Cane Land Distilling Company has launched a line of food products, including praline rum cakes and spiced rum pecans, made with the distillery’s signature rums.
Veteran caterer and restaurateur Yvette Bonanno-Tharp, wife of Cane Land founder and owner Walter Tharp, is heading up the new venture, which launched in late 2017. Both products, currently available at several local independent supermarkets, are produced at the LSU AgCenter Food Incubator.
So far both products have been well received, says Bonanno-Tharp. She’s getting ready to begin her third production run of the cakes and her fourth run of pecans. Each production run yields 800 cakes and 900 packages of pecans.
Bonanno-Tharp is partnering with New Roads-based Bergeron’s Pecan Shelling Company for the pecans in her products. The company, which has its own orchards and also sources pecans from pecan growers around the state, is located near the Tharp family’s Alma Plantation and Sugar Mill, where Cane Land Distilling sources molasses, sugar and cane juice for its spirits.
“It’s important to me to support local farmers and the local economy,” she says.
Bonanno-Tharp is professionally trained in the culinary arts and formerly owned Bonanno’s Fine Catering and Yvette Marie’s Café. She sold both several years ago, though they continue to operate under her name.
In addition to manufacturing her products, Bonanno-Tharp is distributing them, at least for the time being. She says her strategy is to go after the growing number of retailers—which now includes regional supermarket chain Rouses—that are carrying Cane Land’s spirits.
“Anywhere Cane Land is finding itself on the shelf we’re hoping to be right behind them,” she says.
Cane Land Distilling opened nearly one year ago at 760 St. Phillip St. downtown with a 7,000-square-foot distilling facility and 3,000-square-foot tasting room. Its products include three rums, a rhum agricole, vodka and whiskey.
Bonanno-Tharp says the praline rum cakes and spiced rum pecans are the first of what she hopes will be several Cane Land-based food products.
