Bayou Rum is rebranding its Louisiana rums and adding to the portfolio, in order to tap into the thriving premium rum and craft spirit sectors. The producer is adding Bayou Single Barrel Batch 001 and Bayou XO Mardi Gras, and it is also introducing new packaging for the full range of rums, with a focus on the Louisiana provenance and craft distilling traditions. Hugues Pietrini,…

Legend has it that Admiral Horatio Nelson’s body was put in a rum cask to preserve it for transportation back to England following his death at the Battle of Trafalgar. He had just defied the odds to secure a decisive victory, constantly thwarting Napoleon and defeating a combined French and Spanish fleet, and he was due to receive a glorious open-casket funeral.

An epicurean event focusing on Cognac is set to launch next week at the Shoreditch specialist spirits retailer, TT Liquor. The first ever Cognac Experience, organised by the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) aims to unite different cognac producers who will bring cognacs ranging from VS to XO as well as special editions, single vineyard and vintage examples. The tasting gives consumers a chance…

Spirit Cartel has added Pyrat Xo Reserve Rum to its portfolio of premium spirits. The 40% abv rum, which is already a cult favourite with bartenders, is now available to the off-trade and on-trade from The Cartel. Pyrat is described as a complex yet mellow blend of fine Caribbean rums and rums aged up to 15 years from the solera system. The drink, priced at…

Martell has commissioned a new design for its iconic Cordon Bleu cognac from London agency Nude Brand Creation. The redesign is part of the house’s 300th anniversary celebrations. Martell was founded in 1715 and is the oldest of the great cognac producers. Martell Cordon Bleu is an XO cognac which itself dates back to 1912. Mike Parsonson, a partner at Nude, said: “Working on Martell…