Today we’re discussing the rules of rum with Karen Hoskin, founder of Montanya Distillers, which produces some of the best rum in the country — right here in Crested Butte, Colorado.

If you’re someone who hasn’t been all that into rum, this conversation will shed light on why you might have felt that way; explain why Karen doesn’t make Montanya’s rum the way that a lot of mainstream rum is produced; and is a pretty amazing crash course in the history of rum, rum culture, the longstanding tradition of “mountain rum”, and more.

As you’ll hear, Karen not only has a lot of conviction about her own rules for rum making, but she has a number of deeply held principles that extend well beyond the craft of exceptional rum-making.