Rum in the News
TANDUAY
Philippine rum maker Tanduay recently opened a bar at the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Target Center called the Tanduay City View Lounge. The bar is a result of the partnership that the World’s Number 1 Rum brand inked with the team in 2021. “Timberwolves fans are very excited about the addition of the Tanduay bar. The space gives fans on the 200th level the opportunity to enjoy their favorite Tanduay cocktail while they are watching a game,” said David Manley, Partnership Activation Manager, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx. He added that Timberwolves fans are loving the Tanduay-inspired cocktails with their tropical flavors. These include: the Tanduay New Fashion (Tanduay Gold Rum with cherry and bitters) and Tanduay Tropic Tease (Tanduay Silver Rum with a splash of pineapple and cranberry juice).
“Tanduay’s Silver and Gold rum products are welcome additions at Timberwolves games. Fans are eager to try them,” Manley further said. The Tanduay City View Lounge is available to fans as soon as the gates open until the end of the third quarter. Earlier, Tanduay and the Timberwolves released Tanduay rum bottles with branded packaging in Minnesota. The iconic Philippine rum brand also have TV-visible courtside rotation LED and basket pad LED signages, pole pads, and arena signages at Target Center. Tanduay’s partnership with the Timberwolves and other teams of the National Basketball Association (NBA) is part of its international expansion plan, making the brand more visible to the millions of viewers of the NBA games. It is currently in partnership with five of the league’s teams. The rum brand has entered several U.S. states, including: Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, and Wisconsin and the territory of Guam. Tanduay products are also sold in China, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany. Tanduay is one of the most-awarded rum brands in the world. Most recently, it was named Brand of the Year 2021-2022 at the World Branding Awards at Kensington Palace. Tanduay was the only brand to receive such an award under the Alcoholic Beverages Rum category. https://ph.tanduay.com/
BACARDI
Bacardi has announced that its premium rum brand will cut its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in half from 2023. BACARDÍ rum’s GHG emissions will be reduced by 50% when a Combined Heat & Power (CHP) system goes live next year at the brand’s distillery in Puerto Rico. The new CHP system will replace heavy fuel oil with propane gas, a much cleaner and more efficient energy solution. “As a brand and as a company, we are committed to doing the right thing for the planet,” said Ned Duggan, Senior Vice President, BACARDÍ rum. “Our rums are made in Puerto Rico, a beautiful island in the Caribbean where we are continuously investing in new innovations that will ensure we do just that. This year, we are celebrating our 160th anniversary and while we reflect on our incredible history we are also looking forward to a more sustainable future.” The 50% reduction in BACARDÍ rum’s GHG emissions represents a 14% cut in the total emissions globally for family-owned Bacardi, whose portfolio of premium brands also includes BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, PATRÓN® tequila and GREY GOOSE® vodka. This will be a significant step towards the 50% cut the company is committed to achieving globally by 2025. “We are committed to cutting our GHG emissions by reducing our energy consumption and switching to the most sustainable form of energy in the countries where we operate,” added Rodolfo Nervi, VP Global Safety, Quality & Sustainability for Bacardi. “While propane gas is the most responsible energy source in Puerto Rico right now, we are continuing to explore ways in which we can reduce our use of carbon-based fuels even further and take more positive steps towards our ultimate goal of Net Zero.” Other ways in which the BACARDÍ rum distillery is already pioneering new environmental practices include the generation of biogas through the waste-water treatment system, which helps power the distillation and creates electricity. More than 60% of the distillery’s energy is generated this way. Bacardi also recaptures 95% of the heat generated during distillation to reduce the energy required.
Plan is underway to capture CO2 from the fermentation process so it can be supplied to the sparkling drinks industry. As part of its Corporate Responsibility program, Good Spirited, and in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Bacardi has set a number of goals which it is committed to achieving by 2025. These global targets, which are in addition to the company’s commitment to be 100% plastic free by 2030, include: 50% cut in greenhouse gas emissions at Bacardi production sites; 25% cut in water consumption at Bacardi production sites; 100% key raw materials and packaging sourced sustainably; 100% of product packaging to be recyclable; 40% recycled content of product packaging materials; Zero waste to landfill at all Bacardi production sites. https://www.bacardi.com
TEN TO ONE
In celebration of Black History month, two Black-owned spirit brands partnered up on a limited-edition bottle of rum. Ten to One, a rum brand, tapped Uncle Nearest, a whiskey brand, to create Bourbon Cask Finish Rum. “Honoring our shared history, this collaboration celebrates the many Black spirits pioneers whose contributions to the industry have been largely forgotten. Today we stand proudly on their shoulders to deliver an inspired expression which makes for a stunning sipping experience featuring a beautiful progression of spiced apple, black currant and charred wood notes,” Marc-Kwesi Farrell, Ten to One’s founder, writes on the bottle’s label. Bourbon Cask Finish Rum takes Ten to One’s dark rum and finishes it in Uncle Nearest’s 1856 Bourbon Cask Barrels. The dark rum is a blend of 8-year-old Barbados and Dominican column still rums, which is combined with rums from Jamaica and Trinidad. The time spent in Uncle Nearest’s barrels gives the final product a creme brûlée-like flavor, as well as notes of toasted nuts and dark fruit. The rum is limited to 10,000 bottles. Alongside the rum is the release of an illustrated cocktail recipe book called “Kindred Spirits.” The book is a collection of 28 cocktail recipes, the number a reference to the number of days in Black History Month, which come from BIPOC mixologists and bartenders from across the United States. The book will be available as part of a bundle with the Bourbon Cask Finish Rum, as well as a standalone purchase. The book is intended to be a ‘spiritual sequel’ to The Ideal Bartender, a 1917 cocktail tome by Tom Bullock that’s considered the first drinks book published by a Black author. “Tom Bullock was a pioneer in the category, creating the first known cocktail book by a person of color,” says Farrell. “And you wish more people had a chance to see and read these kinds of books. So fast forward to today, we wanted to get innovative Black bartenders to tell their stories and recipes. There’s 28 of them in the book, one for every day of the month, and each one we have the bartender relate their personal journey and story. The drinks may involve ingredients they had growing up, or something that has to do with their heritage. But we gave everyone a fair amount of latitude.” One of the contributors is spirits educator, mixologist and author Shannon Mustipher, who released the excellent cocktail book Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails a few years back and certainly knows how to use a good rum for a drink. “Over the years, I’ve gotten to know the Ten to One better, and it’s been great to see the brand grow,” as Mustipher tells us. “There’s still a lot of work to continue to bring more attention to the contribution of Black mixologists of today and the past, so I was happy to be a part of the project. It’ll hopefully inspire others to follow in our footsteps.” https://www.tentoonerum.com/
THOMAS TEW
Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling Co. is pleased to announce a partnership between its Thomas Tew Rum line and the Boston Calling Music Festival. Thomas Tew began in 2006 and today boasts a Single Barrel Rum, Reserve Rum, and a Spiced Rum. It is enjoyed at over 500 restaurants and bars including Citi Field ballpark and Walt Disney World’s EPCOT. Thomas Tew perennially ranks in the top ten craft rums by USA Today. “Thomas Tew Rum takes the traditional style Rum process and is then aged in Bourbon Barrels for five to ten years,” said Newport Craft CEO, Brendan O’Donnell. “It’s easy drinking, making it the perfect rum to add to your favorite cocktail.” Boston Calling, the acclaimed three-day festival poised to make its triumphant return to Allston, MA this Memorial Day Weekend, May 27 - 29, 2022, recently announced its exciting lineup. Headlining the festival are rock & roll icons Metallica; alternative rockers The Strokes, playing their first show in Boston since 2006; and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Foo Fighters. These three powerful rock bands will lead a lineup of over 50 performers, including the largest collection of regional talent ever to take the stage at Boston Calling. As an official partner, Thomas Tew will offer freshly made cocktails and canned cocktails in all Boston Calling VIP and Platinum areas. With thousands upon thousands of fans expected at this year’s festival, Thomas Tew is eager to formally introduce its products to festival-goers from New England and beyond, including a ready-to-drink cocktail that will make its debut at Boston Calling. Since 2017, Newport Craft has solidified the company’s spot as a leader on the New England craft brewing stage. The company has focused on its product lines, introducing new products, upgrading and expanding its manufacturing facility, and pursuing strategic acquisitions. Additionally, the company is currently aging close to 1,000 barrels of Thomas Tew Rum and Sea Fog Whiskey; and has added gin, amaro, vodka, rye whisky, and reserve and spiced rums to its portfolio of spirits. Newport Craft is now the largest combined brewing and distilling company in Rhode Island by production. As Announced earlier, Newport Craft has contracted with Parker Construction, of East Providence, Rhode Island, to bring an estimated $10 Million renovation and expansion project for the facility to life. The expansion’s design and groundwork are already in progress and will triple the footprint of Newport Craft’s manufacturing. The new build creates separate brewing and distilling areas, maximizes year-round production, by increasing it to 100,000 BBL a year and facilitating the storage of house 5,000 barrels of aging spirits. The North End and Greater Newport, Rhode Island community should anticipate the project’s completion by the beginning of 2023. www.thomastewrums.com
HOLMES CAY
For its first release of 2022, Holmes Cay Rum is offering a limited edition 2012 Barbados single cask aged rum with secondary maturation in port casks. The Barbados 2012 Port Cask is a molasses-based blend of pot and column still rum, from the highly respected Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados. It was tropically aged in Barbados for eight years in ex-bourbon casks, then underwent an additional year in port casks in New York State. This 2012 edition is from the same Barbados distillery that created Holmes Cay’s popular Barbados 2009 Port Cask. Holmes Cay Rum Founder Kaye travels the globe for years to discover the many outstanding, hard to find rums which almost never find their way to North America. Delivering on its promise to share rare and special rums to spirits lovers, Holmes Cay Rum has built a reputation over the past two years by selecting and releasing an annual series of limited-edition rums. “This 2012 edition follows the sold out 2020 release of the 2009 Barbados Port Cask selection. We chose this high quality, eight-year-old Barbados rum because it works so well with secondary aging in port casks. The added layer of fruit harmonizes well with the toffee and baking spices already present.” said Holmes Cay founder Eric Kaye. Five barrels were selected for the Barbados 2012 Port Cask edition. Like all Holmes Cay products, no sugar, coloring or other flavoring has been added to this release. This edition is bottled just slightly below cask strength at 110 proof or 55% ABV. The Holmes Cay Barbados 2012 Port Cask is distributed in New York, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Oregon, Colorado, Arizona, Tennessee, Illinois, Texas and Washington D.C. and is also available throughout the US via various online retailers. www.HolmesCay.com.
USA TODAY BEST CARIBBEAN RUM DISTILLERY
Recently, USA Today newspaper conducted its annual reader’s poll to determine the best Caribbean Rum Distillery. This year’s winner went to Topper’s Rhum in Sint Maarten. Visitors to this 6,000-square-foot facility in Sint Maarten gain insight into the history of rum-making while seeing the blending and bottling process firsthand. Visitors also get to sample new flavors in development, along with the full lineup of artisan rums, in the tasting bar. Those who’d like to take some Topper’s home can even bottle their own. The top 10 winners in the category Best Caribbean Rum Distillery are as follows:
- Topper’s Rhum - Sint Maarten
- Appleton Estate - Jamaica
- Ron del Barrilito - Puerto Rico
- Casa Bacardi - Puerto Rico
- Clarke’s Court Rum - Grenada
- John Watling’s Distillery - Nassau, Bahamas
- Cadushy Distillery - Bonaire
- Callwood Rum Distillery - Tortola, British Virgin Islands
- Demerara Distillers - Guyana
- St. Nicholas Abbey - Barbados
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-caribbean-rum-distillery-2021/
DEAD MAN’S FINGERS
British website Spirit Business reported that Halewood Artisanal Spirits has added three flavors to its Dead Man’s Fingers limited edition Skull Jars range. The spiced rum brand has re-introduced both Dragon Fruit and Licorice & Blackcurrant Rum bottlings to its Skull Jar series, and also a Spiced Rum for the range. Rachel Adams, global marketing manager for Dead Man’s Fingers rum, commented: “The Dead Man’s Fingers brand has always been about shaking up the rum category and we like to break the boundaries of what traditional rum should look like.” The brand said it was bringing the Dragon Fruit and Licorice & Blackcurrant flavors back due to popular demand. The flavors originally launched in 2020. She added: “We love experimenting with new flavor profiles, surprising and delighting rum lovers and listening to what our fans love in our line-up.” The collection now comprises five bottlings, with the newly introduced flavors joining Tequila Coffee Rum and Tequila Raspberry Rum. Each expression sits at 37.5% ABV. Adams said: “Not only does our limited-edition skull jar range provide us with a great opportunity deliver on this, but it’s also collectable, and the smaller pack format is a great way of introducing new consumers to the Dead Man’s Fingers brand offering.” All five flavors are available in 500ml skull-shaped bottles through dropstore.com. https://www.deadmansfingers.com/
FERRAND RENEGADE BARREL NO. 3
RUM BARREL EAU-DE-VIE DE VIN
Maison Ferrand’s Alexandre Gabriel is proud to introduce Ferrand Renegade Barrel N°3, the third release to debut from the Renegade Barrel Collection of cognacs aged with unconventional methods, in honor of the master blender “renegades” that came before him. With Renegade Barrel N°3 Jamaican Rum Barrel Eau-De-Vie De Vin, Ferrand is the first cognac brand to release an expression double-aged in ex-rum casks. Inspired by a forgotten 19th century cognac aging technique, Renegade N°3 enhances the elegance of Ferrand Premier Cru de Cognac Vintage 2011 with a second maturation in ex-Plantation 1996 Jamaica HJC rum casks. The result is no longer a cognac according to today’s strict AOC definitions, but an ingenious eau-de-vie from the imaginations of Team Ferrand. www.ferrandcognac.com
BONAIRE RUM WEEK
The Caribbean Journal, the team behind the annual Caribbean Rum Awards in St. Barth, has joined forces with the Tourism Corporation Bonaire to create Bonaire Rum Week, set for June 14-17, 2022. Bonaire Rum Week was announced last month in the presence of the CEO of TCB Miles Mercera, Commissioner of Tourism Hennyson Thielman, and from Caribbean Journal editor and publisher Alexander Britell and managing editor and EVP Guy Britton. “We’re so excited to bring a high-end rum event to one of the most authentic, naturally beautiful and eco-adventurous islands in the Caribbean,” said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal. “Bonaire has long had a world-class culinary scene, and this week of rum-fueled fun is the perfect way for the destination to help spotlight it while elevating it to the next level.” Bonaire Rum Week Partner Tourism Corporation Bonaire CEO, Miles B M Mercera, “We are proud to introduce Bonaire Rum Week as a new signature gourmet experience on the island. Besides being known as the world’s divers’ paradise, we are also being discovered and recognized by foodies around the world for our culinary offerings. Our first annual Bonaire Rum Week serves as our invitation to adventure seekers around the world to come and experience our authentic cuisine, local rum and our island life.” The festival will kick off with an opening celebration, followed by an island-wide cocktail competition at the island’s premier cocktail bar, Tiki & Co, featuring Bonaire’s top bartenders; a rum-infused lunch; a spiced rum Happy Hour; a multi-course rum-pairing culinary experience followed by a rum-and-cigar pairing event. “This event is a great way to showcase another side of Bonaire, as one of the Caribbean’s foremost destinations for foodies and spirits lovers alike,” said Guy Britton, managing editor and EVP of Caribbean Journal. Bonaire has a thriving cocktail culture, from signature rum punches to microbreweries and beach bars. The island is also home to the Cadushy Distillery, which makes Rom Rincon, Bonaire’s sought-after, award-winning and locally-made rum, which is the event’s host rum. Bonaire Rum Week partners include Tourism Corporation Bonaire; Caradonna Adventures; Delfins Beach Resort Bonaire; Captain Don’s Habitat; Buddy Dive Bonaire; Harbour Village Beach Club; Bellafonte Bonaire; Tiki & Co; Cadushy Distillery; JC Herrera; Bottles Bonaire; The Wine Factory Bonaire; Best Cellars and Best Brands Bonaire. https://www.bonairerumweek.com/
