Ever since I have been going to Gran Canaria I have enjoyed a drink of Arehucas and coke – it’s their local rum, distilled on the island and when I first drank it I renamed it Christmas in a glass!!!

I don’t like rum normally – not the smell nor the taste but this tastes nothing like like ‘normal’ rum to me and it doesn’t give me a headache -which on this holiday was perhaps as well!

My friends came away with us and spent a lot of time touring the island but the trip to the distillery was the one I wanted to attend.

Gran Canaria is such a small island and you would not believe it could manufacture thousands of litres of rum but it can and does.

The distillery is hidden away in the small town of Arucas in the north of the island. There are no sign posts to direct the thirsty traveller – you have to be very determined, and we were….

We were guided by the sight of a tall chimney with the letters AREHUCAS painted in white down the brickwork.

The factory was first opened in 1884 and the first part of the tour takes you to the cellars, full of oak casks, each one is signed by important people who come to the distillery. We were then shown a small part of the process involved in the production of the spirits made there, and then we were taken to a large room with a bar where bottles of spirits had been placed along with little ‘shot’ glasses.

The ‘barman’ explained that some of the rums were quite old but the one normally used was only three years old. However, rum is not the only spirit distilled there – there was gin, vodka, curacao, and lots of flavoured rums including honey, coffee and almond. Then he told us to help ourselves!

It was fantastic, trying them all and by the time I’d finished, having gone without breakfast, I was decidedly squiffy. The shop was the next stage of the tour and it was great – 3 euros for the small bottles and 8 for the large! We made our purchases and left.

It was only when we got outside that the giggles started – I’m glad I was with friends – here’s one of them…

clutching his purchases and then there was me but i took mine out of the bag to pose….

and i didn’t drop it!!!

I even managed to bring them home without drinking them – mind you we bought some for drinking too!!!

All in all – a fun visit and no hangover – roll on next time!!!