In recent times, women have been increasingly taking on leading roles in spirits industries around the world. Well before that, Lorena Vásquez was a standout—she has been with Zacapa rum for a good four decades, and as its master blender for nearly the entire time. A Nicaraguan native, Vásquez moved to Guatemala to join Zacapa rum in 1984, only five years after the brand was founded. Today, Zacapa rum is an in-demand, premium spirit known for maturation at high altitudes, where cooler and moister climes impart a delicacy to its ageing, and its exclusive use of virgin sugar cane as a raw material.
What made you decide to stay with Zacapa for more than 40 years?
There are a couple of reasons. The first is that I don’t see my role within Zacapa as a job; it’s part of my life. In addition, every day is different—there is not a routine in place, and I have a lot of freedom to keep researching and investigating, which keeps me so engaged and motivated. To be honest, it does not even feel like 40 plus years have passed. I really enjoy it.
What did it take to become master blender for Zacapa?
There are three aspects. The first is the technical knowledge: you need to have it to understand the chemistry of making a spirit, and also to understand the research and have the ability to continue to investigate. Second is the sensorial ability; this is a must. Not even having a degree can help here and, if you don’t have it, you won’t be able to appreciate the spirit and the process to make it right and good. And, lastly, passion—you’ve got to love what you do so you can enjoy the process. It takes a lot of a personal investment to be truly good at it.
What are some of the most important decisions you’ve made throughout your career?
It has to be the decision to age our rum at high altitude and to have a dynamic solera system (a fractional blending method that mixes ages and cask styles) as part of the ageing process. This is a key component of what makes Zacapa so complex.
What are some of the greatest joys, and challenges, of your day-to-day work with Zacapa?
One of my greatest joys is the moment that we are evaluating the different rums for the blending process and getting to experience the evolution of the rum itself. One of the biggest challenges is to achieve the consistency of the final product every time.
Zacapa is well-known for its use of virgin sugar cane instead of molasses, which imparts a sweeter and smoother taste. How else does it benefit the final product?
Virgin sugarcane syrup, which is concentrated sugarcane juice, has always been used as our raw material. As the virgin sugar cane syrup is a product of the sugar cane juice and we don’t extract anything, all of the sugar content is 100 per cent still present. And, when it’s time to do the fermentation, with the help of the yeast, it develops all of the aromas and flavours that we are looking for. Also, the amino acids that are present in the virgin sugar cane syrup allows us to obtain all the esters that make our rum so complex and flavourful.
