Deacon Giles Wants Your Help With Its Barrel-Aged Rum

Salem's newest distillery is a mere four months old, but its operators are already gearing up for a new project. Deacon Giles Distillery, which produces gin and rum at their 75 Canal St. facility, launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund its new barrel-aged rum project that could help the distillery expand to making rye whiskey down the road.

Founders Ian Hunter and Jesse Brenneman have a fundraising goal of $15,000. Money raised will go towards purchasing the barrels and other equipment needed to turn that clear Liquid Damnation Rum into an amber delicacy.

Once funded, "we will begin almost immediately to acquire and fill those barrels so they can begin the mysterious, transformative process of turning delicious white spirits into more complex, well-rounded, amber-hued rum," Hunter and Brenneman wrote on the Kickstarter page.

Backers can pledge anywhere from $10 to $1,500 and are promised a range of Deacon Giles swag, from hats and shirts to glasses and distilling classes — and even personalized rum-aging barrels.