Who's Got The Funk: Dunder, Backset, Sourmash and Muck

Join us for a tale where filth means flavour. Jamaican rum is renowned for its ‘funk’; ultra-ripe tropical fruit flavours with deliberate elements of decay. Dave will take us on a global tour across many centuries that shows that the secret weapon in their toolbox - ‘dunder’ and ‘muck’ - are grandchildren of processes that existed in numerous past spirits. This is not just about the wonderful rums of the Caribbean, it is a story about acid and bacteria and their deliberate creation and control. It starts in medieval Britain, and criss-crosses Holland, Scotland, America and Germany, before bubbling away quietly in dark corners of Trelawny Parish. Follow us on Patreon for all updates. Please support us financially if you find value in our work and feel able. Link below. 0:00 Intro 2:10 Raising a glass to Patrons and an animation. 4:32 Credits 5:00 Summary 10:41 Ancient world, brewing and baking 18:15 The Caribbean in the 1600s, native drinks and the beginning of distillation 31:22 Use of dead yeast in Europe 37:46 Distiller and Planters manuals in the Caribbean from 1700s onwards 46:40 America and sour mashing 1:06:40 Scotland 1:16:00 Back to Jamaica and insistence of the funky identity