March 2020 - Rum In The News

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                        BUNDABERG SPECIAL RELEASE

Bundaberg will be replacing its trademark polar bear on the labels of a special release with a koala. Bundy Rum has announced it will soon release the limited-edition Australian Bushfires Regeneration Rum to help the animals that have been affected by the Aussie bushfire crisis. All of the profits made from the sales of the bottle will go directly to WWF’s Australian Wildlife & Nature Recovery Fund. This is in addition to the AU$500,000.00 donation to the Australian Red Cross that I wrote about last month. The Queensland-based company has released a statement on social media, saying: “We’re proud to have recently donated $500K to the Australian Red Cross Australia Disaster Relief & Recovery Fund. These funds help the Australian Red Cross support people and communities who have been impacted by these devastating bushfires. Like so many of you, we’ve been heartbroken at the scale of natural devastation that Australia has endured with 18.6 million hectares of bushland and more than a billion animals lost. We wanted to do more, and we know our Bundy Rum community wants to do more too. We hope to raise $1 million through the sales of this limited-edition rum. Launching at the end of March, keep an eye out for more details on how you can purchase a bottle.” https://www.bundabergrum.com.au/

                           WESTER SPIRIT COMPANY

In 2019, Wester’s Premium Spiced Rum won the Distilling Product of the Year at the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards. The annual awards, which recognize the highest quality produce as well as the leading individuals, suppliers and companies, received a record 320 entries across all categories, a 20% increase from 2018, most notably in distilling which increased from 18 in 2018 to 41 this year. The awards are organized by Scotland Food & Drink in partnership with The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) and headline sponsor Asda. The name Wester comes from the Wester Sugar House Company, which dates back to 1667. Wester Sugar House Company stood in Glasgow, refining sugar and also distilling rum. Now Wester Spirit Company is offering you a chance to own your own cask of their Pure Single Scottish Rum. This will be some of the first rum to ever be fermented, distilled and matured in Glasgow. Fresh spirit, twice pot distilled in their Glasgow distillery, will be filled into a mixture of ex-bourbon and ex wine casks in 50 and 100 liter sizes. Once you’ve chosen your size and cask type they will store your spirit for up to 5 years at their distillery and bottle it for you in house when the time comes. https://www.westerspirit.com/

                           HAPPY RAPTOR DISTILLING

At the end of 2019, the number of craft distilleries in New Orleans grew to eight as Meagen Moreland Taliancich, her husband Mark and good friend Peter Rivera opened Happy Raptor Distilling. The name comes from the sounds their son made when he was six months old, sounds they thought sounded like a happy dinosaur. Their first line of products is called 504 and they are modeled after the rhum arranges they enjoyed in the French Caribbean. They start with a premium white rum that is made from 100 percent local Louisiana sugar cane. Then the fun begins. The first two products in the 504 line are a Hibiscus flavored rum and a Banana Fosters flavored rum. They had a soft opening last month, during the parades of Mardi Gras. Beginning March 6, the tasting room will be open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The distillery is located at 1512 Robert C. Blakes Sr. Drive. https://www.happyraptor.com/

                                  HAMPDEN ESTATE

Jamaican rum producer Hampden Estate has made arrangements with premium drinks agency Speciality Brands to distribute a limited release of Hampden’s Great House Distillery Edition in the UK market. In the past this special blend has only been sold at the distillery in Trelawny, Jamaica.  Created by Master Distiller Vivian Wisdom, 59% ABV Hampden Great House Distillery Edition is distilled and matured on the Hampden Estate. “Hampden Estate is renowned for making Jamaican rums of the highest quality that are praised by drinkers from all over the world,” said Chris Seale, Marketing Director for Specialty Brands. “Great House is a celebration of the distillery’s talent and longstanding heritage. We’re very pleased to be in a position to introduce this exclusive edition to rum aficionados across the country.” Hampden Estate Distillery Edition joins Hampden Estate 46° and Hampden Estate 60° rums which are currently available at specialist retailers and bars in the UK. Hampden Great House Distillery Edition pays tribute to the distillery’s surroundings in Trelawny, Jamaica, including its mansion, which was established in 1753 by the Stirling family, the first owner of the estate. https://www.hampdenestaterum.com/

                                          KRAKEN

The Kraken has introduced pre-mixed bottles into the Australian market for the first time ever. Known for its Black Spiced Rum and inventive advertising, Kraken is offering a cola mix and a ginger ale mix for the Australian drinker who wants a bar-quality drink from the comfort of their own home. Kraken rum pre-mixes are sold in sustainably sourced glass bottles. https://www.krakenrum.com/

                                    DUPPY SHARE

Duppy Share has released a spiced rum in the UK. It is based on the original Duppy Share rum, comprising a blend of aged rums from Jamaican distillery Worthy Park and Foursquare in Barbados, with added natural flavors including pineapple, kola nut, ginger, vanilla, clove and nutmeg, grapefruit, orange and basil. “When making a rum, it’s all about creating a great-tasting liquid that stands out from the crowd,” said George Frost, who founded The Duppy Share in Notting Hill in 2015. “Spiced rum is booming in the UK, with sales topping 10 million bottles in 2019, and I saw a massive opportunity to create a spiced rum that focused on adding depth of flavor and complexity that consumers don’t usually get or expect from other spiced rums. Spiced rum has had a bad reputation in the past for being super sweet and packed so full of flavorings that you can’t even tell that it’s a rum. We wanted to forge a different path to advance the category and show consumers how good a spiced rum can be.” Collaborating with branding agency B&B, the label on The Duppy Shared Spiced incorporates elements of original Duppy Share rum, including golden sunbeams and crossed palm trees. Building on the original design, the new label features pineapples to highlight the spirit’s signature flavor. https://www.theduppyshare.com/

                               MONTANYA DISTILLING

Montanya Distillers has named Rob Richardson as National Head of Sales for its rum portfolio. Rob joins Montanya with more than three decades of experience in the wholesale industry. For the past 22 years, he has worked at Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), most recently serving as Vice President of Artisan Spirits Sales for Texas, and before that as Vice President of Spirits Sales in Colorado. Prior to joining RNDC, Richardson served as the GM/VP of Sales at Breakthru Beverage Group/Beverage Distributor Company. “I have known Rob for more than ten years, since the early days of Montanya Distillers. He was one of the first industry insiders to take a chance on me. I have always been impressed by his quiet accomplishments, industry knowledge and character,” said Karen Hoskin, Montanya Distillers’ founder and owner. “I didn’t dare hope I could attract a candidate of Rob’s caliber, but I am known for aiming high and dreaming big. Rob reminds me of what is best about distributor partnerships when all the players are aligned toward the same goals.” Initially, Richardson will focus on sales and distribution for Montanya’s home state of Colorado, as well as NY, NJ, TX and CA, and then he’ll help the company expand other key markets nationally. “I have always had a place in my heart for Montanya, especially loving its creativity and proven track record for excellent rums,” said Richardson. “Now I have a chance to be part of the family. I look forward to this new opportunity to help more people discover why I and so many others love Montanya rums. I can’t stop smiling, I just got the best job ever.” Richardson will stay with RNDC through the end of March to assist with the hiring and training of his replacement. He’ll relocate back to Colorado, his home state, along with his husband Joe and dog Duke. The move will bring him closer to his two children and his 9 month-old grandson. https://www.montanyarum.com/

                               GUYANA RUM ROUTE

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has launched its official rum route in collaboration with the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). Capitalizing on Guyana’s rich agricultural traditions, local cultural heritage and cuisine, the Guyana Rum Route is a 200-kilometre journey which blends the past and present into one exhilarating experience. Guyana is the first Caribbean country to establish a heritage route as part of a regional product development thrust being championed by the Caribbean Tourism Organization. “Set along the vibrant coast, the route offers a sensory experience of the role of rum and sugar cane in Guyana’s economy and its indelible mark on the landscape and people,” explained Brian T. Mullis, Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority. “Rum flows throughout the Caribbean, connects us culturally, and is known to heighten the Caribbean experience.” Neil Walters, Acting Secretary General & CEO of the Caribbean Tourism Organization reiterated that “Guyana’s official Rum Route is part of CTO’s regional Heritage Routes program. This program is centered on creating thematic routes or trails that tell the story of a destination through indigenous and local goods including foodstuff like sugar cane, cocoa, spices and other tangible and intangible aspects of cultural heritage.” Guyana’s Rum Route covers three areas that can be experienced individually as day or overnight tours, or combined into a multi-day tour. These areas include Georgetown, Berbice, and the East Coast Highway (Half-day, Full-day & Overnight Tour options); West Coast Berbice (Overnight Tour options) and West Coast of Demerara (Half-Day, Full-day & Overnight Tour options). Highlights for interested travelers include:

  • Immerse yourself in the history of rum and retrace the steps of the Dutch and British on former plantations like Uitvlugt Estate and Blairmont Estate;
  • Gain insights into the experiences of slaves and indentured laborers who sustained a sugar economy for over two centuries;
  • Experience local rum shops, tour the Demerara Distillers Limited Distillery and production plants; and
  • Sample local rum-infused recipes, and taste Guyana’s world-famous rums.

This is a new offering in Guyana of which the two licensed operators are offering certain sites or elements of the areas listed above. For more information, contact Dagron Tours at dagrontours@gmail.com and Wilderness Explorers at info@wilderness-explorers.com. Alternatively, visit the GTA’s website for an overview of the Guyana Rum Route, https://www.guyanatourism.com/

                               RICHLAND DISTILLING

The Albany Herald recently reported that Richland Distilling Co. has remodeled and relocated the tasting room and gift shop in the historic building that houses its offices. The newly renovated facility at 333 Broad Street, will be open to the public from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Established in 1999, Richland Distilling Co. has been a pioneer in crafting rum from field to glass in America. Husband and wife owners, Erik and Karin Vonk, have been making rum for the past 20 years. The Georgia Department of Economic Development’s International Trade division, and department Commissioner Pat Wilson, joined Gov. Brian Kemp in December 2019 at the Capitol in Atlanta to announce the winners of Georgia’s sixth annual GLOBE Award. One of those winners was, again, Richland Distilling Co. This state-led awards program highlights companies that entered into a new international market the previous year. It was the Vonks third time receiving the prestigious award for their single-estate, single barrel rum. During the third full session earlier this month, the Georgia House of Representatives adopted Resolution 868, “recognizing and commending” the Vonks for their significant contributions to economic development in rural Georgia, once more highlighting the couple’s achievements. “Richland Rum is made here in Georgia, by Georgians, putting Georgians to work, and sells in the top tier of its class around the world,” House Speaker David Ralston said at the time. https://www.richlandrum.com/

                                        RELICARIO

The latest from Dominican rum brand Relicario (owned by the Spanish-based Beveland Distillers) is Relicario Ron Dominicano Peated Finish, a rum that was finished in American oak barrels which previously held peated whisky. The rum starts out like Relicario’s popular Relicario Ron Dominicano as it is made from native Dominican sugar cane juice harvested by hand. The sugar cane juice is fermented for 30 hours before the spirit is distilled in a continuous column still and then again in a copper pot still. The raw spirit is then aged in American white oak barrels in the Dominican Republic for five to ten years. The Peated Finnish version is then shipped to Speyside, Scotland for an additional six months in barrels that formerly held peated whisky. Speyside is famous for Glennfiddich and Glen Moray peated whiskies. http://www.relicariorum.com/

                                       ALKEMISTA

If you are like me, I suspect that you have experimented with infusing rum with a variety of fruits and spices. I must admit that my successes are far overshadowed by the cloudy bottles in my basement, filled with all kinds of floating particles. For this very reason Alkemista caught my eye. It is an attractive, all-in-one infusion vessel that is comprised of a 940 mL Borosilicate glass container and an ultra-fine stainless-steel filter basket. You place fresh fruit, spices, herbs and/or botanicals in the filter basket, which is then screwed into the bottom cap and then into the glass infuser. Then pour in our favorite spirit, close the vessel with the provided stopper and wait. The base and stopper come in three colors, stainless-steel, copper or matte black. Ethan & Ashe also offers six pre-packaged infusion blends to get you started: Black Denim, Orange Ginger, Rose Lemon, Ancho Libre, House Bitters and Zen Jardin. https://ethanashe.com/