Natchez, Mississippi (WGNO) – This distillery is a family affair! Doug Charboneau and his son Jean-Luc are the duo creating award-winning rum just footsteps from the banks of the Mississippi. Watch our Travel Girl Stephanie Oswald’s report, and check out these five things to know about Charboneau and the City of Natchez:
1. The distillery was influenced by Martinique’s Clement Distillery.
Doug and his wife Regina (who is a chef and cookbook author!) have toured many different distilleries around the world, but Doug says the one that had the greatest impact on the establishment of Charboneau Rum is one they visited on the French Caribbean island of Martinique. It is named Rhum Clement.
This poster from Salon-de-Provence in Southern France hangs on the wall in the one-room distillery. It embodies the spirit of Charboneau.
In the future, Doug and Jean-Luc plan to create rum exactly the way the French do… ask them about it when you visit.
Doug’s long-term plan is to sell aged rum, but in the meantime, he’s happy producing the award-winning white and gold Charboneau varieties.
2. Natchez is celebrating its 300th birthday!
Happy birthday to the City of Natchez!
“Where the river is wide and the history runs deep.” That’s a Natchez motto. The city turns 300 on August 3, 2016.
There will be a city-wide celebration. Find out more about Tricentennial events by clicking here.
3. How cool: Natchez is the smallest city in the USA with a distillery, a brewery and a winery!
With Charboneau’s opening, Natchez achieved a trifecta for anyone interested in learning about the creation of alcoholic beverages!
Tours of the Charboneau Distillery are available hourly on Fridays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from noon until 6 p.m.
4. King’s Tavern is the oldest standing building in the Natchez Territory.
It’s a family affair… Doug and Jean-Luc Charboneau own the distillery, while other members of the Charboneau family own the restaurant (King’s Tavern) and liquor store/gift shop next door.
Doug’s wife Regina is the chef at King’s Tavern. Her cookbooks are for sale inside the tavern.
5. Our Travel Girl was the first person to officially taste Charboneau Gold during a tour.
July marks the first month that Charboneau Gold can be sold in Mississippi, and therefore, can be distributed for tasting during a distillery tour.
As luck would have it, they reserved the honor of “the first taste” for our News with a Twist Travel Girl, Stephanie Oswald.
Stephanie says it tastes “as smooth as gold silk.”
Find out more details for planning your own visit by clicking here.
