Our Story
This is the improbable story of two families with no industry experience & how they turned their obsession with an obscure Brazilian rum into their very own craft distillery known for its award-winning portfolio of cane spirits.
a family affair
Have you ever found yourself in a new situation where you’re so taken with it that you feel you need to extend that experience? Some people have it with food, some with a vacation spot. We found that experience in 2011 when we traveled to Salvador, Brazil to for the wedding of Jordan Baeker and her soon-to-be husband, Eduardo Bispo.
One day while taking in the sights and sounds of Salvador we sampled a cocktail called a caipirinha and we all looked at each other in amazement: for a family raised on bourbon in Kentucky, we’d never tasting anything like it. We soon learned that it was made with Brazil’s native spirit, cachaça, a Brazilian style of rum that, unlike most rums, is crafted from freshly pressed sugarcane juice rather than molasses.
Other than the joy of the wedding, it was all we talked about the rest of the trip. In fact, the allure of Brazilian cane crafted spirits was so transformational that we decided to start a business to bring them to America when we returned.
growing pains
We knew we had a challenge: most Americans had never heard of cachaça and had no idea that you could craft spirits from sugarcane. If you were lucky you might find one, maybe two brands of cachaça on a store’s shelves - but most didn’t know the first things about it, let alone carry it in their stores. Similarly, when we’d ask people their thoughts on spirits crafted from sugarcane we were greeted with equal parts confusion and skepticism.
We were determined though, and set about establishing the knowledge and relationships we’d need both domestically and abroad to bring our vision to life. This meant enduring thousands of miles of travel, countless missteps, the highest highs, & the lowest lows. Yet, in spite of it all, we never lost focus, never accepted defeat, & never lost faith in the vision that those first sips cachaça had originally inspired.
hitting our stride
Fast forward a decade and our business, Blue Rook Distillery, proudly produces an entire portfolio of award-winning Brazilian cane spirits - with more to come as we continue to grow, explore, and innovate. Even though we’ve grown, we remain humbled by all of the support we’ve received, grateful for the relationships we’ve built & the friends we’ve made, & excited about what the future holds in store.
family photos
