What is my connection to Ron Botucal

Although Botucal is a Venezuelan rum, a typical Hanseatic experience led me to this rum.

By 2013, I had lived in Hamburg for over 10 years but had never been to Heligoland, Sylt, or St. Peter-Ording. I felt the need to rectify this omission at least for a Hamburg excursion, so on a Saturday morning in the summer of 2013, I quickly headed to the St. Pauli Landungsbrücken in the heart of Hamburg. From there, the Halunder Jet, a high-speed ferry, takes you up the Elbe River and across the North Sea to Heligoland. In just 3 hours, you can go from Hamburg to Heligoland.

Instead of just taking a day trip like many others, I booked an overnight stay and enjoyed a wonderful weekend in a beach chair with a view of the seals on Heligoland's beach.

Upon arrival on Heligoland, you're greeted by the picturesque and colorful lobster huts, which used to be sheds and workshops for Heligoland's fishermen but are now a tourist attraction with restaurants and shops. Many of these also function as duty-free stores. While the traditional "butter trips" to Heligoland no longer exist, Heligoland itself is a duty-free area.

One of these shops specialized in rum. I walked in and asked the owner for a recommendation for a very good and not extremely expensive rum. He thought for a moment and then recommended Diplomatico rum from Venezuela, which he personally favored. Back home in Hamburg, I immediately tried the rum and was thrilled. It's a very mild, full-bodied, and flavorful rum.

Personally, I prefer to drink it with one or two ice cubes. Due to naming rights disputes, this rum is now called Botucal in Germany.