This Woman Is the Master Blender of One of the World's Best Rums

This story originally appeared in Spanish on MUNCHIES ES in August 2016.

Ron Zacapa Centenario is considered among the best rums in the world—many consider drinking it any way but straight to be sacrilege.

I spent a half hour talking to Ron Zapaca Centario master blender Lorena Vásquez during the World Class Panamerican Bootcamp 2016. Within five minutes I was charmed by her lovely personality and good humor. Fifteen minutes into our conversation, I added her to my list of role models.

Her story is inspiring. She made her way to the top in a an industry dominated by men, unafraid to be herself and to do the job that she was meant to do: design a rum that makes us remember what life is all about while forgetting all about piña coladas, Cuba libres, and even daiquiris.

Here is her story in her own words:

To be a woman in a business dominated by men was definitely not easy for me. I was a 28-year-old woman working all day long in a rum distillery. They used to look down at me with this puzzled expression—nobody understood my role there. The most difficult part was to break that barrier and to get the credibility for what I did and what I knew. At the end of the day what really matters is who you are as a person and a professional.

I've always had a great sense of smell ever since I was a little girl. My family in Nicaragua was one of the greatest citrus producers in the country. My dad used to tell me: "You have to learn the trade so we'll be able to have the best juice factory in Central America." However, life has its own ways and I ended up marrying a Guatemalan man and moving to Guatemala in the midst of a Nicaraguan war.

I first worked in a brewery doing quality control, but I've never really been a fan of beer. The work wasn't that great—neither was the Guatemalan man. I got a divorce and started to look for something that I really liked to do. I arrived into the rum world with a lot of enthusiasm because I love chemistry and research. I studied pharmaceutical chemistry and I've always been passionate about everything that's related to smells and flavors. I've never worked with drugs, but you could say that rum is the happiest of medicines.

To make a great rum is not easy, but it's a lot of fun. I always have the consumer in mind—what they'd like to smell or taste. My motto is: "You have to respect the consumer and give them the best rum of their life." And we were able to do something that is good enough to be drunk neat, although I also enjoy a good Old Fashioned. We have broken the rum and coke paradigm and took it to the level of luxury. This rum is different because it's not made with molasses, but with a cane juice concentrate. We call it "virgin honey." Besides that, we do our own aging process 2,300 meters above sea level, in a place we call "the house in the clouds", and we use the best barrels that I find in my trips. This is because our goal is to make a rum that is very complex in its aromas and flavors, and that's very sophisticated and unique. You see? I do have the best job.

I love to collaborate with women. I believe that we have a different sensibility than men and that's very important to me. I also expect people that work with me to give 100 percent. Of course, I'm proud of having earned the respect of this industry as a woman. And as an homage to that, we have a bottle of Zacapa that is handmade by indigenous women.

The most exciting things to me are aromas. I love them. I love the aroma of spices, of vanilla and nutmeg, but I hate bitter smells. I can identify them in a second. Nature is wise. I have horrible allergies to many bitter foods, so I just don't consume them anymore. My kids got my same sensibilities. They have an incredible palate just like mine; they taste everything even if they don't like it. Sadly, I don't think they'll follow my steps—one is a designer and the other is in finance.

My hobbies are to travel and to eat at the best restaurants. And when I say "best", I don't mean Michelin-starred restaurants, but any place where you have a great dining experience. It can either be simple or luxurious. I admire whoever is capable of creating memorable experiences through food. To be honest, I love to travel and I've tried many things, but what I like the most and I will always love is to come back to Nicaragua and eat a chicharrón tortilla. That's what life is all about: experiences. And you are not going to miss all this because you are women trying to make it in a world dominated by men.

I enjoy everything and I don't take anything seriously— that's why life has been great to me.

As it was told to Margot Castañeda.