Canterbury’s popular image is of medieval spires, Gothic tracery, and cobbled streets lined with overhanging jetties. Yet if you turn off the main shopping street down a narrow lane alongside the Adobe Hotel, you are quickly into a former industrial complex with several stories of brick, warehouses and factories. Today, it is a silent world. There are no longer roaring flames or the clanging of metal as the coke furnaces have long gone; as have the Founders, Braziers, Tin-men, and Engineers who worked in Stour Street and Jewry Lane.
In one of the former foundry buildings, behind a black door large enough to take a horse and cart, there is now a traditional craft brewery producing fine whiskies. Alongside the barrels of whisky is a 190 litre cask of rum which has been aging for two years. At first the Rum was in a cask used for a bourbon. It was progressing well, becoming very complex, with some butterscotch and raisin notes. However the Brewer judged it to be too green. So the liquid was transferred to a specially purchased cask made from Virgin American Oak which has restored the balance to perfection. At present it is aging at 58% and will be liquored down to about 44-46% ready for drinking. The rum is named ‘Gamecock’ after Whitstable’s iconic 1906 wooden oyster yawl now being restored in the Harbour .
Unlike brewing, the traditional craft of wooden boat building is on the national Red List of Endangered Craft and the boat is recognised as of ‘national significance’. Today she has given her name to a craft rum.
Once completed, Gamecock will also appear on tea-towels and mugs; even in films and fashion magazines. More significantly, she will be able to offer sail-training programmes in Leadership, Self Reliance and Teamwork for people of all ages – including those who enjoy the finest rum.
For further information on the foundry see: The Bigglestons of Canterbury. Oaten Hill Local History Group, 1996.
To purchase a bottle of rum please visit the Canterbury Brewers & Distillers website.
They make excellent presents and a percentage of sales goes to the Charity!
To purchase tickets for the launch of our mariner’s rum see the News & Events page of this website.
