In the west of Nicaragua is the town of Chichigalpa. It lies at the foot of the San Cristóbal Volcano. But Chichigalpa became famous not for the beauty and majestic charm of the neighboring mountains, but its rum.
If you are keen on this drink and have ever wondered how one of the best rums in the world is made, then this place is for you! There, 14 km west of Chinandega, the Flor de Caña Rum Factory and Museum is located.
This Nicaraguan rum is valued as one of the best in the world. Travelers who are ready to make a trip from Chinandega, Leon or another city in Nicaragua have the opportunity to visit the factory and look behind the scenes of rum production. The Flor de Caña complex grows its sugarcane. It makes the brand the only rum producer that keeps all stages of the beverage production under control. And the very name of the brand Flor de Caña means cane flower. Interestingly, the sugar factory that supplies the sweet ingredient for making rum uses cane sugar to generate electricity.
An environmentally friendly transport runs on the territory of the factory. It takes visitors to various stations, where the history and modernity of production are gradually revealed. Organized tours of the complex take about an hour. All processes are explained to guests along the way.
Many visitors are impressed by the bottling department. There workers sort bottles for various rums produced: all containers are washed, labeled, and filled with a drink for further corking. Labeling is the responsibility of the vending machines. But when it comes to unusually large bottles or vice versa, tiny bottles, workers attach labels manually.
The Flor de Caña Rum factory produces four main types of rum: 7-year – old (aged in white oak barrels for seven years), 12-year-old, 15-year-old, and even 18-year-old rum. All age categories find their connoisseurs.
Of course, guests have the opportunity to evaluate the quality of rum or take a bottle or two with them.