OUR STORY
At Oxbow Rum Distillery, our mission is to serve as stewards of our land and sugarcane by creating a beautifully crafted American rum.
CANE TO GLASS
Every drop of Oxbow Rum is an expression of our cane farm and sugar mill, which has been in our family for 5 generations. It is our mission to serve as stewards of our land and sugarcane by creating premium American rum, amplifying the stories of our past and present, and serving our community. By doing so, we honor both the ingredients and people that make our rum what it is today.
AUTHENTICITY
At Oxbow, we aim to make the best possible products that honor the land and people that made it. Our Oxbow Estate line has zero added sugar, color or flavor, while the labels of our False River flavored rums tell you exactly what’s inside the bottle.
“I live on the farm, and see the 24/7 grind every harvest, the fermentations and late-night distillations our team puts in at the distillery.”
Olivia Stewart
President
LEGACY & PERSEVERANCE
For over 160 years, our cane farm and sugar mill has persevered through tough times, hard freezes, dire droughts and near closures. Oxbow Rum is a testament to all who contributed to this legacy of perseverance. We are committed to driving forward the future of rum in America by honoring our roots and building a sustainable brand that will endure beyond ourselves.
COMMUNITY
Although founded by our family, Oxbow’s story is a collective one of both familial entrepreneurship and one of our country’s roots of racial injustice. The foundation of our legacy in sugarcane was the product of the hard work and labor of enslaved Africans and generations of their descendants, just as much as it was our family. We see it as our responsibility to acknowledge and tell this story, and to use our platform as a bridge to uplift our community.
In an effort to put these words into action, Oxbow Rum Distillery and its family owners are proud to support local organizations that promote a variety of causes like food security, equality, and uplifting marginalized communities.
Honor the past. Embrace the present. Drive the future.
OUR PROCESS
Our sugarcane, grown right on the estate, is transformed through time-honored methods, creating premium rums that honor the land and the people who cultivate it.
OUR PROCESS
Our sugarcane, grown right on the estate, is transformed through time-honored methods, creating premium rums that honor the land and the people who cultivate it.
The Farm
Sugarcane
Sugarcane is an ancient perennial grass that grows extremely well in South Louisiana. Each year we harvest for 100 days straight from September to January.
Juice
The first product to come out of crushing sugarcane is raw cane juice. Cane juice is naturally sweet with a plesant grassy flavor, but it spoils quickly. You must be close to the source in order to work with it for making rhum.
Grade A Molasses
The other raw ingredient we use for rum making is Grade A molasses. Most rum in the world is made from blackstrap, or Grade C. The difference is how many times it’s been boiled for sugar crystlization. Each time it’s boiled (a total of 3 times – A, B and C), the sugar content decreases and ash content increases. Both of these present major issues for fermentation in rum. The ability to use Grade A for Oxbow rums is a huge advantage, which you can taste in the final product.
Sugar
Our farm’s primary production is dedicated to raw sugar, with blackstrap molasses as byproduct. The products for our rum amount to a very small percentage in comparison! While the sugar goes to a refinery for further processing, we pull some of the juice and Grade A molasses specifically for rum production.
Distilling
After fermenting the sugar out of our raw ingredient and creating the alcohol, we distill the “wash” in our copper hybrid pot still, followed by a second distillation in our stainless steel still.
Process
Our mentality when creating the rum is honoring all the hard work that went into making the raw ingredients by preserving as much of the natural flavor as possible. In the words of our distiller, Cole Brannum, “our job is to not mess it up”.
Finishing
Whether aged in premium oak barrels for our aged spirits, or slowly proofed down over time for unaged, Oxbow is made without additives to provide you with the truest rum sipping experience possible – one that pays homage to Louisiana, its sugarcane, and its people.
Join Us on the Journey
Visit our tasting room to experience the fruits of our labor firsthand or find Oxbow Rum at your local retailer to enjoy a true taste of Louisiana’s legacy.
