Modern Caribbean Rum; Matt Pietrek & Carrie Smith

Modern Caribbean Rum is the ultimate cane spirit deep dive, focusing on where rum originated: the Caribbean. This contemporary guide to rum and the industry that creates it is an invaluable reference for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

This comprehensive book peers deep into a spirit on the rise, with 850 pages and 900 full-color and historic images:

Part One: An overview of rum, its history, rum classifications, and misconceptions about the spirit.

Part Two: An intensive dive into rum making, including chapters on source materials, fermentation, distillation, aging, blending, and flavor science.

Part Three: The business of rum, including detailed knowledge on bulk and sourced rum, geographical indications and regulations, tariffs, trade organizations, brands, and much more.

Part Four: More than 500 pages itself, providing in-depth profiles of over 70 distilleries in twenty of the Caribbean’s rum-making regions.

Go behind the scenes and learn exactly how rum's iconic styles are made, including:

• Jamaican Rum

• Barbados Rum

• Demerara Rum

• Cuban Rum

• Rhum Agricole

• Much, much more

Hardcover; 850 pages

About the Authors

Matt Pietrek is a rum educator, author, consultant, and historian who collaborates with many of the world's best known rum and spirit companies. Matt's "deep dive" writing style has made his Cocktail Wonk website among the most influential and respected references for rum enthusiasts over the last ten years. Matt is known for untangling complex subjects and making them accessible to both enthusiasts and industry professionals alike.

He has been the community envoy for the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association since 2019. In a prior life, Matt was a software architect at Microsoft.

Carrie Smith is a designer at heart—of spaces, projects, and ideas. Her creative vision intertwines several past careers to oversee Wonk Press, a new model of publishing company that partners with independent authors to bring passionate projects to life.

Matt and Carrie previously authored and published Minimalist Tiki: A Cocktail Wonk Look at Classic Libations and the Modern Tiki Vanguard (Wonk Press, 2019). They currently live with their boxer dog (Admiral) Nelson in New Orleans, sometimes known as the northernmost city in the Caribbean.