From yellow yam comes vodka

Lincoln Nicholson, an exporter of yams from Trelawny, has added a by-product from his fields and is now producing yam vodka.

Nicholson, who was born in Miami, Florida, to Jamaican parents, is a graduate of Florida International University.

He has been coming to Jamaica since his early years and admits that, “I have always been enthralled by the tropical greenery of south Trelawny. Fifteen years ago I ventured into the export of yams and this has grown and prompted me to go into my new project, yam vodka production,” Nicholson told The Gleaner.

He admitted that in recent years his interest for making more of yams led him into producing the vodka, but that idea was stalled by the COVID pandemic.

“In 2019, I started to research the production of yam vodka. Along came COVID-19, which forced me to put my activities on hold. In 2022, I resumed my research and now I am in the production of yam vodka,” Nicholson revealed.

Operating out of the yam house in Wait-A-Bit, he buys the yellow yam in a 10-mile radius, supporting others in his community.

“Farmers big and small take their yams to me. Some come with pickup trucks loaded, some with donkeys from miles and some carry it on their heads, it is all one hand wash the other,” he commented.

With a staff count of six, Nicholson explained some parts of his preparation.

“The yam is cooked, then mashed and left to ferment for a week. Then Cockpit Country spring water is added, along with some other ingredients which shall remain a secret. At the end it is bottled and ready for the market, both local and export,” Nicholson shared.

However, he refused to divest the amount of money invested.

“It is a large investment, from the purchasing of yams to production. I have satisfied all my resting requirements and ready to go.”

Lenworth Fulton, president of Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), regards the yam vodka as an excellent move.

“It will encourage yam farmers to become more involved. Yams that were once discarded can now be sold. It is an excellent move,” added Fulton.

Donovan Haughton, an original member of Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency ( STEA), welcomes the idea of the vodka made from yellow yam.

“When we staged the first Yam Festival in 1997 our aim was to showcase by-products of the yellow yam. We had yam wine, yam punch and yam pizzas, among others. It is good that someone is prepared to take it from where we left off. I wish him all the best,” said Haughton.

Winston Smith, a yam farmer who hails from Wait-A-Bit, says Nicholson’s business has improved their prospects.

“I plant yellow yam all year round. What this new venture does for us farmers is it has given us a more competitive price to bargain on. The idea of yellow yam vodka is unique and I am happy that Wait-A-Bit is where it all began,” said Smith , whose district numbers among the combined Trelawny farmers that produce most of the yams for global consumption.

No wonder Nicholson is able to make a distinction between the parish and another place that produces an alcoholic beverage of global appeal.

“You travel for miles in France and there are vineyards producing grapes for wine. From Lowe River to Jackson Town in Trelawny, once you get off the main you are surrounded by yams. I have no fear of running out of yams for my yellow yam vodka,” he shared.

editorial@gleanerjm.com