STEPHEN REMSBERG NEW ORLEANS, LA RARE RUM & SPIRITS FROM THE COLLECTION OF

Stephen “Professor” Remsberg (1947-2022) was a maritime attorney who amassed the world’s largest collection of extinct cane spirits, private or public, with bottles dating back to the 1880s. During the 42 years he spent acquiring vintage rum and arcane historical knowledge on the subject, he became a world-renowned rum expert, sought-after on several continents as a lecturer and spirits judge.

Stephen was not the kind of collector who kept his treasures under lock and key. If he had more than one bottle of a particular vintage rum, he’d open it and pour you a shot, which I discovered when I first visited Stephen’s New Orleans home in 2005. Upon entering the antechamber between the kitchen and dining room that housed his bar, I asked him where he’d sourced the photo-realist rum bottle wallpaper pattern. Did he have it made, or could I buy some for my own walls? Then I realized I wasn’t looking at a trompe l’oeil, but a trompe l’iquor. The bottles were real - 637 of them, on narrow custom-built shelves, lining every wall from floor to ceiling.

This collection was halved in 2020 when Stephen sold parts of it to Luca Gargano of Velier Imports. Those bottles now reside at Velier’s headquarters in Genoa, Italy. But Stephen held onto many of his most personally prized vintage bottles, which he kept close at home, and he continued acquiring additional rare old expressions until his passing. These 191 bottles of rum (and 48 bottles of other spirits) are what his heirs have now put up for auction.

To those who knew him, Stephen Remsberg will not only be remembered for his unique collection but also for his unique character: He was an obsessive collector, but he thought nothing of pouring out his most prized possessions for his guests; he was a lawyer, but he was also the least confrontational guy you’d ever meet; he was an introvert, but he shone when speaking in public, even to rooms of more than 200 people. Above all he was a true bon vivant who loved the finer things in life, and loved indulging in them with fellow sybarites. He was a generous host, a talented cook, and a loyal friend. Oh, and did I mention that he had good taste in rum?

Jeff “Beachbum” Berry August, 2024