New Zealand-based company Reactory has launched a technology that claims to age spirits in a matter of days rather than decades.  Led by CEO and founder Dr Mark Eltom, the deep-tech firm said it combines chemistry, engineering and precision process control to create a revolutionary new approach to spirit maturation.  A new concept to the market, the company gained traction after Eltom Distillery won gold at the London…

English rum may still be a nascent category, but talk of a Geographical Indication further down the line could put it on the map, writes Eloise FeildenFifteen years ago there were no rum distilleries on English soil. The term ‘English rum’ denoted brands buying in liquid from elsewhere – namely islands in the Caribbean – and selling it under a British label. That all…

Aluna Rum has signed a new UK distributor after being with Mangrove UK for eight years.  Aluna Rum, which was launched by Heather Graham and Guy Ritchie in 2017, has announced that Brand Tap Group will distribute its products in the UK, commencing 1 January.  Graham, co-founder of Aluna Rum, said that the swap comes as the brand…

Despite global headwinds for spirits, Spiribam – the family group based in Martinique – is bucking the trend. CEO Gregoire Gueden tells Drinks Retailing how the Caribbean rum portfolio is driving growth in key markets, leaning on Mangrove Global in the UK, and why he believes the industry’s current turbulence is only temporary. There’s a lot of debate around just how…

Dropworks Rum is offering the public a chance to buy shares in the business as a way of raising funds for future investments.  The business, based in Sherwood Forest, will launch its first-ever crowdfunding campaign on 1 September.  This comes two years after the launch of the UK-based rum distiller, created by Lewis Hayes after 20 years in the drinks…

The world of international rum is expanding, but how can retailers help consumers get to grips with such a varied category? Millie Milliken explores Rum has been the next big thing for the last 30 years,” says Nick Gillett, managing director of Mangrove Global. While it might have taken a few decades, it does seem that the sugarcane and molasses-based spirit has been…

Jamaican rum brand Wray and Nephew has launched a free funding initiative to support black UK businesses, in partnership with Founder Vine.  The Wray Forward programme, returning for the fourth year, aims to bolster businesses through funding, mentorship, workshops and networking opportunities.  The brand said this follows its own research, which revealed that 68% of black entrepreneurs feel there are insufficient business…