There’s much to see on the tropical island of Phuket, but if you’re up for a rum tasting and a guided tour to discover how sugarcane is turned into award-winning rum in a centuries-old process, then you have to visit the Chalong Bay Rum Distillery. You will get to witness everything in the rum-making process from harvesting the ingredients to fermentation, distillation, and packaging into bottles. There’s also a tasting session at the end where you can sample some of the finest produced at this famous distillery with a rum cocktail.
Now let’s find out how the Chalong Bay Rum Distillery got started, what’s the secret to their success, and what you can expect on the distillery tours.
How The Chalong Bay Rum Distillery Got Started
The area around Chalong Bay is known for many local attractions, from the iconic Big Buddha statue on the Nakkerd Hills, the Coral Island one of the best snorkeling spots in Phuket, and the many historical landmarks like Wat Chalong. It is also home to Phuket’s only rum distillery, known for producing rum that is rich in character with a wholly unique taste. This is none other than the Chalong Bay Rum Distillery started by the French couple Marine Lucchini and Thibault Spithakis.
According to Lucchini and Spithakis, the two first hit it off over drinks and shared a passion to make their rum in the traditional way it’s been done in Martinique for centuries. Not only did they desire to distill rum that had an original flavor, but they also wanted to produce it using sustainable methods. The solution was to utilize locally sourced sugarcane that Thailand is famous for and then turn to tried and true French distillation techniques.
These techniques used sugarcane instead of molasses which is what most types of rum are made from. This was perfect since Thai sugarcane is indigenous to the region, and the country is the fourth-largest producer of the plant in the world with over 200 different varieties being grown there. With the tropical climate of Phuket being optimal to grow their primary ingredient, all Lucchini and Spithakis needed to import were authentic copper Armagnac stills used in the distillation process.
The Award-Winning Natural Rum At Chalong Bay
The folks at Chalong Bay Rum Distillery use organically grown ingredients without the use of any chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Their sugarcane juice used in rum making is 100% natural and contains zero artificial flavors. As you will see on your tour of the Chalong Bay distillery, every part of the manufacturing process is handled by the experienced hands of their team, creating a flavor that mass-produced rum cannot match.
The Chalong Bay Rum Distillery produces a white rum type of alcohol that works wonders in making delicious cocktails like a mojito or a daiquiri. They won awards like the gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2015. They have also added new spirits like gin and vodka to their list of products.
If you can’t wait to find out what amazing flavors natural Thai ingredients and French distillation methods can produce, then you have to go for a Chalong Bay Rum Distillery tour.
What You Can Experience In The Chalong Bay Distillery Tours
The Chalong Bay Rum Distillery is located in Chalong Phuket and is only about 20 minutes drive from Phuket town or 30 minutes from Patong Beach. It can be reached by traveling along the Chaofa E Road and turning into Soi Palai 2nd Street. The Chalong Bay Distillery is very close to Eagle Muay Thai, a popular gym for martial arts enthusiasts that everyone in the area knows about.
The distillery tours start at 3:00 PM or 5:00 PM every day. Each distillery tour costs 550 Thai baht per person and will consist of a guided tour that lasts about 30 minutes followed by a tasting session. It is recommended that you call or book your distillery tour online to ensure your time slot is fully reserved for you.
You will also receive a welcome drink in the form of a rum cocktail when you arrive. You are welcome to take your mojito along with you when the distillery tours start.
The Rum Distillery Tour
The distillery tour begins with a trip to the sugarcane fields where the primary ingredient of rum is being grown. Your guide will explain how sustainable farming practices are being used, how Chalong Bay partners up with local farmers to obtain their ingredients, which varieties of the plant are used, and how they are carefully harvested by hand. You might wish to bring along some mosquito repellent to get through this part of the tour.
Next, you will be taken through the juice-making stage, where pressing machines extract the juice from the harvested crop. This is followed by fermentation, where the sugar juice is turned into alcohol. This is a crucial step in the whole process since the exact taste and aroma of the rum are set here.
Next in the distillery tour are the authentic copper Armagnac stills made in France and over 40 years old. These stills contain tubing which is how the alcohol is evaporated and separated from the water during distillation. The evaporated alcohol is later cooled and allowed to turn back into liquid.
Chalong Bay has also introduced many varieties of rum which are vapor-infused during distillation. First, there is the Pure Series which is the purest and most authentic rum. There’s also the Tropical Note series which infuses the spirits with natural flavors like lime, lemongrass, cinnamon, kaffir lime, and Thai sweet basil during distillation. The Spiced Series infused the spirits with nine different botanicals to produce spiced rum.
The distilled pure or infused rum is left to mature inside barrels for at least eight months. Finally, the matured rum is carefully bottled and labeled by hand to be readied for shipping. Chalong Bay Rum is now being exported to over 15 countries around the world.
The Chalong Bay Rum Tasting Session
There are seven types of rum as well as gin and vodka produced at Chalong Bay Distillery. You will get a chance to taste most of these spirits plus a few delicious cocktails during the tasting session at the end of your tour. Your guide will give a small introduction to each sample, and what makes each flavor unique.
You will also receive a sample or two from Chalong Bay Distillery’s famous signature cocktails. You can take your time here, and will not be rushed by the staff. This may be the end of the distillery tour, but there’s still more to do at Chalong Bay.
After The Tour At Chalong Bay Rum Distillery
After finishing your distillery tour, you can visit the gift shop, cocktail bar, or restaurant. You can even sign up for a special cocktail workshop to learn the art of rum cocktail-making.
The Boutique Shop
If there’s any rum, gin, or vodka you liked during the tasting, you will be able to purchase a bottle or two to take home on your rum distillery tour return. There are different sizes of bottles to choose from and the staff is very helpful in quickly fetching what you request. The prices are lower at the shop than what you can get from the Phuket airport duty-free, and you will have access to more options as well.
Chalong Bay Cocktail Bar And Restuarant
If you can’t wait to drink more or have worked up an appetite after the distillery tour, then you can visit the SUAY x Chalong Bay Restaurant & Cocktail Bar. There are some mouthwatering Michelin Plate dishes prepared by Thailand’s Chef Tammasak ‘Noi’ Chootong and even more delicious cocktails designed by Chalong Bay’s cocktail specialists.
Chalong Bay Rum Distillery Cocktail Workshop
If you’re dying to mix up your cocktails when you get home, then you can also sign up for a cocktail workshop. Here Chalong Bay’s experienced mixologists will teach you the art of cocktail making. Each participant will receive their designated mixing station, where they will learn to mix, stir, shake, and taste their cocktails.
There is a cocktail workshop every day at 12:00 PM (vodka), 2:00 PM (rum), and 4:00 PM (gin) focusing on a different spirit at each session. Each cocktail workshop will be followed by a tour of the distillery, and a tasting session. You will have to book in advance to attend one of these workshops.
Hosting Private Events
You could also contact the management at Chalong Bay Rum Distillery to reserve the venue for private events like weddings, birthday parties, team-building activities, or corporate events. The head chef and his team along with the Chalong Bay mixologists will be at your disposal to provide refreshments throughout your event.
What Else Is There To Explore In Chalong And Phuket
If you’re planning to head over from Phuket town or wherever you’re staying for a tour at the Chalong Bay Rum Distillery, why not make the most of it and explore the area a bit more? The Wat Chalong temple and Big Buddha are some must-visit attractions. You are also not very far from popular snorkeling spots like Kata Beach and Karon Beach if you wish to see dive underwater and marvel at the vibrant marine life. For more on snorkeling, read The Top 7 Recommended Beaches For Snorkeling In Phuket.
The distillery is also only five minutes drive from Soi Ta-iad, the famous fitness street of Phuket where you will find many of the best Muay Thai training gyms like Tiger Muay Thai, Phuket Top Ten, and Rattachai Muay Thai Gym. However, if you need relaxation instead of martial arts, then check out our spa recommendations on where you can get The Best Thai Massage in Chalong.
Ready To Go And Grab A Refreshing Chalong Bay Mojito?
If you’re ready to go on this rum distillery tour and explore the surrounding areas of Chalong Phuket, you’ll need a local guide that knows where to go and how to get there. We can help you find the best accommodation that fits your budget, take you through all the finest restaurants, and the sightseeing tours you cannot miss in sunny Phuket. To learn more about how we can assist you in planning your Phuket holiday, visit Ushup today!
FAQs
Phuket’s only rum distillery is owned and managed by French couple Marine Lucchini and Thibault Spithakis.
Chalong Bay rum is made from 100% organic sugarcane with no added artificial flavors. Everything from harvesting, pressing, fermentation, and distillation is done according to French techniques, including the use of authentic copper Armagnac stills.
