How Luisita Rum Honors the Legacy of the Land

Luisita Rum was founded in 2016, but for a very young rum producer, it has already garnered impressive international recognition. Three of their products have already received silver awards from the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC): the Single Barrel (2066) in 2021, Oro in 2022, and Casa in 2023.

Luisita Estate, the land where the rum is produced, has a fascinating history. It was established in 1881, by the first Marques de Comillas of Spain. Originally, it was meant to grow tobacco for Tabacalera (Compañía General de Tabacos de Filipina), but switched to sugarcane farming when the weather proved to be difficult to propagate tobacco. In 1927, Central Azucarera de Tarlac was incorporated, as well as the construction of an integrated sugar mill that not only processes sugarcane into sugar, but also utilizes by-products like molasses and bagasse for additional purposes such as ethanol production, bioenergy, and organic fertilizers. During this time, the distillery was producing alcohol and supplying rum to other local brands. In 1958, the estate was passed to the Cojuangcos, and in 2014, Luisita was acquired by siblings Paco and Annika’s father and his business partner, who decided to start their own premium rum brand, Luisita Rum.

Paco, who refers to his position as the “Farmer Behind the Brand,” says, “I really take the ‘farmer’ in my designation seriously. First and foremost, I am a farmer who just so happens to enjoy making rum. As a steward of the land, my role revolves around ensuring that the partnership with the farmers thrives, not just economically but in pride and purpose. It’s all about creating opportunity through the rum. When I’m not out in the sugarcane fields, I’ll be in the distillery or bodega, focusing on the production side. It can get technical at times, but I find it extremely rewarding to be part of the fermentation and distillation process, especially seeing the transformation of the fruits of our labor. Ultimately, being a farmer is at the heart of everything I do, and the rum brand is an extension of that commitment.”

His sister Annika, on the other hand, complements Paco as Creative Director. “I focus on the brand’s marketing, dictating both the visual and verbal identity across all social media platforms and other channels. My brother and I have formed a good foundation of teamwork, because while he focuses on the technical aspects of rum-making, I take what he and the team produce and share it with the world through thoughtful storytelling, design, and strategy. My role is to make sure that the product not only reflects the heritage and craftsmanship, but also connects with our customers in a meaningful way.”

Being descendants of the owners of the Luisita Estate since 1958, do you feel that heritage plays a big part in your product? How do you incorporate the history of Luisita into your rum?

Annika: Our heritage is something we are very proud of, and as stewards of the land, we must leave it better than what was received from the past. The previous generations have left their mark and instilled in us a sense of stewardship and community that we wish to honor. From using locally sourced sugarcane, which has been cultivated in the region for decades, to working with farmers and craftspeople whose families have been part of this legacy, every step of the process reflects Luisita’s heritage. The rum itself is produced with techniques and methods inspired by the past—our family has been making rum since the 1920s when they had a sugar mill in Paniqui, Tarlac. This tradition continued when Luisita was acquired, not for commercial sale, but for special occasions like birthdays and momentous celebrations in the factory (like hitting one million bags of sugar produced).

So you could say that rum-making is in our blood. Even our branding and packaging pay homage to the legacy of Luisita through storytelling. Our newest product, Casa, which is part of a collection called the Estate Series, tells the story of a house inside the estate that was once the headquarters of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. With the Estate Series, we wish to highlight stories around the estate that can be shared over a bottle of rum, connecting past histories with the present in a way that celebrates our roots.

Tell us about Luisita Rum’s beginnings.

Paco: Luisita Rum was founded in 2016, after the mill was acquired from the bigger paternal clan by my father and his business partner in 2014. They were both wine aficionados and had dreams of running a vineyard. A nephew of my father’s business partner, who was working in the international alcohol trade, chanced upon some American oak barrels and suggested we make our own rum. After several meetings, they had the idea of running a business with the concept of being a vineyard in the tropics. We already had the fields and the distillery, so the barrels were the missing piece.

In the beginning, we had help from consultants, one of whom had previous experience working for the West Indies Rum Distillery, but a lot of the process has been learning through experience. The team we started with is the same team we have today with a few additions, and it’s nice to look back at how much we’ve learned together as people who knew nothing about making rum.

We believe that rum, or any spirit for that matter, if produced in an authentic and traditional manner, will result in a drink that truly expresses the place where it is made. We want our rum to be an embodiment of the soil, the sugarcane, the climate, and most importantly, the people who made it.

What makes Luisita Rum special, and what differentiates it from other rums?

Paco: What really sets us apart from other rums is our Single Estate distinction. We realized from our research that most rums are made from molasses sourced from various geographic origins; in fact, most rum made in one country is sourced from molasses made in another country. That puts us in a unique position with Luisita because not only are our molasses all produced within the factory, but all our molasses comes from sugarcane grown on the estate. Our soil-to-bottle approach means we are a part of every step of the process, showcasing the meticulous craftsmanship it takes to produce a bottle of rum.

It starts with the soil: we prep the soil so that it is the most nutritious for sugarcane planting, then we harvest the cane, which is brought to the mill to be dumped and crushed into molasses. The molasses gets transferred to the distillery to begin the fermentation and distillation process. While most people focus on distillation, we like to focus on fermentation because alcohol and flavor is made here. Our yeast that we use to ferment the molasses has evolved and adapted to the environment of Luisita for over 50 years now and is distinct to our process only; you cannot find this yeast anywhere else in the world, which is the key to our flavor profile. After distillation, the liquid goes into barrels and is aged in our bodega, where time imparts flavor. When the liquid is ready, the team gets together to evaluate by taste and smell, and we decide which gets to be bottled, blended, or aged even more.

How many types of rum do you offer?

Paco: Firstly, there is the Single Barrel. There are rare times when we taste liquid from a barrel that is exceptional on its own, and when it happens, we bottle them at cask strength. This is the first type of product we ever released, in 2020, showcasing the true flavor potential of our rum. So far we have released five Single Barrels, all in limited quantities, from sherry (Pedro Ximenez and Olorosso) barrels to bourbon barrels. At cask strength, these can go up to 65.9% ABV (alcohol by volume).

Secondly, we have the Blended, the first of which is Casa (Estate Series), which is the first expression in the Estate Series, with only 2,136 bottles produced. Aged in oak barrels for at least five years, with a touch of high ester rums from the 90’s, it bears the taste and aroma of stone fruit and dried apricot, with hints of clove. It’s ideal for sipping and as a collector’s item.

A second is Reserva, which is aged for at least four years in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. This blend has the taste and aroma of butter with dried sultanas and mangoes, with barrel notes of mild vanilla and oak, and best for sipping and elevating cocktails.

Our third blended rum is Oro, our golden rum, aged for two years in ex-bourbon casks. A well-balanced blend of oak and vanilla, it has our signature banana turon (caramelized) note. It is ideal for cocktails.

How has the response to your rum been so far?

Annika: The response has been pretty positive so far, from both family and friends, in the industry, and the general public. Most of the reviews are from people proud to support a local spirits brand, and also are shocked that rum comes from sugarcane. When we hear these reviews, we’re proud to be able to uplift our country and also educate the market.

Do you distribute your products internationally? If not, do you plan to? What markets are you looking at ?

Paco: Right now we aren’t available internationally, but yes, that is the end goal. Some markets we’re looking at are Europe, especially France and the Czech Republic, and North America. Of course it would be great to distribute to our neighboring countries here in Asia as well. The dream is for the Philippines to be recognized as a country that is capable of producing world-class rum.

For more information on Luisita Rum, visit their website www.luisitarum.com. Bottles may be purchased through their website, where they offer nationwide delivery and same-day shipping in Metro Manila.

Photographs courtesy of Luisita Rum/Paco and Annika Cojuangco