Tastes Like Money

RumChata and the Making of a Beloved Brand

In Tastes Like Money, veteran liquor industry leader and founder of RumChata—the clever kitchen experiment that became a global phenomena—Tom Maas, delivers a first-hand story that exposes the behind-the-scenes battles, trademark wars, crises, and triumphs that built a world-famous product.

The book begins with the day Maas was unceremoniously and unexpectedly dismissed from his role as vice president of marketing and sales at Jim Beam at age forty-nine. From there, the author details the ups and downs of what would turn out to be his true calling: the creation of a drink called RumChata. Tastes Like Money draws generalizable lessons from Maas's wild ride: about passionate selling, brand protection, and the critical importance of never compromising on quality or cutting corners just to make a quick buck.

In the book, you'll also find:

• Specific strategies for building distributor relationships without the benefit of a huge corporate war chest
• How to compete against industry titans when you’ve got a target on your back
• A detailed, unvarnished memoir of from-scratch ingenuity from an entrepreneur who pulled out all the stops in the pursuit of his dream

©2026 Tom Maas