September 2017- Rum in the News

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September 2017- Rum in the News

by Mike Kunetka

JAMAICA INN RUM

UK distributor Mangrove has launched Jamaica Inn Black Ginger Rum 1750. The rum is  inspired by the Cornwall coaching inn built in 1750, made famous in Daphne du Maurier’s novel of the same name. It is a blend of Jamaican pot and column stills spirit with ginger, lemongrass and citrus. It is aged for three years and bottled at 40% ABV. “More than anything else, this is an authentic Jamaican, flavored rum of quality and commercial viability that fits with Mangrove’s ethos,” said Nick Gillett, managing director of Mangrove. “Jamaica Inn is a brand, which we are focusing on building at the forefront of our Mangrove rum portfolio that we will drive into the growing premium rum market. It has that unique Jamaican ‘funk’ flavor with the presence of a well -balanced quality, ginger flavor throughout.” As we went to press, Mangrove also introduced a Black Pineapple variant.

RUM 66

Rum 66 had had great success with its Family Reserve. It is distilled by R. L. Seale from fermented molasses in small batches (usually 112 barrels) and tropically aged for a minimum of 12 years in small American white oak casks. The process uses a blend of continuous still and copper pot productions. This premium rum secured a silver medal at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition as well as a gold medal at the Spirits Business Rum and Cachaça Masters. Now, two new expressions have been added to the Rum Sixty Six range. The Extra Old variant is a six year-old variant bottled at 40% ABV. This expression is targeting the “new rum explorers”. The Cask Strength expression is bottled at 59% ABV and is looking to attract the more sophisticated palate of the rum connoisseurs. “Consumers are placing increasing emphasis on provenance and authenticity of their rum choices. Rum Sixty-Six’s legacy is one skilled and honest rum that comes from the historic Foursquare Distillery. This provides a genuine strength of character to the rum, whether you’re new to the category or looking for the ultimate cask strength rum.”

FLOR DE CANA

Since July, Flor de Cana has activated a disruptive and elegant 10- feet high display inspired by the San Cristobal Volcano in Nicaragua. It incorporates large screens that create an incredible visual mosaic showing lava, volcano explosions in ultra-slow motion footage and tells the full story of Flor de Cana’s 125-year family tradition and the brand’s portfolio. The Flor de Caña volcano is located in Terminal D, between gates D37 and D38, where millions of travelers from around the world are exposed to the brand’s new message and more than 25,000 people will be able to enjoy a tasting of Flor de Caña’s super premium and ultra-premium rum collections, aged from 7 up to 25 years. The brand’s communication and booth design are inspired by the San Cristobal volcano because it is the birthplace of Flor de Caña and where its rums have been born and aged throughout more than 125 years. Through this campaign, the brand also seeks to connect with travelers flying to Latin America, where Flor de Caña is one of the fastest growing super premium rums. Miami’s International Airport is the top airport in the U.S. in terms of passengers flying to and from Latin America and the Caribbean, approximately 15 million per year.

MONKEY RUM

Evolution Spirits and Monkey Rum recently announced the appointment of Rich Pascucci as Chief Growth Officer and Head of Sales for Evolution Spirits and Monkey Rum. The appointment comes in the midst of rapid growth of the Monkey Rum brand fueled by recent expansion into ABC Fine Wine & Spirits and Total Wine & More, the largest private and public spirits chains in the U.S. Additionally, current investor and Co-founder and CEO of Vita Coco Coconut Water, Mike Kirban, has agreed to join the board of directors. Rich will lead commercial expansion and has more than 20 years of experience in spirits, wine, beer and energy drinks working for some of the largest industry players including Diageo, Red Bull and Pabst. Evolution Spirits, owner of Monkey Rum, was founded by television personality and entrepreneur Zane Lamprey and drinks veteran Ian Crystal launching in 2015 with a focus on key markets in New York, Florida and New Jersey. The award-winning, barrel-aged Caribbean Rum is delivered in the world’s first bottle designed to be recycled into glassware supporting a mission of creating sustainable packaging within the spirits industry. “For the last two years Monkey Rum pioneered a new spirits innovation system with increased customer marketing support and account stewardship through on-the-ground sales, merchandising and promotions. The focus was to take a handson approach and steer away from a traditional distributor system where the brand would get lost. Now, we’re in the position to get to the next level and Rich is the commercial leader we have been searching for who can take us through a powerful traditional distribution system,” says Ian Crystal, Co-founder of Evolution Spirits and Monkey Rum.

“Monkey Rum is an award-winning lifestyle brand with a strong foundation, active consumer base and growing business. I am excited to join Zane and Ian to drive the expansion, distribution and visibility of Monkey Rum across the United States and around the world,” adds Pascucci. Monkey Rum is an award-winning, barrel-aged Caribbean rum, seasoned with only natural ingredients for smooth taste and a clean finish. Designed to sip, 70 proof, less sugar compared to key competitors and gluten free, Monkey Rum comes in two varieties: Monkey Rum with Toasted Coconut and Monkey Rum with Natural Spices. Additionally, Monkey Rum is the world’s first bottle designed to be recycled into glassware. The patented bottle design can be recycled into a rocks glass (created from the bottom third of the bottle), a pint glass (created from the bottom two thirds of the bottle) and goblet (created from the top third of the bottle). Consumers can simply return to the store in which they purchased Monkey Rum and exchange the empty bottle for a recycled glass at no charge. Alternatively, consumers can go online to facilitate the exchange. Monkey Rum has already recycled 4000 bottles.

NB RUM

The award-winning NB Gin – previously named the world’s best London dry gin – and NB Vodka, launched last year, are the brainchild of husband-and-wife couple Steve and Viv Muir. The company will launch three new rums that will be all made using a retort still and British molasses. The new expressions have been produced after months of research and experimentation and will feature the same contemporary branding as its flagship NB gin and vodka brands that were launched in late 2013. “We anticipate rum in the future becoming more popular, particularly craft rum. “ It is likely the number of rum bars across the world will also increase” says Vivienne Muir, CEO of NB Gin. She says that the work on the distillery is “progressing well” and recently outlined her plans at a meeting of East Lothian Council’s planning committee earlier this month, where they were granted permission to open a distillery at Half land Barns, near North Berwick, which will be able to operate around the clock to meet international orders. An official launch is expected in November.

LYON DISTILLING

The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, a local nonprofit known for land preservation and town planning on the Eastern Shore of Maryland has hooked up with one of Maryland’s finest distilleries for a good cause. Lyon Distilling Company of St. Michaels, known since 2013 as a micro, craft distillery producing ultra-small batches of award-winning rums and whiskeys, has released its latest concoction — a special, limited batch Black Rum with a percentage of every bottle sold benefiting the projects and programs of the Conservancy. This rum varietal features a rich and smooth finish, with subtle touches of oak spice and sweetness. The label on the Black Rum proudly states “Together we are committed to protecting the land on which we work and play, and encourage you to sip this delicious spirit soundly knowing that a portion of your purchase helps fund ESLC’s many worthwhile endeavors.” Jaime Windon, owner and co-founder says “We’re so excited to help support the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy with our Black Rum”. “I’ve always admired partnerships like this. Philanthropy is so important to us and as a startup we are limited in what we can do. But we try to do everything that we can locally, and this is the first effort that has been organized at this level. Exciting times! ” ESLC’s Communication Manager David Ferraris described the partnership as “a natural fit.” “ESLC is ecstatic to have its name associated with a local company producing an exceptional product,” said Ferraris. “Since their arrival on the Shore, Lyon has made it clear that they support local initiatives that are near and dear to their hearts. Protecting and preserving the environment in which they live and conduct business is one of those initiatives, so this makes perfect sense.”

MONTANYA DISTILLERS

As a distillery owner, Karen Hoskin has spent nearly ten years attending every kind of tasting and cocktail event hosted in the spirits world, in the US and overseas. She has sponsored art, music and film festivals, she has attended industry trade shows, and she has bartended at some of the bar world’s prestigious gatherings. But Hoskin is fed up. “Cleaning up at the end of events, I couldn’t avoid seeing trash cans filled to over flowing with plastic cups, straws napkins, and stir sticks, It started to make me sick. I was the problem. Not the organizers, not the distillery next to me. Me. I had to make the change.” About 5 years ago, Hoskin began a sustainability revolution inside her own distillery. She began by converting all of her company’s energy consumption to sustainable sources, primarily wind, and offsetting her company’s carbon production. She extended the corporate program to her employee homes as well. Then she ditched plastic cups and straws company-wide. All of the consumables at her Tasting Room are either glass, fully recycled paper products (napkins, paper towels, toilet paper), reusable (stainless steel straws, stirrers) or compostable (food waste, trash bags). Her merchandise is sustainably-sourced (t-shirts made from old x-rays and ketchup bottles, hats from recycled polyester). She switched sugar cane suppliers to a 100% biomass operated mill. Montanya Distillers began to offset its carbon production for freight, travel, and distilling. The revolution went deep into the company’s supply chain. Then she looked at the events she attended and realized that the piles of trash did not look good. The aesthetic is almost as important to Karen Hoskin’s company as the cocktails and spirits they serve. A beautifully launched event can be ruined by piles of trash accumulating at the periphery or on the tables. Glass and stainless steel improve almost everything about the look and feel. Most importantly of all, eighty proof alcohol acts as a solvent on plastic and changes the flavor of any spirit. Consumers should be saying “no” to plastic at spirits tasting events. Here are Karen’s five suggestions for tasting events:

1) Biodegradable and recyclable cups are rarely biodegraded and recycled. Unless these expensive cups and containers are conveyed to a facility that biodegrades or recycles, they are just like other plastic cups - still in the landfill in 100 years. Eco cups are a “feel good” thing at most events, so Karen ditched them. She seeks events to sponsor that provide all participants with a glass to use, or allow her to serve in glass. Most venues have commercial dishwashers and copious glassware. Plastic is just the lazy choice. Many events will help find a solution if they value your participation.

2) If you don’t bring plastic cups and straws to an event, you won’t use them. Karen and her event staff used to bring back up plastic cups to events as a convenience for her customers. Once she ditched even this convenience plastic, customers and event planners got better about providing glass alternatives.

3) Nobody needs a straw. Americans toss 500 million drinking straws a day. Why? Nobody really knows, except that it is a habit. Perhaps it is a little relaxing to stir a cocktail? Hoskin provides stainless steel straws and stirring sticks at cocktail events and in her own rum bar. She also sells them whenever possible, so people won’t steal them.

4) Control your garbage. If something needs to be recycled like a cardboard case box or empty rum bottles, Hoskin takes it herself to a proper recycling bin. After watching too many event staff toss boxes and glass in the nearest trash to avoid the extra steps, she stopped letting them help her.

5) Collaborate with sustainable partners. Montanya Distillers hosts and sponsors hundreds of industry events and bartender events each year. If Hoskin is near home and driving, she negotiates to bring her own serving glasses and dishes. Further from home, she borrows and returns all kinds of reusables. She also researches and finds vendors who meet her zero waste standards and invites them to collaborate on her events. Recently she hosted a lunch for 44 San Francisco bartenders with GreenTiffin. They served 44 individual lunches without a single throw away item. In August 2017, Hoskin sponsored an art festival lounge, which served 400 cocktails without a single item in the trash. She donated the plastic bags the ice was delivered in to a company that uses plastic bags to make Trex decking.

ANGOSTURA

Launched just a decade ago, Angostura® Lemon Lime and Bitters has grown into an iconic, international brand, enjoyed in Trinidad and Tobago, throughout the Caribbean, and in Australia, its largest market. Today, with the brand poised for international expansion, Angostura® Lemon Lime and Bitters has launched a new, redesigned packaging, supported by an advertising campaign — “Live Love Be” — which communicates the brand’s core attributes to its many consumers. The new packaging, designed by GOOD Creative UK, retains the striking lemon and lime color palette that is intrinsic to the brand, while elevating the iconic ANGOSTURA® logo to the head of the design, making it a key focal point. “The packaging redesign strengthens the connection between Angostura® Lemon Lime and Bitters and its ‘mother brand,’ ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters, through elements such as the yellow tab,” says Angostura® CEO Genevieve Jodhan.

BLUE CHAIR RUM

In celebration of National Rum Day today, Kenny Chesney called on fans to help Blue Chair Bay® Rum as it teamed up with Nashville-based nonprofit, Soles4Souls, to host a No Shoes Nation Shoe Drive before his shows at Gillette Stadium Friday, August 25 and Saturday, August 26. The effort gave Chesney’s fans the chance to help Soles4Souls create sustainable jobs to local entrepreneurs in Haiti. The drive took place at Patriots Place in the front, CBS Scene and on the concourse of section 103 at Gillette Stadium and accepted all styles of shoes. Shoe donors received one pair of Blue Chair Bay flipflops each in exchange for each pair donated. “Soles4Souls is thrilled to be a part of the No Shoes Nation community,” said Soles4Souls President and CEO Buddy Teaster. “The fact that so many of Kenny Chesney’s fans are willing to give a little of themselves, by donating the shoes off their feet, mean the world to so many women in Haiti who are looking to create a better future for themselves and their families.” The 8- time Entertainer of the Year drew an at-capacity crowd for the Foxborough shows making the 16th and 17th career sellout of the stadium for “The People’s Superstar” (LA Times). He has broken all concert ticket sales records at Gillette Stadium and has headlined the stadium more times than any other performer. The considerable, always- fervent Northeast crowd helped Chesney and Blue Chair Bay donate their goal of 40,000 pairs of shoes.

SAINT JAMES RHUMS

I have always been a big fan of Saint James rhums; it was the first Agricole rhum I had and still one of my favorites. On those big birthdays (we won’t mention which ones) I like to make a big batch of decadent Mai Tais with the Saint James Hors D`Age and a premuium Jamaican rum and commiserate with good friends. On a recent trip to Arizona, I was thrilled to once again find Saint James. The bottles were still square but the labels were updated and bore new names. To find out more about what’s new at Saint James, I contacted Nadege Perrot, International Senior Brand Manager for Saint James. First, she gave me the basics. “What’s important to know is that our Rums come from owned sugar cane plantations. They are mostly located on the Eastern side of the island, right next to the mountains. The area is rather humid compared to the rest of the island, so the taste profile (mostly for our White Rums) is this fresh and green cane flavor. SAINT JAMES Rhums are distilled in columns stills and abide by all specifications from the AOC accreditation (or “Appelation d’origine Contrôlée”, whose role is to control and preserve the quality of Agricole Rums from Martinique)”. She went on to introduce the key man behind the operation. “Marc Sassier, SAINT JAMES Oenologist since 2002, controls the whole process and makes sure the quality is maintained. He has been chosen as the “maestro ronero” of the year at the Madrid Rum Conference, and was very recently elected president of the AOC, which is a great honor and a proof that his work is respected amongst his peers.” Ms. Perrot broke down the current 16 Saint James offerings into the Core Collection and the Distillery Collection. The Core Collection includes the Imperial White (40% ABV), the Straw Pale, aged for 12 months in large vats (40% ABV), the Royal Amber, aged in large vats for 24 months (40% ABV), the Old Rum, aged 3 years in small oak casks (42% ABV), the Cuvee 1765, a tribute to the year that the Saint James Plantations were started (42% ABV), the XO, aged 7 year s in small oak casks (43% ABV), and the Vintage 2001, a new offering for the Duty-Free market (43% ABV). Next month I will tell you about the eight amazing rhums in the Distillery Collection.