Last updated: July 26, 2023
Place
Rum Pilot Plant
Photograph by Juan Llanes Santos, courtesy of Puerto Rico Historic Preservation Office
Quick Facts
Location:
State Rd #1, Estacion Experimental Agricola, Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Significance:
Industry, Architecture
Designation:
Listed in the National Register - Reference number 10000501
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
MANAGED BY:
Private
The Rum Pilot Plant in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. The property is significant for its role in reviving the Puerto Rican rum industry after World War II.
During World War II, demand for Puerto Rican rum far exceeded expectations and existing, appropriately-aged rum supply. Instead, rum suppliers began to sell rum with little or no aging, which damaged the reputation of Puerto Rican rum. By the end of the war, rum sales had fallen significantly.
Fearing that a declining rum industry would harm the Puerto Rican economy, the Puerto Rican government stepped in to revive the industry. Firstly, they established a number of laws around the distilling and aging of rum; to this day, Puerto Rican rum is the only rum that is subject to a government-mandated standard of quality. Secondly, the government sponsored a rum research program, which was maintained by the University of Puerto Rico (UPR).
With a $500,000 appropriation from the government, UPR founded the Rum Pilot Plant, which served as a experimental distillery. The plant, which was built in the International Style, was completed in 1953. Using state-of-the-art equipment, the plant allowed researchers to experiment with fermentation, distillation, and aging techniques. Researchers freely shared their findings with commercial distillers, including offering yeast strains that they determined to be the highest quality. They also offered consulting services, free of charge, to distillers who wanted assistance in any part of the production process.
While the plant was closed in 1990, rum production remains an important, and historic, part of the island's economy.
During World War II, demand for Puerto Rican rum far exceeded expectations and existing, appropriately-aged rum supply. Instead, rum suppliers began to sell rum with little or no aging, which damaged the reputation of Puerto Rican rum. By the end of the war, rum sales had fallen significantly.
Fearing that a declining rum industry would harm the Puerto Rican economy, the Puerto Rican government stepped in to revive the industry. Firstly, they established a number of laws around the distilling and aging of rum; to this day, Puerto Rican rum is the only rum that is subject to a government-mandated standard of quality. Secondly, the government sponsored a rum research program, which was maintained by the University of Puerto Rico (UPR).
With a $500,000 appropriation from the government, UPR founded the Rum Pilot Plant, which served as a experimental distillery. The plant, which was built in the International Style, was completed in 1953. Using state-of-the-art equipment, the plant allowed researchers to experiment with fermentation, distillation, and aging techniques. Researchers freely shared their findings with commercial distillers, including offering yeast strains that they determined to be the highest quality. They also offered consulting services, free of charge, to distillers who wanted assistance in any part of the production process.
While the plant was closed in 1990, rum production remains an important, and historic, part of the island's economy.