Noel Distillery owners Natalie Noel and her father Chip Noel inspect a vat of sugar cane mash and yeast as it commences the fermentation process on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, in Donaldsonville, Louisiana.

As you step into the Noel Distillery in Donaldsonville, you’re welcomed by the unique and pleasant aroma of fermenting cane juice. There, you can witness Natalie Noel, her father Frank, sister, and aunt vigilantly checking the still’s temperature, bottling rum, and meticulously fixing labels.

The Noel Distillery is a modest but flourishing family-controlled business, and surprisingly, one of the few rum distilleries in Louisiana.

Frank “Chip” Noel, aged 68, questions, “Situated in one of the world’s major sugar cane producing regions, why aren’t we producing more rum?”

Frank, a retired pilot who had a deep fondness for the Caribbean, cigars, and rum, took on distilling as a retirement pastime. His daughter and business partner, Natalie Noel, noticed that her father constantly sought out novel hobbies including taxidermy, woodworking, golf, and more. Thus, his passion for consuming and creating rum came as no surprise.

Natalie was an accomplished individual herself, playing basketball at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, earning a marketing degree, then later completing her MBA at LSU. Recognizing her father’s passion for rum could be transformed into a business, she incorporated Noel Distillery as a company and gave her father the paperwork as a Christmas gift.

Fast forward to six years later, Noel Distillery officially opened its doors for business.

“I’ve always had a passion for bringing people together to enjoy a good cocktail,” Natalie says. “Starting the distillery gave me the possibility of a legacy to leave down to my kids. And I get to work with my dad. We’re best friends.”

Though Louisiana is one of the largest sugar cane producers in the world, only a handful of distilleries make local rum. The startup costs are high. Distilleries need expensive fermenters and bottling equipment (the Noels have since upgraded from the homemade still), and a lot of regulatory paperwork is required.

The still at the Noel Distillery on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, in Donaldsonville, Louisiana.

“The barrier to entry is extremely high,” Natalie Noel said.

Plus, despite Louisiana’s love of daiquiris, rum is not most people’s alcohol of choice. Vodka is the most popular spirit in the U.S., though tequila has inched closer in recent years, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.

The Noels hope to change that. Many Americans think of rum as spiced or sweet. That’s because most rum sold in the U.S. is made with molasses or mixed into sugary drinks.

But “rhum agricole,” the French term for rum made directly from sugar cane juice, is grassy and herbal. And aged rum, like the one the Noels are working on, can drink almost like a whiskey.

“I want to be known for flavor and fun,” Natalie Noel said. “Louisiana has so much spirit and culture, so much diversity and flair. Tito’s is at every single festival in Louisiana, but I want to scream from the rooftops: Local can be exceptional,” she said.

Gas bubbles are observed in a vat of sugar cane mash and yeast, marking the commencement of the fermentation process at the Noel Distillery in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.

The Noel family is in the process of manufacturing an agricole rum that they are planning to release in the summer of 2024. With a background in sugar cane farming and connections to one of the largest sugar cane producers in the state, Frank Noel has a strong rapport with the mill that they source their juice from.

The challenge lies in fermenting this murky juice, Noel explains.

Rum of high quality stems from sweet, fresh juice. As soon as sugar cane juice is extracted, fermentation commences. In order to achieve maximum flavor, Noel prefers a slow fermentation process, which he ensures by keeping the juice cool.

Included in his unique arsenal is his very own blend of yeast.

The juice undergoes a fermentation process and is then poured into a still where it is boiled down till it reaches 90 degrees proof. This process yeilds around 75 to 80 bottles of rum from 10 gallons of juice.

Rum can either be served post this process or be aged for more or less three years, as is being done by the Noels. They’re addition includes a 3-year old rum beside the agricole.

Since it took a little while for rum from Louisiana cane to be produced, this year the distillery is selling a rum that uses molasses from Central America. The rum is eventually matured in tequila barrels that add a distinctive flavour of agave to it. Natalie Noel suggests that this rum pairs perfectly with cocktails that incorporate banana, mint and other such tropical ingredients.

Noel Distillery also offers a diverse range of spirits, including a twice-distilled corn vodka, a distinctive pickle vodka, and a premium tequila.

On a typical Friday, like Dec. 1, 2023, one could find an array of spirits from the Noel Distillery adorning a shelf in Donaldsonville, Louisiana.

Their tequila holds the distinction of recently acquiring a gold medal at the prestigious New York International Spirits Competition.

According to Natalie Noel, the most challenging aspect of operating in this industry is attempting to influence the drinking habits of consumers.

“To get out of the marketplace and say ‘hey, we exist!'” she proclaimed. “People are often hesitant to try something new, or don’t trust that the quality can deliver.”

On Friday, December 1, 2023, Karen Kliebert performed the delicate task of affixing the seal to a bottle of Noel Distillery vodka in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. As an aunt of the Noel family, her participation embodies the family-run ethos of the Donaldsonville distillery.

Currently, Noel spirits are available for purchase at recognized retailers such as Calandro’s and Hocus Pocus, as well as renowned Baton Rouge bars like Bengal Tap, Mother’s, and Uncle Earl’s. In order to further enhance their market presence, the Noels have recently entered into a business agreement with Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits. They believe this reputable large-scale distribution company will help spread the message about Louisiana rum.

For those interested, the Donaldsonville distillery is open for visits from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday. An immersive tour is available at a cost of $12, and for an additional $8, guests can sample all four spirit varieties. Adding to this, the distillery does offer custom appointments on Saturdays, along with hosting Christmas parties and a series of other events throughout the year.

Email Rebecca Holland at rebecca.holland@theadvocate.com or follow her on Twitter, _rebeccaholland.

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