Copalli Cacao Rum
The rum for chocolate and rum lovers.
There’s rum, and there’s Copalli Rum. And then... there’s Copalli Cacao Rum. Since Copalli Cacao is Copalli rum, with a twist, let us tell you what makes it so distinctive and special. Part of it is what goes into the rum. Most rums are made with molasses, a byproduct left over from commercial sugar production. Copalli, however, uses locally sourced sugarcane that’s pressed to extract the fresh juice, which creates a rum similar in style to rhums agricole from Guadeloupe and Martinique. Canopy rainwater (collected from leaves in the rainforest canopy before it hits the ground) and yeast, which converts the sugar into alcohol, are the only other ingredients used. The mash is distilled separately in pot and column stills before being blended in stainless steel tanks.
Sugarcane, rainwater and yeast are what make Copalli so delicious. However, what it doesn’t have is just as important. No sugar, artificial colors, flavors, or other chemicals are added before or after distillation. The only added ingredient is what turns Copalli into Copalli Cacao — 100% organic roasted cacao nibs, which are added to Copalli’s White Rum and left to infuse for several weeks, after which the rum is distilled again. The result is unlike any rum you’ve ever tasted, a rich, intense flavor reminiscent of Belizean chocolate with berry undertones.
Drink Copalli and you’re not just enjoying a good rum — you’re also doing good for the Belizean rainforest where it’s made. Located in Southern Belize, the Copal Tree Distillery is designed to run on biomass instead of fossil fuels, in order to produce as low a carbon footprint as possible. The sugarcane and cacao in Copalli Cacao come from the Copal Tree Farm — the first certified organic farm in Belize — located next to the distillery. After the cane stalks are pressed and their juice is extracted, the leftover stalks are dried and used to fuel the distillery boiler, which heats the stills and the cooling system. The ash is then used to fertilize the cane fields. Rainwater is used to blend the rum and bring it down to proof. Any wastewater from the distillery goes through a filtration system and into retention ponds. From there, it’s used to water plants and crops.
The distillery is just one aspect of a remarkable effort to preserve and protect the Belizean rainforest. It’s part of a complex that includes the Copal Tree Farm, the Copal Tree Lodge eco- friendly hotel, and 12,000 acres of surrounding land that is now a protected nature reserve. Copalli is a member of the Rainforest Trust’s Conservation Circle, which supports and protects endangered species, threatened rainforests, and other tropical ecosystems around the world.
All the good intentions and good deeds in the world don't automatically make a rum that tastes good, but this rum is, in a word, spectacular. In another word, it’s unique. Unlike so many watered-down flavored rums with added sugar and chemical flavorings, Copalli Cacao is genuine, 80-proof rum that’s all natural, all organic, and 100% real cacao flavor. It’s delicious sipped neat or on the rocks. It also transforms classic rum cocktails from daiquiris to mai tais with its complex chocolatey flavor. One of our favorite Copalli Cacao cocktails uses it in place of gin in a negroni, along with the Luna Aperitivo and Bellizzi-Mina vermouth you’ll also find in this box. Equal parts of each, stirred and served on the rocks with a twist of orange peel, makes a most elegant and delectable cocktail.
For more cocktail suggestions, and to learn more about Copalli’s rum and its special relationship with the people and the habitat of Belize, visit copallirum.com.