Smoke & Oakum Gunpowder Rum. Photo / Supplied
There are some partnerships that simply cannot be torn apart: Starsky and Hutch, gin and tonic, roast lamb and mint sauce and, definitely, pirates and rum.
Perhaps you could add to that list Ben Simpson and his leather notebook of recipes, adjustments, flavours and important information pertaining to the Smoke
& Oakum Manufactory, which is where he produces Gunpowder Rum - lovingly by hand - at the rate of 24 bottles a week.
Working behind bars for nearly 20 years, Simpson was frustrated by a lack of ingredients being readily available in New Zealand's small market. Enticed by the history of pirate rum, his idea would become a project and a passion.
Though many other spirits are governed by strict rules and processes, there's no one single way to make rum, so long as the principle flavour profile of the sugarcase-based product remains the same. In many respects, it's the ideal all-comer's spirit, says Simpson.
But with few rules to follow, there is still much tradition and history on the line. The mission of the Smoke & Oakum Manufactory is to produce a rum that tastes the way it might have 200 years ago, when it was made with what was available and as strong as possible. While the alcohol content is strictly governed, the rest of the process was up for grabs.
