Gunpowder & Rose Rum

Conception Bay Newfoundland is home to Canada’s first English speaking colony and as the name suggests, is one of the most populous regions in the province. But, get your minds out of the gutter. The name actually has a religious origin, referring to the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Although the Newfoundland Distillery Company may not offer Sunday morning sermons from their home on the shores of the bay, their spirits provide a religious experience of another sort – one for those seeking authentic local flavours. This is especially true of their rum.

With icebergs floating by in the bay, you can hazard a guess that conditions for growing sugar cane are less than ideal. To get around this obstacle, the distillery sources aged Jamaican amber-style rum to use as a base. 100% Newfoundland flavours have their conception when the rum is spiced with innovative local ingredients. Their Gunpowder & Rose rum featured in our book, The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries is a fine example of this practice. Gunpowder & Rose recently caught the eye of the global rum community by winning best Canadian spiced rum at the esteemed 2020 World Rum Awards in London England. 

Back in the day, the British navy used to ration rum to their soldiers, as water on the ships wasn’t fit to drink. To ensure the rum was of adequate strength, gunpowder was added to it then lit. If the rum flared, it meant quality liquid. If it didn’t, it was said to be watered down hooch. Inspired by this story the distillery spiced its rum with what should be coined as “Newfoundland gunpowder.” Instead of saltpetre, sulfur and charcoal, they use sea salt from the Newfoundland Salt Company, local kelp and charred birch. To soften the reaction, wild Newfoundland roses are added for aromatic contrast.  

Distiller William Carter, who is a trained chef, introduces these ingredients to the rum, delivering a broadside of flavours to the palate without overwhelming it like a 17th Century 48-gun British frigate. The nose blossoms with floral tones balanced by a fruity char. Those flavours show an even keel on the palate with brown sugar, herbal tones and a briny sea spray. A light floral wash wafts across the finish. Its full spectrum of flavours makes G&R a cocktail rum at its finest, and also does proper service in a tumbler with a chunk of Conception Bay ice that might otherwise take down the next Titanic.