On a recent bright sunny day, something that has become a regular occurrence this winter, Developing Baton Rouge was given a behind-the-scenes tour of Cane Land Distilling Co. Our tour guide was Cane Land’s founder, Walter Tharp. Walter’s family owns Alma Plantation & Sugar Mill in Lakeland, Louisiana, and Cane Land uses Alama’s sugar cane for their rum and rhum-based products. Production is already underway and Walter plans to have a tasting room, outdoor seating/entertainment area and tour schedule in place for this spring. Check out the photos below:
View from the front entrance of the tasting room. Cane Land is using objects from Alma’s sugar mill as furniture and decor.
Detail view of tasting room table and wall
Looking outside from the tasting room. What is an empty lot today will soon be turned into an large outdoor seating and entertainment area.
Blast-proof windows frame the view of the distilling room from the tasting room.
The fermentation room, where cane sugar, yeast and water begin the delicious process of transforming into rum.
The distilling room. Walter and his team tried to explain the complicated process to us, but we just daydreamed about sipping the final product.
The barreling room, which houses three MASSIVE barrels imported and reassembled from France .
Another view of the barreling room. A portion of the room will be rentable for private events.
The street-front entrance. The distillery is located on the outskirts of downtown and was once used by Franklin Press.