Rum in the News Image Title.
CLIFTON ESTATES RUM
Clifton Estates has chosen Steven Shaw of SDS Enterprises to help them introduce their award-winning Spice Rum to the American market. Mark Theron originally developed the rum in his kitchen in Clifton Estates on the island of Nevis, hence the brand name. Today, he starts with a 2-year-old dark rum from Antigua Distillers and infuses it by hand in small batches on Nevis with 100% natural ingredients. He infuses orange rather than the more commonly used vanilla and then adds a touch of honey and his secret blend of natural island spices. He feels this produces wonderful bold flavors with balance around the citrus/orange profile and a smooth finish. In their review, the Rum Journal said “Simply put, this is one of the world’s best spiced rums.” Steven Shaw specializes in Brand Management and Spirit Brokerage, helping companies enter the marketplace in the most productive and profitable way. Other rum companies that Steve has worked with include Bombarda, Cockspur and Macorix. As a young man, he worked in his father’s vineyards in upper New York, as well as helping his mother in her retail wine shop, giving him experience from the grapes on the vine to the bottles on the shelf. http://www.cliftonestaterums.com/,http://www.sdsenterprisesllc.com/
WEST INDIES RUM & SPIRITS PRODUCER’S ASSOCIATION
On December 2nd, directors of the regional rum industry met virtually for one of the scheduled biannual board meetings of WIRSPA. Producers from territories as far south as Suriname and Guyana and as far north as Belize and the Dominican Republic, traditionally meet in one of the member countries, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic have pivoted to meeting online. Representatives for Belize, Grenada and Haiti respectively were officially welcomed recently to the board of West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association (WIRSPA). Amanda Perdomo of Travellers Liquors, Kirk Seetahal of Grenada Distillers and Delphine Gardere of Rhum Barbancourt sat at their first board meeting as their countries transitioned from associate members to full membership. St. Kitts was appointed as an associate member at the same meeting. Participating members shared a common story across domestic markets of the negative impact of COVID on the economic activity, supply chain and logistics and on tourist arrivals, with the latter beginning to see an upturn in the last six weeks. Despite variations in the respective territories, the overall picture points to another challenging year for the region and the sector. Komal Samaroo, Chairman of WIRSPA and head of the regional conglomerate Demerara Distillers said, “this year has proved far more challenging than expected due to the continuing effect of the pandemic and the tremendous challenges faced by producers in their supply chains, with long delays in obtaining raw materials and massive increases in transport costs.” He noted, “these issues look to continue into 2022 and require producers to invest more to ensure uninterrupted supply capacity.” Producers also took the time to recommit themselves to focusing on collaborative actions around promoting responsible drinking and working in partnership with stakeholders and particularly regional governments, on reducing excessive drinking and the physical and societal harms associated with it. The various regional brands continue to make significant advances in this effort, including engaging the hospitality industry on the issues and the modernizing of their product labels to advise on calorie content, against driving under the influence, underage drinking and drinking during pregnancy. https://www.wirspa.com/
PUERTO RICO RUM JOURNEY
Puerto Rico’s Secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC), Manuel Laboy Rivera, last month presented the digital platform Puerto Rico Rum Journey, with the aim of promoting distilleries in Puerto Rico, for both foreign and local tourists. “This easy-access tool is now available through the mobile application or a computer, from which the public will have the opportunity to reserve different experiences such as excursions, tastings, seminars, and mixology classes at various distilleries in Puerto Rico, among others activities. Puerto Rico Rum Journey creates the journey of the rum of Puerto Rico and the consumer chooses the route of visits and experiences that interest. The visitor will receive points or rewards in each experience that can later be exchanged for promotional material. In addition, they receive a virtual stamp in their virtual passport and at the end of the entire tour and complete their virtual passport, the consumer will receive a certificate as a rum expert and a box with memorabilia”, Laboy Rivera explained. For the past year, Joel Vázquez & Federico Hernández were exploring the possibility of creating a unique experience in Puerto Rico. Lemuel Lind (programmer and co-partner) helped orchestrate and pencil down the ideas of a rum journey to run digitally. “It’s not difficult but it is challenging to create a new experience in Puerto Rico when you have such an amazing island, people that are giving their heart and soul to service visitors and locals, fun destinations experiences, and amazing gastronomy. The space to improve is there but you must dig deep to achieve it. We all have overcome big challenges in life, but when you work around beautiful minds and characters that are always positive no matter what, you wake up in the morning asking yourself what is new for my island and how can I contribute to it. Let’s see how we can reach deeper and make Puerto Rico a #1 destination for the globe,” said Vázquez. Their goal was to promote Puerto Rico as the leading rum destination globally and support the development of the industry and distilleries so that their history and brands are known locally and internationally. Through the platform, distilleries will share notifications and special promotions. In addition, users will receive points or rewards in each experience that they can redeem for promotional material. Users will get a stamp on their passports. After completing the entire tour and filling their virtual passports, users will receive different accreditations that certify them as an amateur or rum expert, according to their experience level. https://www.puertoricorumjourney.com/
FLOR de CAÑA
Flor de Caña, achieved an unprecedented accomplishment during The Spirits Business Awards 2021 by being honored with the “Distillery Sustainability Award” and the “Ethical Award”, in recognition of the brand’s global leadership and profound commitment to sustainable practices. Flor de Caña received the “Distillery Sustainability Award” thanks to its commitment to reducing its environmental impact, which includes being the world’s only Carbon Neutral and Fair Trade certified spirit, distilling its rum with 100% renewable energy, capturing all CO2 emissions during fermentation and having planted 800,000 trees since 2005. The brand also received the “Ethical Award” thanks to initiatives such as offering free education and healthcare to employees and their families since 1913, community outreach programs through donations and support to local non-profits, its pledge to plant one million trees by 2025 in partnership with One Tree Planted and its Zero Waste Month initiative, a partnership with Food Made Good and bars all over the world to reduce up to 9 tons of food waste through sustainable cocktails. Sustainability has been a core value of the founding family since the first generation back in 1890, with a holistic approach towards the well-being of employees, the environment and the community. This value has been shared by the thousands of workers who have been a part of Flor de Caña’s 130-year history and whose efforts have allowed the brand to position itself at the forefront of sustainable distilling, setting the standard on sustainable practices. The entire production process of Flor de Caña continues under the supervision of the same family, currently in its fifth generation, mastering the art of sustainable rum making. www.flordecana.com
SAINT LUCIAN DISTILLERS
Taiwan News reported the Saint Lucian embassy in Taiwan kept everyone in high spirits during a rum tasting event promoting Saint Lucian Distillers’ Chairman’s Reserve line of rums to potential Taiwanese importers and business partners. Saint Lucian Ambassador to Taiwan, Edwin Laurent, said last month that though the distillery’s rums had initially struggled to gain popularity decades ago, its products are now completely different and can hold their own amongst the top brands in the world. He added that he was extremely proud to be able to promote such a quality product. Some of the showcased rums included Chairman’s Reserve Original, Chairman’s Reserve Spiced, Chairman’s Reserve Forgotten Casks, and Chairman’s Reserve White. Saint Lucian Distillers CEO Margaret Monplaisir explained via a pre-recorded video that late Chairman Laurie Barnard created the Chairman Reserve brand in 1999. Through his innovative thinking, he “drove the idea of having a diversity of rums from different stills and aged in contrasting woods” to create a quality rum. His creative approach has led to flavors of oak, wood, sweetness, spiciness, and a hint of salt in its products, Monplaisir said. She added the company is seeking a partner in Taiwan who will help bring its rums to the Taiwanese market. Andrew Kuo, the merchandising manager of Importer Co. Ltd., said that his company began importing Saint Lucian rums two years ago but the Taiwan market for the product is still small. “People still think rum is for mixing, not for sipping,” he said, adding that they believe it is not as good as whiskey or other hard liquors. However, he said an increasing number of Taiwanese are willing to try rum without any mixers. Kuo said he believes Saint Lucian rums are a “rising star” and hopes to replace cognac and whiskey drinkers with rum aficionados. Pierrick Barancourt, an export manager at Spiribam, said during a brief online presentation that less than a pallet of Saint Lucian Distillers rums is exported to Taiwan per year, but he expressed optimism regarding the East Asian nation’s potential to be a large market for the alcoholic spirit. https://www.stluciadistillers.com/
VIDA CAÑA
Vida Caña is a local rum company in Corpus Christi, Texas founded in 2015 by Bryan Tierce and Jonathan Fuller. Both are surfers and have spent a lot of time traveling to the Caribbean, South America, and other places, to surf. “Rum was always a part of those travels,” Tierce said. “We spent about five years drinking different rums, went to the Rum University in Louisville, Kentucky, and just slowly built the brand.” With their surfing background, the environment and sea life have always been priorities to Tierce and Fuller. “It’s very important as you’re surfing and you see the environment change,” Tierce said. “You see more pollution, more people. Part of our business model was ‘how can we change that?’” When creating the business model, the duo decided they were going to help local non-profits working on environmental education and animal rehabilitation. So, for every bottle sold, Vida Caña donates $1 to Padre Island’s Texas Sealife Center and Port Aransas’ Amos Rehabilitation Keep. In 2019, Vida Caña, along with Padre Island restaurant Scuttlebutt’s, donated money to build a new deck at the Texas Sealife Center totaling around $1,500. From there, Vida Caña has increased its donations each year, giving around $3,500 in 2020, and $6,500 this year. The money donated this year will cover most of the cost needed for the Texas Sealife Center to upgrade its filtration systems in the sea turtle tanks, and at a great time, too. “Right now, we’re in the middle of when we can get a cold-stunning event at any time,” said the Texas Sealife Center’s Director of Rehabilitation Amanda Terry. “So, the more tanks, the better water we have, the better. It’s always to upgrade them. The Sealife Center is totally volunteer-based, and donation-run, so any donations are always appreciated,” Terry said. “It’s great to have Bryan and Jonathan, and everyone with Vida Caña standing behind us.” https://vidacana.com/, https://www.texassealifecenter.org/
LA AURORA CIGARS, W. LEON JIMENES RUM
& KARL MALONE
18 year-old Eduardo León Jimenes founded La Aurora cigar factory in 1903. La Aurora is the seed of the Dominican Republic’s largest business group, the E. León Jimenes Group. Since its foundation by Eduardo León Jimenes, until today, led by his grandson, Guillermo León Herbert, the values of La Aurora are those of a family business: honesty, integrity, passion for excellence, and teamwork. La Aurora wanted to celebrate its 110th anniversary by releasing a product, other than cigars, that was very characteristic of the Dominican Republic. La Aurora collaborated with Ron Barceló to create E. León Jimenes 110th Anniversary Rum which commemorates the anniversary of the company’s establishment and is a tribute to its founder, Mr. Eduardo León Jimenes. Relaxing with a cigar has been a ritual for Karl Malone for a long time, both in retirement and while celebrating a big win during his days on the court. Karl searched long and hard for a partner who could collaborate on a high-quality cigar with him. Karl and La Aurora’s owner, Guillermo León Herbert, connected on a love of the Dominican Republic, cigars, rum, and shared values. Together they curated a special cigar for Karl using tobacco aged in rum barrels and established “Barrel Aged by Karl Malone”. Their partnership with the E. León Jimenes Rum and Barrel Aged cigar was a natural fit and it quickly became a passion project for the NBA star in his next chapter. His love of brown spirits grew when he found E. León Jimenes Rum. Through the cigar development process, what Karl Malone discovered was La Aurora’s E. León Jimenes Rum was a perfect complement to his cigars as well as delicious on its own. Karl was convinced that both cigar lovers and non-cigar lovers would enjoy E. León Jimenes Rum and wanted the opportunity to bring the rum into the United States. E. León Jimenes 110th Anniversary Rum is aged for first eight years in virgin American White Oak barrels give the rum most of its flavor, but the final two years in virgin French Oak tuns provide the roundness and homogeneity that give it the character and finish that earned a score of 97 points with the Beverage Testing Institute, making it a superlative spirit by their experts’ standards. Karl Malone is the sole U.S. importer as well as ambassador of E. León Jimenes Rum. https://kmalonecigars.com/rum, https://www.laaurora.com.do/producto/rum-e-leon-jimenes, https://ronbarcelo.com/
BACARDI
Bacardi has listed these five cocktail trends as the key consumer behaviors set to shape 2022. Bacardi created the Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report in partnership with The Future Laboratory, using Bacardi-led and external research to outline the cocktail trends that could shape the coming year. The research covered everything from desired drinks, flavor expectations and drinking occasions to ethical actions and how to make cocktails. Tony Latham, executive vice-president and chief financial officer at Bacardi, said: “As 2022 brings new perspective, people are coming together with a strong desire to make moments matter. At Bacardi, we are driven by this purpose, with a family of premium spirits brands that are uniquely positioned to evoke emotions, catalyze experiences and play an integral role in fostering connections, encouraging celebration and enabling exploration.” The top trend from Bacardi is ‘luxury libations’, as consumers seek high-quality drinking experiences. This looks set to drive another wave of premiumization across spirits categories, including canned and pre-mixed offerings. The report said 50% of bartenders worldwide reported their customers are drinking more premium beverages. ‘Digital drinking’ is also set to be a trend in 2022, as consumers embrace technology to create cocktails at home. This will be driven further by the continuation of e-commerce growth, particularly in the US where more than 65% of consumers are using online services to buy alcohol. ‘Sustainability’ will also be at the forefront of drinking habits next year, Bacardi believes, with more initiatives shaped by a focus on how spirits are made. Ethically sourced materials and businesses that support local communities will become increasingly important. Consumers are also becoming more flexible in their approach to sobriety, and 2022 looks set to see an increase in ‘sober-curious’ consumers who switch between sober nights and drinking occasions. Bacardi said 58% of consumers globally were drinking more non-alcoholic and low-ABV cocktails compared with a year ago. The fifth trend is ‘transformative times’, consumers seeking cocktail experiences that deliver transformation, celebrate social connections, offer new experiences and offer some sort of learning and personal growth. https://www.bacardilimited.com/
ANGOSTURA
Angostura® has purchased and installed inclusive playground equipment for the children of the Princess Elizabeth Centre. This is the latest Corporate Social Responsibility initiative of the company geared towards giving back to society.The specialized equipment for the playground was sourced from reputable and certified equipment manufacturers from the US and UK. GameTime, an American playground manufacturer is one of the suppliers. Their products are made from 93 percent recycled materials and are in turn 100 percent recyclable. An example of this aspect of the design are plastic components of the play equipment being made from recycled high density polyethylene milk jugs. This element of GameTime’s strategy is aligned with Angostura’s initiative to blend the Company’s Sustainability Goals into its CSR goals.
There are six pieces of specialized equipment in the playground; all the American components of the equipment are certified by the American Disabilities Association and all equipment from the UK are certified under the EN-1176 safety standard. Angostura® also installed rubber playground tiles and pea gravel under certain components of the play equipment. Chairman of Angostura Holdings Limited, Mr. Terrence Bharath says, “The playground equipment can be used by children ages 5 to 12 and while it has been designed for children with special needs, it also takes their family into account. The pieces of equipment and surfacing allow for a wide spectrum of differently abled children, as well as their able-bodied siblings, family members, or caregivers to play together safely. The playground provides a holistic experience to the child in the world of play, breaking down barriers of accessibility, promoting engagement of the child and encouraging socialization during play, important elements in a child’s development.” http://www.angostura.com/
PUSSER’S RUM & HARDSCOOP
Pusser’s Rum and HardScoop Distillery have joined forces to create a 12 oz. canned ready-to-drink version of the Pusser’s Rum Painkiller, a storied cocktail with roots in the British Virgin Islands and now served across the globe.The Painkiller was originally created in the 1970s at the Soggy Dollar Bar in Jost Van Dyke and has since become the official cocktail of the BVI’s. Drinks International has recently listed it as one of the World’s Best-Selling Cocktails.The Painkiller cocktail traditionally includes 4 parts pineapple juice, 1 part orange juice, 1 part cream of coconut, and Pusser’s Rum. It is then topped with freshly grated nutmeg and garnished with an orange slice and a cherry. With the ready-to-drink market growing rapidly, the Painkiller will be marketed as a premium RTD cocktail. It features all natural ingredients, contains 12.5% ABV and is made with premium Pusser’s 3-year old aged rum. Pusser’s Rum Ltd. is headquartered in North Charleston, S.C. where their administrative office oversees the bottling, blending and distribution of the original Royal Navy rum, one of the most historic and traditional rums still available today. “It’s an honor to collaborate with the dedicated team at HardScoop, another local Charleston-based Company that sets the bar high when it comes to freshness and the use of all natural ingredients. They have produced the best-tasting alcohol-infused ice cream in the continental United States and we are confident they will have the same attention to detail with respect to freshness and quality when it comes to producing our world-famous Painkiller” said Gary Rogalski, President & CEO of Pusser’s Rum. HardScoop Distillery & Winery located in Charleston, South Carolina has been in commerce since 2017 making alcohol ice creams and sorbets that are sold in the Carolinas at major retailers and through e-commerce nationally. “We were honored and immediately jumped at the opportunity to work with Pusser’s Rum on this project. The Painkiller is a legendary cocktail with countless die-hard fans around the world so there is a huge responsibility of recreating that perfect island taste as a ready-to-drink. It’s a challenge that we took very seriously. With our technology and processes we were able to make a product worthy of the Pusser’s and Painkiller name” said David Kirby, CEO of HardScoop. Available Spring of next year, the Painkiller RTD Cocktail will be sold in 4-Packs, each a 12-ounce serving in a sleek can wherever spirit-based alcohol is sold, and online on the Pusser’s Rum website. https://pussersrum.com/, https://hardscoop.com/
WORTHY PARK
The Jamaica Gleaner reported that Rum sales at Worthy Park Estate are above pre-pandemic levels, due to increased distribution locally and overseas. The producer of Rum-Bar products generated 15 per cent more rum sales than in 2020, the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and about 10 per cent more than 2019, said Managing Director of Worthy Park Gordon Clarke. “Our distribution arrangements are bearing fruit in US and Europe. We signed up new people in the US and they are ramping up sales,” said Clarke. “So, it is not COVID-19 stress driving sales.” Worthy Park is a three-century-old sugar estate, which began producing rum back in 1741. But the company only introduced its Rum-Bar bottled rum in 2007 after investing in a distillery in 2005. It also produces premium rum under the Worthy Park brand. The estate specializes in white rum and rum cream products, but recently released a gold rum, Worthy Park Select, which competes against rival products Kingston 62 and Appleton Signature rums made by top spirits company J. Wray & Nephew Limited. “We also have new things in the pipeline,” Clarke told the Gleaner. Clarke estimates that Worthy Park controls about 15 per cent of the local rum market, which is dominated by Wray & Nephew’s white and gold rum products. “The local market is a hard nut to crack. But internationally we are growing leaps and bounds,” he said, explaining that exports have doubled year on year. The rising rum sales follows Worthy Park’s selection of beverage and consumer products company Wisynco Group as exclusive distributor of its sugar and rum products. www.worthyparkestate.com
ENJOYING RUM: A TASTING GUIDE AND JOURNAL
Enjoying Rum: A Tasting Guide and Journal by Frank Flannery was released last month by Voyageur Press. It is roughly 6 inches by eight inches and has 176 pages. The book is aptly named as the first half the book is a guide to rum and the second half is a journal where readers can list their tasting notes. The first eighty pages cover a history of rum, how it is made, how to read a rum label and how to taste rum. The journal section is forty, two-page spreads where the taster writes his notes. I think the eight pages on how to taste rum and the journal section are what makes this book stand out. Although brief, the how to taste section does an admirable job of covering the process of evaluating rum, from the pour, the color, the aroma and the following tastes. This is all to prepare the reader for the journal section. Each two-page spread allows the taster to go into detail, covering basic brand information, nose, style, color and taste. The nose section has over forty terms that the reader can select. The tasting section is a flavor wheel that rates sixteen taste components on a scale of one to five. The right side of the spread has room for notes on the first sip, the third sip, the fade and other key elements. I really liked the construction of this book and would recommend it to people starting their rum journey. There is some basic information on rum, but more importantly, it encourages readers/tasters to think about and record their impressions of what they are drinking. https://www.quarto.com/books/9780760369289/enjoying-rum
