Sofia Deleon, the esteemed founder of El Merkury restaurants in Philadelphia, has recently embarked on a new venture in the realm of rum production with the establishment of her latest company, Tenango Rum. Deleon’s muse for this project is derived from her great-great grandmother, famed for her moonshine production in Guatemala during the 1920s.
From tales of her great-grandmother’s moonshine, Deleon drew inspiration from her ancestral legacy, thus choosing to emulate her forebear by introducing her own rum label. Her objective is to revolutionise the prevailing perception of rum, particularly among Americans who commonly associate the spirit with excessively saccharine cocktails and tiki concoctions.
Tenango Rum is a 100% single-source rum, painstakingly crafted in a Guatemalan distillery utilising age-old Spanish techniques and subsequently aged in American white oak barrels. Deleon takes great pride in the discernible depth of flavour of her rum, as well as in the unparalleled packaging that distinguishes it from other brands.
A particularly distinctive attribute of Tenango Rum lies in the collaboration with a cooperative of Mayan women who meticulously handcraft each bottle cover, integrating traditional Guatemalan weavings. Deleon has endeavoured not only to fabricate a product of exceptional quality but also to give back to her country of origin and represent Guatemala in the most admirable light.
The process of fashioning the striking bottle cover necessitated close collaboration with a local designer renowned for traditional Guatemalan fabric, as well as personal connections through her father, a current resident of Guatemala. The result is a visually stunning and culturally significant packaging that encapsulates the essence of Guatemala.
Deleon, who personally enjoys savouring Tenango neat, also values the versatility of her rum in mixed drinks. She finds particular delight in experimenting with diverse spirit-forward recipes and advocates for the Carajillo as a fitting dessert accompaniment, owing to the complementary coffee notes in the rum.
Priced at $49.99 per bottle, Tenango Rum is presently available in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with potential for expansion in the foreseeable future. Deleon’s aspiration for her rum brand is to more authentically represent Guatemala and showcase the nation’s rich cultural heritage, thus dispelling negative stereotypes often propagated by the media.
In summation, Sofia Deleon’s odyssey from the revelation of her great-great grandmother’s moonshine legacy to the launch of Tenango Rum is a testament to her entrepreneurial acumen and her dedication to venerating her cultural origins. Through her distinctive approach to rum production and her unwavering commitment to representing Guatemala, Tenango Rum serves as an emblem of artisanship and cultural pride.