Located 10 km from the mighty San Cristóbal volcano and 10 km from the Pacific Ocean, Flor de Caña, which translates to “flower of cane,” is a fifth-generation family-owned rum producer focusing on sustainable practices with over 130 years of history!
Five generations, folks! That’s incredible. Statistically, only 3 out of 10,000 family businesses make it that far!
For our finger pincher folks out there, you’d be delighted to know that the company was initially founded by an Italian, Alfredo Francisco Pellas Canessa, a young adventurer from Genoa! (One of Italy’s major seaports with a rich maritime history.)
The tale unfolds in 1875 when Alfredo took a daring leap, leaving behind his family and the comforts of the old continent to embark on an adventure to Nicaragua.
Discovering more about his journey was incredibly interesting.
As travelers and bartenders, we can truly grasp the human narrative behind the brand, forging a deep and genuine connection.
A Single Estate Rum
Flor de Caña takes pride in being a Single Estate Rum,
This entails that every stage of production is meticulously conducted in-house, ensuring impeccable quality standards and rigorous sustainable practices.
This encompasses everything from cultivating sugar cane and processing molasses to barrel ageing, blending, and bottling.
The liquid is produced through continuous distillation using 5 steam-powered column stills. Subsequently, the distilled rum is aged in ex-bourbon casks, which arrive in dry staves and are reassembled in-house by expert staff members.

Brand Ambassador Mitch Townsend, responsible for Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, shared some fascinating insights about Flor De Caña.
“To address the challenges of a very hot climate, we add dry plantain leaves while reassembling barrels between staves. This helps the barrel retain a bit more moisture and reduces the Angel’s Share, which would otherwise be very high in Nicaragua,” explained Mitch.

The Rum is then blended by Master Blender Tomás Cano, whose expertise lies in ensuring the best quality and consistency of each bottle, taking into account different barrels and ages.
When we see a number on the label, for example, 12 years old as in the picture below, that means the youngest rum used in that batch is 12 years old.
However, there might be some much older expressions used in the same blend to maintain consistency and flavour, ranging from 15 years old to 25 years old or even more.

While the barreling happens at 75% ABV, the Rum is then brought back to 40% using local water, and here’s where you’d love to hear what they do!
Sustainable Practices
As mentioned earlier, Flor de Caña is grounded in the concept of Single Estate Rum, where every element and component of the production originates from one place.
Water plays a crucial role in this process.
To maximise their sustainable approach, the innovative minds behind Flor de Caña built several water wells on the property.
Rainwater filters through the volcanic soil, absorbing its mineral richness, before being pumped back up through a system that removes impurities. This purified water is then used to cut the rum to bottling strength.
Sustainability is indeed the primary focus of this rum giant! The entire distillery has been designed as a large and cohesive ecosystem aimed at minimising the company’s impact on the environment.
The entire distillery operates on a sustainable approach. A steam engine, fueled by the combustion of bagasse, a highly flammable natural bio-product obtained from the processing of cane sugar, powers the entire facility.
This clever use of byproducts extends to the fermentation phase as well:
A CO2 capturing machine positioned above the fermentation tank collects the natural CO2 release from the fermentation process, which is then pressurised by a pump and stored in gas tanks.
The captured CO2 is then used to produce RTDs and seltzers in-house or sold to other soda factories, ensuring zero waste.
Steam power also generates the electrical power required for the distillery. Moreover, the company harnesses hydroelectric and solar energy, further contributing to its sustainable practices.
Leading the Global Charge
Flor de Caña is very active in the world of sustainability.
They are the world’s 1st spirit to be Carbon Neutral and Fair Trade Certified.
The company actively participates in and promotes global charity campaigns, including the reforestation campaign “One Million Trees Planted”.
According to insights from their brand ambassador, the target of planting 1 million trees was amazingly achieved two years prior to the expected due date. As a result, the company is now actively working to reevaluate their future targets.
Flor de Caña actively supports its local community by establishing a school and hospital, providing complimentary education and healthcare to employees.
The Sustainable Challenge
Additionally, the company promotes zero waste practices in the hospitality industry, hosting an annual global cocktail competition with a $10,000 USD prize to encourage sustainability efforts.
Bartenders are called upon to create cocktail recipes using “food waste” and sustainable practices.
It’s important to clarify that when we refer to food waste, we’re not talking about plate scraps, but rather valuable ingredients that are often discarded unnecessarily.
These ingredients are mere resources for bartenders, chefs, and business owners.
Examples of such practices may include using the spent husks of squeezed limes ad lemons to make Superjuice or syrups, and creating sustainable ingredients like shrubs or oleos to preserve flavours and ingredients for longer instead of wasting them.
With this approach, Flor de Caña has attracted thousands of rum enthusiasts from more than 70 countries around the world, reporting a total saving of 15.4T of food waste in 2023 alone.
If you’re keen to explore the delicious cocktails crafted with this incredible rum and a sustainable approach, be sure to check out our latest recipe shared by Melbourne bartender Tom McHugh.

Let us know if you try this at home! Feel free to share pictures and comments.
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