Christmas around my family is always a good time. This past Christmas my Aunt introduced me to one of my new favorite thing, RumChata. This boozy blend is a mixture of Rum and dairy based Horchata with a good dash of 100% pure awesome.
After enjoying RumChata with my family, I announced that I liked it so much that I would most likely name my first born child after it. The next day I realized how silly that statement was, mostly because kids aren't on our radar (1/9/20 Update-Wow I was wrong! Sorry Silas and Ben!). However, the very next week I went to an auction and now we have a cow with the same name.
View this post on Instagram
#Rumchata and her buddy look like they are singing. #cowstagram #cowsofinstagram #Dairy
A post shared by Carrie Mess (@dairycarrie) on
So why in the world would I name a cow after an adult beverage? Because it really is that good and the best part is, RumChata's creaminess comes from real dairy cream. No, Rumchata is not vegan . I love this new "You must be 21 or older" twist on getting my daily dairy intake, so in honor of June Dairy Month I sent an email to the folks at RumChata and they were kind enough to give me the lowdown on this delicious dairy treat.
What does Rumchata taste like?
If you haven't tried RumChata I can best describe it's taste as the milk leftover after a big bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal infused with rum. I highly recommend you, so long as you are of legal drinking age, go and get yourself a bottle. Do it now, you can thank me later. If you're stuck sitting at work and can't possibly get away until after 5, read this interview with Tom Maas, the founder and master blender at RumChata, then go.
When was RumChata launched? I had never heard of it before this Christmas and now it seems like everyone has gone crazy for it!
October 2009 we shipped the first cases out in limited quantities. Once we had RumChata in various markets we personally worked in each market to get it noticed by bars and restaurants. Once they tasted RumChata and witnessed their customers’ reaction, they realized what a special product this is and it really started to take off.
Where is Rumchata available?
49 States in the US right now and some Duty Free operators in the Caribbean.
One of the main ingredients in Rumchata is cream and that cream comes from WI dairy cows, which is awesome! Do you buy the cream as an ingredient or do you have farmers that ship milk directly to you?
We work with a very large commercial dairy in Neenah, WI and they ensure that the rum and cream are perfectly hom*ogenized together so that the finished product is very stable. This homgenization of dairy and alcohol allows the product to be kept without refrigeration required.
How much cream do you go through in a day/week/month?
We are using about 40,000 gallons per month right now and the product is continuing to grow every day. We expect we will be at 75,000 gallons per month by the end of the year.
In my mind Rumchata was developed by a rum loving Wisconsin dairy farmer, any truth to that?
RumChata was created by a person with deep Wisconsin roots who also has had a very long tenure in the liquor business. I (Tom Maas) worked on a dairy farm in Shawano County for several years when I was growing up. After getting a degree from the University of Wisconsin I started a 35 year career in the liquor business. After retiring from Jim Beam in 2005 I created RumChata putting all of these years of experience to good use.
I like Rumchata on the rocks and I love it blended with ice cream. What’s your favorite way to drink Rumchata?
With fresh made espresso in two ways…sip a little with a cup of espresso…or make a shot of espresso, chill it to room temperature and combine it over ice with 2 oz of RumChata. It is the best tasting iced coffee you will ever drink…
Update- I have definitely fallen in love with Rumchata in my coffee. I've found that it makes rhubarb crisp even better- check out the recipe HERE. How about Rumchata Pecan Truffles, find that recipe HERE. Oh and snow ice cream made with Rumchata? Delicious! Rumchata cupcakes? So good!
A huge thanks to Tom for taking the time to answer my questions. I would like to offer my services if you ever need an official taste tester or anything, just putting that out there. Excuse me while I go and brew some coffee, I have something I want to try out…
