Photos: Richland Rum a spirited Georgia success

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Photos: Richland Rum a spirited Georgia success

Erik Vonk and his wife, Karin, own and operate Richland Distilling Company, which produces high-quality, small-batch rum from sugarcane and a proprietary fermentation recipe that took years to perfect. The company is located in the southwest Georgia town of Richland.

Erik Vonk with oak barrels of his aged artisan rum.

The first of distilled rum trickles out of the still at Richland Distilling Company in Richland.

Master Distiller Jay McCain checks the temperature of the stills made in Portugal.

Erik Vonk holds a bottle of the sugar cane syrup (right) used in their rum that they also sell as "Almost Rum."

Only the best of the batches get stored in oak barrels for aging.

Bottles of distilled rum are numbered by batches at Richland Distilling Company.

Erik Vonk talks about the distilling process in stills made in Portugal for the artisan rum his small company produces.

Rum trickles out of the still and into a bottle at Richland Distilling Company.

A view of downtown Richland, Ga.

Jay McCain keeps a log of the distilled rum produced at Richland Distilling Company.

Erik Vonk and Master Distiller Jay McCain.

Master Distiller Jay McCain checks the still overflow.

Erik Vonk talks about the tasting room being built next to the distillery at Richland Distilling Company.

Another view of the area where the planned tasting room will be built.

One of Richland's stills, which are made in Portugal.

A bottle of Richland Rum.

Richland Distilling Company's red awning is reflected in the window of the shuttered J's Beauty across the street in down town Richland.

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Erik Vonk with oak barrels of his aged artisan rum.

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