June 2018- Rum in the News

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June 2018- Rum in the News

FELIX JUAN SERRALLES NEVARES

Felix Juan Serrallés Nevares, chairman of Destilería Serrallés, producer of Don Q Rum, has passed away at the age of 83. The Serrallés family first produced and sold rum in Puerto Rico in 1865 and in 1934 they created their now iconic Don Q brand whose name pays homage to fictional character Don Quixote. On Monday, May 7, 2018, Destilería Serrallés released this statement: “It is with deep regret that Destilería Serrallés and its Board of Directors confirms the passing of our Chairman, Felix Juan Serrallés Nevares. “Don Fao”, as he was known to close relatives, company employees and friends, was the company’s President and CEO from 1981 until 2017 and a member of the family’s 5th generation. Under his vision and tenure, Destilería Serrallés experienced unparalleled business growth and innovation, solidifying a leadership position for Don Q Rum in Puerto Rico and driving an aggressive expansion into the USA and other international markets. He will be remembered by all at Serrallés, and those who knew him for his noble spirit, his passion for the company and his brilliant intellect. His values and legacy will continue to lead the way for generations to come.”

WEST INDIES RUM AND SPIRITS PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION

Regional rum producers, members of the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA), met last month to discuss a range of issues which impact the ability of the sector to achieve international competitiveness.

Speaking at a tasting of Authentic Caribbean Rums in Trinidad, WIRSPA chairman and head of the Guyana conglomerate Demerara Distillers (DDL), Komal Samaroo, noted that although the sector’s brands were positioned as high-quality products in the premium and super-premium segments of the market, many competing brands received incentives and subsidies which resulted in a highly unequal playing field. And he said a key thrust for the sector is an international drive to protect authentic origin. “Our brands are anchored in the unique history and heritage of our countries,” Samaroo pointed out, noting that “many so-called premium products are assembled from various origins, without any authenticity or true origin, and flouting rum rules.” Referencing the decreasing availability of regional molasses, he added that producers were challenged with raw materials constraints on one end and facing subsidized products in the market at the other. Referring to DDL efforts to support the local sugar industry in Guyana as a means of securing molasses supplies, he noted that several other producers were moving in the same direction. Those moves, he said, “can only redound to the benefit of our countries by maintaining employment in agriculture and increasing local value added”.

His sentiments were echoed by Chairman of Angostura, Dr. Rolph Balgobin, who noted that his board had also tasked the management of Angostura to “provide an analysis of whether we should get into sugarcane production for the purpose of producing molasses.” Trinidad’s Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon, in her remarks, congratulated the sector on its achievement of world-class quality and drive for international competitiveness.

Noting that Caribbean Community (CARICOM) trade ministers had recently formed a special working group to examine factors impacting the competitiveness of the sector, she committed to working with colleague ministers and industry representatives to ensure that the industry receives the support it needs as the flagship export sector of the region.

HABITATION VELIER AUSTRALIA AND EAST COAST LIQUOR

East Coast Liquor has gained the exclusive distribution rights for Velier rums in Australia and is joined by Tatu Kaarlas of Refined Vices to promote and distribute the brands nationally. East Coast Liquor offers an exclusive range of products from La Maison & Velier, which will initially be available through East Coast Liquor wholesale and Liquor MOJO™ online retail for pre-order as of May, and select venues starting from June. From the Velier collection East Coast Liquor will launch the Habitation Velier range, featuring rums from Worthy Park and Hampden in Jamaica, and Foursquare and Mount Gay in Barbados. A project created by Velier’s owner, Luca Gargano, Habitation Velier is the world’s only range of Pure Single Rums acting as a reference point to the type of rum produced by each distillery’s unique pot still.

The vintage Pure Single Rums are entirely aged in the tropics, ensuring a natural, accelerated aging compared to European ageing, at the expense of higher angels share. A unique range of products from Haiti will also be available in four different expressions. Clairin is an artisanal sugarcane spirit, or rhum agricole, made from sugarcane juice with the exception of Clairin Le Rocher, which is made from syrup. Similar to Mezcal, the process of making it is entirely organic and pesticide free, hand cut, native grown sugarcane, spontaneous fermentation with no added yeasts, distilled in fire or steam heated pot stills, or in a pot with a small column, to bottling proof. Clairin is raw, flavorful, and as an all-natural spirit it is different from batch to batch, and is truly handmade the way it has been for the last 200 years. In addition to Clairin and Habitation Velier, East Coast Liquor will offer a number of highly anticipated bottlings from Velier, including Foursquare Principia and Destino, and a very special bottling of Royal Navy Rum, the oldest blend of British Caribbean rums of the 21st Century. From the La Maison du Whisky collection, the Transcontinental Rum Line Panama, Guadeloupe and Barbados rums will be available in limited quantities.

HAVANA CLUB

Pernod Ricard-owned Havana Club has redesigned the label for its Añejo Especial expression to reflect the brand’s Cuban roots and “authentic” production process. Havana Club Añejo Especial is a blend of young and old Cuban rum bases, which have been aged again in white oak barrels. The new look is presented on premium crafted paper and is inspired by Cuban street culture, featuring blue and red edges. The design also features tree rings, two oak barrels and a sand timer to communicate the brand’s double-aged maturation method. The new label is available in several markets, including the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium. In addition, an Especial Cuba Libre serve is being promoted in UK bars and supermarkets and will also be supported across Europe through festival activations, such as the Especial Sessions at Tomorrowland in Belgium and Musik I lejet in Denmark. Nick Blacknell, marketing director at Havana Club International, said: “At Havana Club, we are proud of our Cuban culture, authentic rum production methods and revolutionary spirit – all of which are now reflected in the new Havana Club Especial label. The classic Cuba Libre serve will inspire a whole new generation with the refreshing taste of rum and cola. “We have seen what has happened in the gin category over the past five years and we expect the rum category to experience the same resurgence.”

MYER’S RUM

Both Fortune and Bloomberg have reported that Diageo is looking to sell off part of its portfolio, including Myer’s Rum, Seagram’s VO , Popov Vodka and Goldschlager. Diageo is reportedly trying to sell the brands as part of a single transaction, which means they will likely go to a private equity firm. It has hired Centerview Partners to sell the brands and expects the sale to net proceeds of up to $1 billion. The sale might also include additional brands. Reportedly, the move is to allow the liquor maker to focus its attention on its pricier brands that are seeing a higher amount of growth.

MONTANYA RUM

Montanya Distillers, a craft rum distillery located in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, takes another step to integrate sustainability into every aspect of its business. The distillery has partnered with terrapass® to offset its carbon emissions from distilling, business travel, outgoing freight, and inbound shipping. Through the partnership, Montanya is offsetting about 52 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) this year. The offset will help fund a Forest Management Project, which absorbs and stores about 2,500 more metrics tons of CO2 each year than neighboring forests. This project is equivalent to taking about 550 cars off the road each year. The sale of carbon offsets is a critical way the forest is funded since it doesn’t rely on taxpayer money. “ I am really excited about this new relationship because it has helped us to more quantitatively measure every single input and output in our company,” noted Karen Hoskin, co-founder and CEO of Montanya Distillers. “From Amazon shipping to freight of rum, to shipping of our bottling supplies, to Sysco restaurant supplies, to natural gas under our stills, we’re now measuring every aspect of our carbon output. Then once we calculate, we’re able to offset our emissions directly. The previous company we used didn’t put us through these vigorous calculations and didn’t connect us directly to their outcomes, which made it harder to assess our success.”

Carbon offsets help make up for the carbon footprint left behind. Although carbon offsets can be confusing, it’s quite simple in application. Projects are designated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions (in Montanya’s case a community forest) and then companies and individuals fund these projects directly. One carbon offset equals one ton of reduced emissions.

To celebrate their tenth anniversary, Montanya recently released Montanya Aniversaria. This limited release (only 325 bottles) is available in Colorado at their Tasting Room in Crested Butte, Colorado. It is barrel aged for three and a half years in an American White Oak barrel that previously aged Laws Colorado Bourbon. The rum is then transferred for an additional four months to a French Oak barrel that previously aged Sutcliffe Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon and Port. The final finishing barrel for the last several months comes from Peach Street Distillers Bourbon in American White Oak. Laws, Sutcliffe Vineyards and Peach Street Distillers are all local, Colorado companies.

Also new from Montanya is a line of Cocktail Bitters. These are handcrafted using traditional methods and infused in high proof Montanya Rum. The company makes six different flavors: Cucumber Jalapeño, Pineapple Habanero, Citrus, Grapefruit, Cherry Black Pepper, and Thai Chili as well as seasonal varietals like Fig and Cinnamon. The bittering elements include gentian, cinnamon, cassia, and citrus peels. The flavor profiles are built by infusing fresh fruits, dried fruits, seeds, nuts, chili peppers, and vegetables. The infusions take about a month and the bitters are bottled by hand at the distillery. They are best used to add a pop of flavor and balance to cocktails without adding all the sugary or watery elements of simple syrups and mixers.

L&L RUMSHOP – BOTTLE YOUR OWN RUM

The Caribbean Journal calls it the Most Creative Rum shop in the Caribbean. The L&L Rumshop on the island of Nevis, which is also home to the Nevis-made Clifton Estate Rum, is now giving guests the opportunity to bottle their own personalized editions of the rum. Guests can wait their turn to bottle their own rum and then get their name and the date engraved on the bottle. Guests fill their bottle, they cork it and then they seal it with wax. If Theron, the owner of Clifton Estate, is in the shop, he’ll sign the bottle as well. (Clifton Estate, a spiced rum from Nevis, took home the Double Gold in the Spiced Rum category this year’s Caribbean Rum Awards in Saint Lucia. It’s just a little something to create a special experience for anyone coming to the shop,” L&L proprietor and regional rum expert Mark Theron told Rum Journal. “A trip to L&L Rumshop should always be a fun and memorable experience.” The new experience has already proven to be a big hit in Nevis, both for locals, travelers and cruise passengers a like. It’s not hard to see why.

KOLOA RUM

Since the mid-April flooding, employees of Koloa Rum Co. have contributed and collected monetary, clothing, food and water donations to help those in need. “We are grateful to not have sustained any damage,” said Bob Gunter, President and CEO of Koloa Rum Co. “Unfortunately, communities on the North and South shores were not so lucky. Many families and businesses have suffered great losses.” Koloa Rum Co. matched employee gifts by three, and contributed the money to Malama Kauai. “The value of their donations totaled $2,377,” Gunter said. “Our staff members and their families have been so generous, and I’m proud to work alongside each and every one of them.” In addition, Koloa Rum Company Store in Kilohana hosted a “Rum for Relief” day on April 21, in which 100 percent of rum sales was donated to Malama Kauai, for food relief. “Kauai is a strong community, filled with aloha, and we have banded together to rise from this disaster. We will keep you updated as the rebuilding process advances,” Gunter said.

JAN STEPHENSON FLAVORED RUMS

Award winning Dented Brick Distillery has been awarded a contract to produce and distribute Jan Stephenson’s Tropical Fruit Flavored Rums. The distillery produces Passion Fruit, Pineapple, and Mango flavored rums for Jan. The rums were released at the 75th Wine and Spirits Wholesalers Association Annual Convention in Las Vegas in May. All three rums won medals, with Mango and Pineapple winning Silver Medals in their premiere spirits competition, and Mango winning 2nd place in the cocktail competition. The collaboration is relying on Dented Brick’s expertise as an award winning Rum distillery, having won the prestigious Rum XP Gold in Miami in 2017, and with Jan’s experience and expertise gained running Jan Stephenson Wines. Jan’s hometown in Australia is called the Central Coast, and also home to the top food and wine region, the Hunter Valley. The Paso Robles region of California has the same topography and so many similarities Jan’s home country, that she instantly had a connection. She now has over 500 acres of fully sustainable vineyards, first planted in 1973, and have flourished in the rich soil of the gentle rolling hills of Paso Robles. Jan Stephenson inspired a generation of female golfers by helping bring the game into the mainstream in the 1970’s. After 3 major championship wins and 16 LPGA Tour events, Jan is sharing her secret recipe for winding down and enjoying the beautiful sunsets of her Australian home - a taste of the Outback.

ANGOSTURA

The House of Angostura® has taken home four medals at the prestigious and highly competitive Spirits Business – Rum and Cachaça Masters 2018 competition. Both Angostura 1919® and Angostura® 7 Year Old rum won gold medals in the competition, with the judges singling out Angostura 7 Year Old’s “good integration of wood”. Meanwhile

Angostura® Reserva and Angostura® 1787 copped silver. The Spirits Business –Rum & Cachaça Masters competition aims to find and reward the finest rum and cachaça brands on the world stage.

-Article written by Mike Kunetka- 

These are the most recent and noteworthy headlines in the rum industry. If you want us to share your news with our readers, please send an email to Mike@gotrum.com. Mike Kunetka is a land-locked rum enthusiast, he is based in Colorado, USA.