Thomas Tew Single Barrel Pot Still Rum

About Thomas Tew

As the sugar trade exploded in the American colonies in the early 18th century, so did the production of rum. In those days, the actual distillation took place in the the colonies themselves — in particular, Newport, Rhode Island, which had twenty-two distilleries operating by 1769 — and the resulting rum, crafted from blackstrap molasses, pot stills and local water, was enjoyed throughout the world. However, mounting economic and political obstacles, such as the Sugar Act of 1764 (which increased the cost of sugar) and British occupation, made rum production more and more difficult, and as whiskey began to grow in favor, Newport’s booming rum industry gradually began to die out.

In 2006, Newport Distilling Company became the first licensed distillery in Newport, Rhode Island in 135 years. "You talk to people and they say rum was huge here, but when you try to get the details, no one really knows why," said Brent Ryan, chief executive of the Newport Distilling Company.

Newport Distilling Company’s Thomas Tew Rum, which uses the same ingredients and process — blackstrap molasses, pot stills and local water — as rums of the 18th century, is a very close recreation of the Newport rums that were once famous the world over. Aged for years at a time, Thomas Tew Rum is bottled from single barrels, selected one-at-a-time based on their maturity.