Episode 7. Gustavo: industry and tradition
Gustavo Batista Medina goes every day, happy and content, as he himself says, to the 100-year-old Rum Factory where he has been working for more than 16 years, following in his father´s footsteps. His father worked as an operator at Destilerías Arehucas for 43 years. This local resident born in El Hornillo, lives in Santidad with his two children and his wife, Leticia, also a co-worker at the factory, where she is one of the guides in charge of welcoming the visitors and tourists who visit this outstanding tourist attraction of Arucas and Gran Canaria.
Gustavo is in charge of checking the different indicators in the making of the rum before it is bottled on a daily basis. His tasks include filtering, checking the colour, tasting and smelling it to ensure that the product is in perfect condition.
For me, Ron Arehucas is among the elite, it is a good rum, especially the aged varieties, such as the 18-year-old one. The best rum we have is Captain Kidd, which has been in a cask for more than 30 years. This rum is bottled by hand and microfiltered, which is a super-fine filtration, everything is bottled, labelled and packaged by hand.
Gustavo is passionate about his work, the atmosphere with his colleagues makes the company a real family. Years ago, when he worked during the sugar cane harvest, he became interested in the process of making rum. He is also passionate about music and percussion, he is a member of several murgas in Gran Canaria, such as Los Nietos de Kika in Arucas and currently in Los Serenquenquenes in Agüimes.
We would like to thank Gustavo and Destilerías Arehucas for their good work and the time dedicated to producing this episode of Arucas Puerta Norte, in which we try to show the work, often handmade, of the workers of this 100-year-old industry that has become a landmark in the North of Gran Canaria, with almost 100.000 visitors every year. Good luck, success and give a toast with Arehucas rum.
CREDITS
Production and direction: Excmo. Ayuntamiento de Arucas (Concejalía de Promoción Económica y Turismo)
Camera: Antonio Domingo Pérez Acosta (Reflejos pro)
Editing: Teresa Armesto (Reflejos pro)
Script and interviews: Epifanio Gómez Navarro y David Cabrera Guillén
Photography: Nacho González Oramas
Assitants: Beatriz Jiménez Jiménez y Carla Lorenzo Santana
Collaboration / Acknowledgments: Destilerías Arehucas; Radio Arucas
Funding: Gobierno de Canarias (Consejería de Turismo, Industria y Comercio) y Excmo. Ayuntamiento de Arucas (Concejalía de Promoción Económica y Turismo)
