soil isn’t good, 
your production

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won’t be good either 
since the sugarcane won’t grow well.

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- Once you take care of the soil,
the process

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is setup seed beds,

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so these would be nurseries
where we grow specific varieties

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that we pinpoint 
to specific soil type.

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Sugarcane is actually
not grown from seed

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but we propagate it
from the stalk itself.

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There are eye buds
in the sugarcane plant,

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so sugarcane 
is actually a grass,

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you plant it, and then it grows
from these eye buds.

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Come harvest time,
we cut it by hand

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in the first plant,
and then we also use

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mechanical harvesters now.

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- What they do is load everything 
onto the truck first,

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then later, they reverse it 
to pick up the scattered ones

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and load them as well.

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For example, they can load up 
to 10, 15, or even 19 tons.

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But right now, 
they haven’t reached 19 tons yet.

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They’ll harvest more.

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Once loading is done, 
they transport it

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to the central mill.

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After that, they go 
to the ticket booth,

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and it’s ready for milling.

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- The first time I met Boss Paco 
was when we planted

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at the nipa hut.

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You were hauling, feeding, 
and even removing big stones

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from the hut.

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You were there too, right?

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- Yeah, I was cutting as well.

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- Me too. That’s why I know 
this job very well.

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- I saw you cutting 
at Hacienda Bantug, sir,

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with Boss Juan. 
They climbed up there.

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- 47 trucks.

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- Yeah, that’s it.

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- 2015.

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- He also experienced 
what they’re doing now.

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He hauled, climbed the ladder—
everything.

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- Actually, I wanted
to be a lawyer.

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So growing up, 
even in grade school,

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my father was a lawyer, 
so I thought, okay,

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I want to be a lawyer.

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And I tried it out, 
spent three months

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in his law firm 
in his little cubicle...

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And I'll be honest,
I didn't have fun.

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So I talked to him
and I said, "Okay.

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I don't think this is for me."

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He sent me here.

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"Okay. Try it out in Tarlac."

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I thought I was going
to be a farm manager right away,

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you know?

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Like, okay. Top position,
here we go.

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And apparently, my first job
was to cut sugarcane.

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I don't know if it was planned,
that maybe he wanted me

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to have the hardest job
so that I'd go back and say,

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"Okay. I'll be a lawyer."

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Maybe it backfired.

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Probably did.

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I fell in love with it
and I still really remember that.

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So I look back on that now.

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At that time, 
it didn't make sense to me.

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It's a difficult job.

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But now that I look back on it,
it gives me confidence

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in myself that, okay,
I really love this,

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'cause I wouldn't have done that,
I wouldn't have...

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and I'd do it again.

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And it reminds me 
that I'm passionate about it.

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When I cut that cane
in 2014, 2015,

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I didn't go home,
I never left this place.

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So I've been here
for 10 years now.

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Almost 11, actually.

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So here in Luisita
in Central Luzon,

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we actually have
the biggest fleet

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of mechanical harvesters
and we're really pushing

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to mechanize the industry,

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at least for sugarcane
which is what we're involved in.

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The reason being so that
the labor now can transfer

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to jobs that cannot be mechanized.

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So it's really bringing them
to where the human touch

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is required.

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Once that cane is harvested,
it's now sent here to the mill

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and it's dumped.

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So we have a special technology,
we lift the truck up

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and the special technology 
is called gravity.

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The cane falls down
from the truck.

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- This is what we call 
mill processing—

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how we position our trucks 
before dumping them into the mill.

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There are two areas 
to prevent delays in processing.

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As soon as one truck finishes, 
the next one follows,

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keeping the dumping process 
continuous.

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The sugarcane gets leveled—
unlike before,

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when dumping was uneven.

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But once it passes 
through the equalizer,

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it gets properly aligned.

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Then, it goes through the mill, 
where the crushed sugarcane

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is squeezed, extracting its juice.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
These trucks come 
from different places—

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Victoria, Nueva Ecija, 
Pangasinan, and Gerona.

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Various locations supply us.

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- So once that cane is dumped,
it goes through a series of,

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they call it a Unigrator.

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To keep it simple,
it's a lot of cane knives crushing it.

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Inside the mill, 
you can just imagine

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it's a sugarcane juicer
but in a large scale.

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The cane is really now squeezed,

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we extract as much juice
as we can,

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and that juice now gets sent
to the boiling house.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It's heated up,
we evaporate as much water

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
as we can, really to concentrate
the sugar content

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
in the sugarcane juice.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
But inside the mill,
that cane juice now goes

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to the boiling house
and whatever's left over,

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'cause 78% 
of that sugarcane stalk

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
is actually fiber,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and that fiber 
is now really crushed

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and we send that now
to the boiler.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And in the boiler, it's burnt 
and that generates steam,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
that steam is now sent
to our turbine generators

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to generate power.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So everything you need
for sugarcane factories

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and the sugar industry
is almost, there I say,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
carbon neutral
because the energy required

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to process the sugarcane
and the sugar is also in the plant.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So that part is...

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I'm always amazed by that.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We call it bagasse—that fiber.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It's now burnt,
and then, of course,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
people now think,
"Oh, you're throwing pollutants

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
into the atmosphere."

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So what we did, again,
going back to taking care

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
of the soil is we put a,
they call it a scrubber,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
so it's just water jets 
that shoot into the chute,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
the chimney, and now 
all the particulates fall

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to the ground
and it's called mill ash

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
which is very high in potassium
and other trace elements—

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
molybdenum, 
all of that good stuff.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
That mill ash now
we apply it back into the field.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So again, 
it's a closed loop system.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So that's what happens
with the fiber.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
The juice, which is now
in the boiling house,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
once it hits the clarity
that's needed,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
the bricks that's required,
we send that now

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to the evaporators 
where more water is evaporated.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- This is the pan floor station.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
This is the evaporation station, 
where we remove the water.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We concentrate the juice 
from 30 brix to 65 brix.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
After boiling for 24 hours, 
it becomes C sugar.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
The continuous centrifugal basket 
separates it.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
This is our C sugar, 
and the remaining molasses

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
is the final molasses—

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
extracted here 
in the boiling house.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
This final molasses is then sent 
to the distillery

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
for fermentation 
to produce alcohol.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- So molasses, 
locally we call it "pulot."

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It's all the sugars 
that can no longer be crystallized.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- Here, we grow the sugar crystals 
from stage three

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to pan numbers four and five.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We monitor their size 
and color until they reach

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
the final five-glass stage.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
If we test them 
and no crystals stick

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to the glass, 
it means they’re clean.

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- Okay. So the final step
or the second check that we have

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
for the molasses quality
would be in the quality

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
of our raw sugar
or our brown sugar.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So by flavor, by taste,
I can tell if it's too sweet,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
my molasses quality 
is not that good.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
If there's a little bit
of bitterness,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
a little bit of molasses flavor,
sugarcane flavor,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
then it's great for distillation.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So right now, this sugar,
when you taste it,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
based on the taste alone...

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
No, not yet.
It's not just like alcohol

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
but it's not overly sweet,
so you don't want it

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to be too sweet.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
That means that there's still 
enough sugar in the molasses

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
that when we ferment it,
we're going to be able

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to hit the desired flavor profile
for our rum distillate.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So the sugar is now sent
to the warehouse for repacking

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and you know, 
to supply the sugar in the market.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
But the important part here
when we got into making

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
the rum distillate 
is the aroma that you smell

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
when you taste the unaged rum
before it hits the barrel.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
This is what we look for,
this smell, this aroma,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
this brown sugar,
almost like a crème brûlée

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
kind of essence.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And then, that's what tell us,
okay, this distillate

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
is good for rum.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Yeah. This reaches 
the supermarket,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and then some of it
we send to become white sugar,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
depending on the market.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
But this is our contribution
to Philippine agriculture.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We focused on fermentation
because in fermentation,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
that is where alcohol
and flavors are made.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- This is where we propagate yeast.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
From just 12 liters of lab yeast, 
we expand it

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to a large-scale volume 
of around 22,000 liters.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
The small cultivator 
contains wort,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
which is a combination 
of molasses—

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
a byproduct of sugar—
along with water, chlorine,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and other nutrients for yeast.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
The molasses is sent here 
for processing.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
The wort is aerated 
to further multiply the yeast.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- So after this fermentation, 
we got to distillation.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So the yeast, the little animals
which are friends,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
they consume the residual sugars
in the molasses

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and turn that 
into what we know as alcohol,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
but in our case, 
rum distillate.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So rum distillate is rum
that has not seen

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
the inside of a barrel.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It doesn't have an age yet,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
but there's already flavor there.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Once fermentation is done,
we send it to this 98-year-old.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It was put up in 1926/1927.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Distillery.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So it's a twin column 
distillation process

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
designed specifically for rum,
or for spirits.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
The inside of that is all copper.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We have about 70 copper plates
and bubble caps.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I don't want to get too technical.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
But basically,
to make good rum distillate,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
you want the inside
of your column still to be copper.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Here you'll see,
we call it column no. 3.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So it's our oldest column.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So whatever was in fermentation
gets fed first

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
into the beer still.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And then from the beer still,
it goes to the rectifying column.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So the rectifying column
is where we get...

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
we now collect our unaged rum—

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
so the rum distillate.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
In simple terms,
the way I like to view it,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I'm playing hide-and-seek
to find the flavor.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So if you will notice,
there are a lot of tapping points.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So we put a tapping point
in each part

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
of the rectifying column.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So as we go on,
every hour we're tasting,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and we find 
where the good alcohol is.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So it's hide-and-seek.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So sometimes 
we might get it here,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
sometimes we might get it here,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
most times we get it here.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So again, 
it's a sensory experience.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
You smell it.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And to make the decision,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
it's just like food,
if it tastes good, collect,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
if you don't like how it tastes,
divert it.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
After distillation,
it's coming off the still

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
at 95% or even 93% alcohol,
that's not...

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
you can drink it 
but actually, no,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
you cannot drink it,
do not drink it.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So that's already rum distillate.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
That's already considered rum.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
What you do now,
what we do is we get that

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and we now send that
to our blending facility

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
where we slowly drop the proof
or the alcohol percent

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to about 62-65% ABV
or alcohol by volume.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And once that's done,
once you hit the target ABV,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
that's what we now put
into the barrel.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
At least as far as aging 
is concerned in the bodega,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
we find here in Luisita
that it should,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
given the climate,
it takes about two years

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to reach the profile
that we are looking for.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Now, our oldest batch
is eight years already actually.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So once it's in that barrel,
the rum distillate

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
is interacting with the wood,
all of that lignin layers

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and you really just let time
do its thing,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
let nature do its thing,
and all of these chemical compounds,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
alcohol, esters, congeners, 
they now form inside the barrel

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and the taste develops
even further.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- Yes, aging is a big factor 
in rum production.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
In the Philippines, 
because of our warm climate,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
our aging process 
is faster compared

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to colder countries 
where aging takes 10 to 15 years.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- One good thing that came out
of the pandemic

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
is all the barrels
that you see here,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
we tasted it and we scored it.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We scored it on a rating
of one to five.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So this is called the barrel thief,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
but this is the real barrel thief.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
(chuckles)

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So this is our way 
of testing the barrel

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and rum that is inside.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So we make it a point
to taste at least...

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
maximum 30 barrels 
in one day,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and then we score it
one to five based on flavor,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
aroma, and then style.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So style would be how close it is
to the flavor

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
or the profile of Luisita Rum
that we are looking for.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- How old is that?

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- So this one would be...

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
This is about five years. Yeah.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So you guys asked a while ago
what is my favorite way

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
of drinking Luisita Rum,
it's like this,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
straight from the barrel, neat.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So this is 65%.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- So Bar By is 
an architectural firm by day,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and then a cocktail bar
at night.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So after working,
you can drink.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I started as a guest at this bar.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Then, after sharing a few drinks, 
it all started—

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
“Okay, let’s work together.” 
That’s how it happened.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I think a lot of things happen 
when people drink

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and share stories, 
and maybe that’s

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
what happened here.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- Our menu offers a fun twist 
on classic signatures,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and we also create bespoke cocktails.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Here at Bar By, 
we use calamansi liqueur

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and dalandan.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Our latest addition 
is Intramuros chocolate liqueur,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
along with Luisita Rum 
and other local rums.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- We use a lot of local spirits 
and liquors.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
One of them is Luisita Rum.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
In fact, two of our bartenders 
visited the farm,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
saw the entire process, 
and now they truly understand

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
their drinks.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- We highlight local ingredients, 
produce, and liquors—

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
products that can compete 
with international brands.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Right now, I’ll be making 
the River Valley—

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
a clarified cocktail 
using milk punch.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Most rums originate 
from tropical countries

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
like Barbados, the Caribbean, 
and Trinidad & Tobago.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Sugar is a basic necessity 
in the Philippines,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
so we can say that we have 
the raw materials to make rum.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- With Luisita Rum, 
we always want to keep

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
that sense of place.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So we're not going
to release a product

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
that we feel is...
will not be worthy

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
of the name Luisita Rum.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It has to be something
we're proud of.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
People always ask me that,
and it's sort of a crossroad,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
"Are you going to go mass market?"

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
"Are you going 
to go full production?"

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
"You want to be 
in every shelf of the world?"

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Of course, a part of you
will say yes,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
but if I do that 
and I lose the quality,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
that's not the dream
for Luisita Rum

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
because like I said,
we want to show the world

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
that we're capable
of producing a really world-class

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
premium spirit 
that just tastes really good

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and it hits that quality
that we're looking for.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- I'm still kicking.
Senior citizen.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I'm super senior.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I was born and raised here, 
and I’m still

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
in the sugarcane business.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I continue working here, 
and I’m proud that I was able

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to send my children 
to school because of this.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I hope it lasts.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We teach the younger ones 
so that when we’re gone,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
they can continue the work. 
That’s my dream.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- I was able to put my children 
through school.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I supported all of them 
through this hacienda.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
As long as you’re happy 
with your job,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
that’s what matters.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Even at 62, I’m still working here.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- Seeing the fruits of my labor 
in the market,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
knowing that people 
are enjoying what we’ve created—

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
it’s fulfilling.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We started this project 
with the Cojuangcos

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
when it was still small.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Now, it’s growing, expanding, 
and I’m very proud

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
of what we’ve achieved.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
My dream for Luisita Rum is 
for it to grow even further,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
for all our projects to succeed,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and for it to be 
renowned worldwide—

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
not just in the Philippines.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- So the potential
for Filipino rum worldwide

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
is good because in other parts
of the world,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
rum is becoming more popular.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Historically, most of the rum
come from the Caribbean,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
but with the rising trend of rum,
other parts of the world,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
mostly Asia, 
they're making more rum.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I think Luisita is a good indicator
that the Philippines

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
can have more craft
rum brands in the future.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
- It’s delighting to hear people say, 
“Wow, we’re not just

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
planting sugarcane anymore—
we’re planting rum.”

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It's nice to hear 
because now you're value adding,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
of course, and it uplifts 
the community, it helps them.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Make the most of it 
and the dream is that

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
the brand really outlives me.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
The driving factor really there 
would be to create

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
something that, you know, 
100 years from now,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
200 years from now, 
it's still there,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Luisita Rum is still there.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And what I've learned now 
is that, you know,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
the smile is enough.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
My dad would smile.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It's already their way of saying 
that it's a product worthy

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
of their name, 
it's a product worthy

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
of carrying on the name 
of Luisita.