Exclusive Interview with Mr. George Zachary Brinley, Chief Bootlegger of St. Kitts & Nevis

by ,

Q: What is your full name, title, company name and company location?

George Zachary Brinley, Chief Bootlegger, St. Kitts & Nevis. And we have a cool office that we call our Bootlegging Headquarters in Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Not many people know my first name is really George. I’m the 4th George in a row but was always called by my middle name, Zach.

Q: What made you decide to get into the rum industry? And why launch in St. Kitts?

We were just a normal New Jersey family when we stepped out of a small airplane on St. Kitts in 1985 and smelled sweet green sugarcane. I was only 7 years old! My father had decided to open a semiconductor manufacturing facility on the island nation after he read about their need for employment and a US free trade deal. After 15 years of business, and becoming the largest employer on the island, he was forced to close down the operation. This was the main event that made us look around and realize our love of the island – and the possible opportunity in front of us. 

In 2002, we met the local rum-maker Michel Joly, who Baron Rothschild had brought to the island to help produce his CSR brand. The Baron had passed away when we met him and they were going through a tough period, so the timing was good to team up. We decided to open a rum shop on the newly constructed Port Zante and to start with higher-end infused flavored rums. Our goal was the same then as it is now: to create the best-tasting flavored rums in the world.

Q: Luis and I had the pleasure of first meeting you and your father Bob many years ago, I think it was at a rum festival in Newfoundland, Canada.  Back then there were not many rum private labels and the “craft spirits” industry hadn’t been born.  Can you tell us how much your operation has changed since then?

Those were some great memories at that first Rum Festival in Newfoundland! I remember we even ran out of rum early on… we had no idea how much to bring and how tough Canadian customs would be! After winning that Gold Medal we knew we had something special though. We’ve won quite a few more Golds since then!It is interesting how we started as a small family brand – doing each run as a small batch, and now how every brand calls themselves “Small Batch”! That was the only way we could do it… and it’s actually still the only way we infuse and produce each batch. 10 barrels at a time. The only difference now is that we’re always juggling 3 batches at a time. It smells like a different delicious flavor all around our little St Kitts distillery depending on what we’re bottling. We’re still nearly exactly the same as we were in the beginning, except we know a bit more about this industry and we also have a great team selling our rums in the US. We teamed up with Opici Wine & Spirits in 2015 and it helped us become a national brand.

Q: What rums do you currently have in your portfolio?

Brinley Gold Shipwreck 

  • Spiced Rum.  Amber color. Four-year-old, molasses-based rum, aged in oak barrels. Blended with natural vanilla, nutmeg, clove, orange and exotic island spices.
  • Vanilla Rum.  Blended with natural Madagascar vanilla. Sweet, creamy, natural vanilla taste.
  • Coconut Rum.  Blended with natural island coconuts. Authentic tropical coconut taste with no artificial bite and a smooth rich flavor.
  • Mango Rum.  Blended with natural Brazilian mango.  Full-bodied fresh mango flavor, notes of citrus and peach.
  • Coffee Rum.  The only coffee-flavored rum sold in the US. Blended with natural Brazilian coffee.  Notes of butterscotch, toasted marshmallow, toffee.
  • Lime Rum.  This hand-crafted rum is a blend of pure citrus sweet natural Tahitian lime with premium Caribbean Rum. A delicious “lime-ade” after-taste that sits on your tongue.
  • White Reserve Rum.  Medium-bodied, with a palate of tropical fruit and notes of dark brown sugar.  The finish is long, with smooth vanilla and subtle oak.
  • Coconut Rum Cream.  Rich cream followed by flavors of fresh and toasted coconut. It finishes with sweet rum and notes of nutmeg and cardamom.

I can describe each of these in so many ways. I love them all like children. Coconut is our #1 seller, but Vanilla is right behind it. Coconut Cream is also a huge favorite – especially in the colder months as it is a great addition or replacement to eggnog. It’s a simple version of the Puerto Rican classic “Coquito”. For great simple descriptions of each click on the flavor from this page ~ https://www.brinleygoldshipwreck.com/the-rum 

And now many fans just know us as SHIPWRECK, even though salesmen love to sell us with the family first as BRINLEYS.

Q: Most spiced rums sold around the world are made using un-aged rum.  Your Shipwreck Spiced Rum, however, is made using 4 year old rum.  Can you tell us why you did this, despite the increased production cost associated with it?

We knew Spiced was a competitive category with Captain Morgan dominating it. We also knew a lot of these Captain drinkers enjoyed higher end craft beers and aged whiskeys. We thought why not start with a richer more high end rum and then infuse with natural vanilla & nutmeg. It gave us a distinct difference and a more “sippable” spiced rum. I like to say .. “Who needs Captain & Coke, all you need is Shipwreck on the Rocks!”. Also love jokingly saying “The Capt has been Shipwreck’D!?” Haha! 

Q: Are there plans to add new rums to your portfolio in the future?

We’ve had many new flavor and product ideas… and even have a lot of barrels aging that’s close to 7 years old now! For the time being, with the pandemic supply shortages (glass, etc…) I think we will hold on and do our best to keep up with growing demand, since we’re up 25% for 2 years in a row now!

Q: Where are your products currently available for purchase?

All 8 of our Rum varieties are sold nationwide throughout the US, with some states better than others. Our new Rum Locator should help fans locate a supporting store or bar near them ~ https://www.brinleygoldshipwreck.com/rum-locator. 

In Canada we sell well in Alberta and are in Newfoundland as well. In other provinces we are special order and pushing for store distribution (although it’s been a challenge as the pandemic has put a lot of liquor boards on a new item freeze). We also sell on many Caribbean Islands and Cruise Ships, although those sales have ground to a halt with the travel bans.

Q: You may or may not know this, but I am a HUGE, HUGE sea turtle fan.  I understand you have a soft spot for them too as many of them are born right there in St. Kitts. Is there anything you are doing on your end to help our sea turtles? 

We love turtles too! We’re so happy we found a way to give back and directly support the St Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network (SKSTMN). We donate proceeds from our annual rum sales to this group that protects their natural habitats on our island nation.  We make a point of visiting and seeing this group in action every time we have a sales group on island – which means getting our rum salesmen to swim with the turtles and help identify them.

https://www.brinleygoldshipwreck.com/copy-of-gallery

Q: When COVID-19 hit last year how did it affect your operation and how did you overcome those challenges?  When the pandemic first hit we were in a bit of shock like everyone else and expected the worst. Luckily, US Alcohol consumption increased dramatically and we were fortunate that the US store sales made up for losses in the Caribbean and on-premise at first. Once outside dining was allowed, our sales did well there as well, since even Craft beer bars gave our Rum Buckets a try in their outdoor tents. They say that Rum is a vacation drink... and I think with all of us stuck in our homes and towns, why not drink your vacation if you can’t travel!

After 6-9 months of the pandemic we realized that supply (glass especially) became more and more difficult to get. Our orders were being delayed by 7 months+. We’ve managed to stay in stock but it’s been a challenge. Also the cost of shipping (especially inland trucking) has skyrocketed up. Overall though, we’re ecstatic to have a brand that’s loved by so many and that’s growing well! 

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Hmmm.. Our Spiced Rum has a message on the inside of the label (blurred photo above). I’d tell you all the message here but think it’s cooler if you can drink the rum and then read it! 

All the facts are correct. It dates back to the British Troopship that sank off the coast of St Kitts in 1782 when they were fighting the French for the island and its sugar. In addition to that, our White Rum label has 6 shipwreck locations (latitude & longitudes) on the front label. 

Q: If people want to contact you, how may they reach you? 

Please feel free to reach out to me directly at zach@brinleygoldrum.com or call me directly at (201) 892-4000. Or they can put a message in a bottle and drop it in the ocean, postmarked for St. Kitts in the Caribbean Sea!

Margaret: Again Zach, thank you so much for this opportunity and I wish you and your entire team.  We wish you all the best!

Zach: My pleasure!

Cheers!

Margaret Ayala, Publisher