42: Diving into Boston Apothecary, the Internet's Deepest Rum Rabbit Hole (w/ Stephen Shellenberger)
In this episode, Stephen Shellenberger takes us on a deep dive into Boston Apothecary, his rum and spirits-focused blog that has become one of the largest digital repositories of historic research on rum production.
We discuss:
The origin story of Boston Apothecary
The historical significance of Rafael Arroyo, and why Stephen is so fascinated with his work
What’s the deal with “rum oil,” the aromatic body that Arroyo prized above all others
Stephen’s presentation on grand arome rums at Lallemand and WIRSPA’s Alcohol School conference in Jamaica
Fission yeast in rum
And a whole lot more!
Relevant Links:
Arroyo’s “The Aroma of Rum,” an excerpt from which is read during the show
Stephen’s presentation on grand arome rum (with annotated commentary) from Alcohol School
Another view on fission yeast from Richard Seale that is worth checking out
Stephen’s article on the single use glass issue in spirits mentioned at the end of the show