Established in 2004, Licorera Cihuatán is the first and only Rum distillery in El Salvador. The distillery is a division of a sugar mill, that has been in production for over 100 years. Cihuatán’s great strength is that master distiller and blender Gabriela Ayla is able to oversee the entire Rum distilling process, from sugarcane seed selection to bottling. With a patient parent company the distillery has enjoyed the luxury of time to focus on aged rums, to be enjoyed neat or mixed in your favorite cocktail. Drawing inspiration from El Salvador’s Mayan heritage, who were insatiably curious, the distillery has married traditional rum crafting methods with an innovative forward thinking philosophy. This approach has allowed them to create one-of-a-kind rums, such as Cihuatán Xaman XO, uniquely finished in Mayan Ceiba casks.
The distillery is located in the Cihuatán valley, El Salvador. “Cihuatán” is a nahuat word which means “next to the woman”. Local legend suggests that many centuries ago, a Mayan goddess came to the valley and endowed it with fertile soils and riches. The goddess would intercede on behalf of the people of Cihuatán to grant them favours.