Rum in the News
ANGOSTURA
Angostura recently provided support to ongoing relief efforts in Venezuela through a donation of its carbonated beverage, Angostura® Chill. This donation was made to provide aid in the ongoing relief efforts following the devastation caused by the earthquake which occurred in June of 2026. The donation forms part of the company’s commitment to providing support in times of need and assisting during humanitarian emergencies. The shipment of over 500 cases of Angostura® Chill Lemon Lime and Bitters and Angostura® Chill Sorrel and Bitters, will help provide much-needed beverage supplies to individuals and families impacted by the disaster. “At Angostura, we believe that businesses have a responsibility to support communities beyond their borders, particularly during periods of hardship. We stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela and hope that this contribution will assist ongoing relief and recovery efforts. This donation underscores Angostura’s belief that businesses can play a meaningful role in fostering resilience and helping communities recover during challenging times,” said Ian Forbes, Chief Executive Officer. Angostura’s Chairman Mr. Gary Hunt added, “As a company deeply connected to the Caribbean and Latin America, we believe that collaboration is essential in times of adversity. Recovery from a disaster of this magnitude requires the coordinated efforts of governments, relief organizations and the private sector. We are proud to support this initiative and remain committed to helping strengthen the region and advance resilience.” https://angostura.com/
CAMPARI SELLS TROIS RIVIÈRES, MAISON LA MAUNY AND DUQUESNE
Global Drinks Intel Magazine reported that the Campari Group has revealed two pending deals, one selling Bisquit & Dubouché Cognac and Cabo Wabo Tequila to Cobblestone Brands and one selling rum business Bellonnie et Bourdillon Successeurs to a “French private industry player”. The Martinique subsidiary Bellonnie et Bourdillon Successeurs, owns the rhum agricole brands Trois Rivières, Maison La Mauny and Duquesne.
Campari Group acquired French company Bellonnie & Bourdillon Successeurs, from Compagnie Financière Chevrillon in July 2019. While the sum paid was not disclosed, Campari Group said the company’s reported sales value in 2018 was EUR24.1m (then-$22.8m). At the time, the Aperol brand owner described Trois Rivières and Maison La Mauny as “strategic premium brands with a strong presence in France and potential for international growth”, while Duquesne was positioned as “a brand designed for the local market”. Now, all brands included in the sales have been categorized as “non-priority assets”.
https://www.campari.com/en-us/
KULEANA RUM WORKS
Kuleana has announced the sixth installment in the Special Release Program, Australia 14. This rum was pot distilled in April of 2009 from a molasses fermentation at Australia’s oldest registered rum distillery, founded in 1884 on the banks of the Albert River in Queensland. It was aged locally for 12 years in an undisclosed barrel. In January of 2023 it traveled to the Netherlands and into a once-used bourbon barrel, where it aged for another two years. It came out of the barrel at 68.8% ABV and was proofed down to 45% before bottling.
https://kuleanarum.com/
G.R. SHUTTER’S COHASSET PUNCH
Described as a rum punch by some and as a liqueur by others, Cohasset Punch is a blend of rum, vermouth, orange bitters, and canned peaches. Invented in the 1890s in Chicago, Cohasset Punch quickly became the Midwest’s “it” drink for several decades. But it was actually inspired by New England. Cohasset Punch was concocted by renowned mixologist Tom Newman who, alongside businessman Lewis Williams, owned Williams & Newman, a famous Gilded Age Chicago saloon specializing in fancy cocktails. The story goes that Williams visited friends in the New England town of Cohasset, Massachusetts, where rum punch was the regional specialty. Determined to impress his friends, Williams called on his business partner to come up with the best rum punch recipe. Newman invented the drink in 24 hours, sending a cask of it over to its namesake town, wowing Williams’ friends. Its success prompted Newman to make Cohasset Punch a regular cocktail item on the Williams & Newman menu, and by 1899, Cohasset Punch was being bottled and distributed. Saloonkeeper Carl Laudner of the Ladner Bros. bar took over bottling and distribution upon Williams and Newman’s retirement in 1916. The punch became a mainstay at bars and restaurants around Chicago until 1986, when Ladner Bros. closed, and Cohasset Punch quickly faded into obscurity. Cohasset Punch disappeared from menus and liquor shelves for the last 30 years or so, but it has recently seen a revival. In 2019, Gregory Shutters, a curious graphic designer-turned-mixologist, took a deep dive into Google searches on Cohasset Punch’s history and original recipes. The search became an obsession, resulting in Shutters coming up with his own formula that he produced, bottled, and debuted in 2024. Now you can find the bottles of G.R. Shutter’s Cohasset Punch on shelves in Illinois or order them online for shipping to most U.S. states.
https://www.cohassetpunch.com/
PUERTO RICO DISTILLERY
For more than a century, the building at 402 5th Avenue in Brunswick, Maryland has been a place where Brunswick residents worked, created, and built their community. Over the years it has served as a clothing factory, an umbrella factory, and a woodworking shop amongst other things. Now it begins a new chapter as the home of Puerto Rico Distillery. Guests will also have the opportunity to visit the Cultura Plenera Cultural Center which opened in the building earlier this year. Angel Rivera explained “When looking where to relocate our distillery in Frederick, we were drawn to this building because it already had a story. For more than a hundred years it had been a place where people came to work, create, and build a future. We are honored to continue that tradition by combining efforts with Cultura Plenera to create spaces where people can experience Puerto Rican culture. And we got lucky that Brunswick has a dynamic group of people in Brunswick Main Street and Brunswick Planning & Zoning that have been instrumental in our ability to reach this milestone.” This summer, father-and-daughter team Angel and Crystal Rivera celebrate the opening of Puerto Rico Distillery’s new home with the release of Clandestino Añejo. Only 218 individually numbered bottles were produced from a single bourbon whiskey barrel, making it the most exclusive release in the distillery’s history. Founder supporters received first access starting on July 24, 2026, with the remaining bottles available to the public on August 1, 2026. This release marks the first time Puerto Rico Distillery has aged its pitorro (Puerto Rican moonshine rum) in a bourbon whiskey barrel, creating a unique and distinctive expression that honors Puerto Rico’s rich rum-making heritage while showcasing the innovation and craftsmanship of Maryland’s growing craft spirits industry.
https://www.puertoricodistillery.com
FREGATE ISLAND – A RESORT WITH ITS OWN DISTILLERY
After three years of extensive renovations and substantial upgrades, the Seychelles paradise of Fregate Island will reopen later this year. One of the most unique new additions will include an onsite distillery outfitted with a custom 60-liter still. “The distillery is a key part of our circular economy,” explain Lucas Girod and Richard Lee of Fregate Island’s Food and Beverage Department. Rooted in a waste-to-wealth philosophy, the distillery program transforms surplus island produce into spirits so that its addition exhibits not just an immersive guest experience but a key part of their sustainability programming. They told Forbes writer Jillian Dara “The project was born from a desire to capture the soul of Fregate Island in a bottle and offer our guests a narrative they can truly taste. The distillery stands as a centerpiece of our commitment to local sourcing and authentic storytelling. Rum is the natural flagship spirit for the Indian Ocean and for this unique island. We have named our signature spirit Pirates Ruin Rum, a nod to the island’s storied past and the actual pirate ruins located right here on Fregate. The specific sugarcane varieties we grow here, combined with our unique climatic conditions, deeply influence the flavor of the juice. Guests can participate in a hands-on, start-to-finish distilling experience, from production to do-it-yourself bottling. We also want our guests to experience the “terroir” of the sugarcane fields located near the distillery. Our process is designed to be transparent and sustainable; every part of the sugarcane stalk is used. The juice becomes our rum, the bagasse generates energy, and the distillation waste, known as “vinasse”, becomes fertilizer that goes back into the earth to feed the next harvest. It is a beautiful, closed-loop system that guests will be able to see in action.”
https://www.fregate.com/
PALM REPUBLIC
Palm Republic Rum, the rum brand co-founded by actor Eric Winter and spirits entrepreneur Brad Parkes, announced a significant expansion of its U.S. distribution footprint, marking the company’s next phase of growth across key markets nationwide. Beginning this summer, Palm Republic Rum will expand into eight new markets through a series of strategic distribution agreements, significantly increasing availability for both on- and off-premise accounts across the country. The brand will now be represented by Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits in California, Florida, and Texas, and expand into states including New York, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Colorado. In addition, the brand will launch in Georgia through Empire Distributors, Inc. and Pennsylvania through the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, with Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits as the brands broker in the state. “Palm Republic was created to celebrate premium rum and the moments that bring people together,” says Eric Winter, Co-Founder of Palm Republic Rum. “My connection to rum goes back nearly two decades to Puerto Rico with my wife, an experience that sparked a real appreciation for the spirit. Bringing that passion into the brand has been incredibly meaningful. As demand continues to grow, partnering with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits marks a major milestone. Their scale, expertise, and relationships make them an ideal partner as we introduce Palm Republic to new markets nationwide.” https://palmrepublicrum.com/
ANNABAY CLUB
AnnaBay Club, the Curaçao-based rum producer and maker of The Rum of Curaçao, has won two Double Gold Medals at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, organized by The Tasting Alliance. The results place Curaçao-made rum alongside some of the most celebrated spirits in the world and mark another proud moment for the island’s growing reputation for quality and craftsmanship. A Double Gold Medal is awarded only when every judge on a tasting panel independently awards a spirit a Gold Medal in a blind tasting, making it one of the competition’s highest distinctions. “This is a very proud moment for us,” said Christian Branum, Rum Maker and Managing Director at AnnaBay Club. “From the beginning, our ambition has been to create a family of rums that Curaçao could proudly call its own, and that would help put the island on the map. To get this kind of international recognition shows we’re well on our way. “Produced along the shores of the St. Anna Bay in Willemstad, AnnaBay Club’s range of rums is inspired by the island’s history, people, and lifestyle. The Curaçao Originals are made with an additive-free approach, letting the character of the rum and the influence of island maturation take center stage. https://annabayclub.com/
RENEGADE RUM DISTILLERY FOR SALE
One of the spirits industry’s most influential figures has put his rum distillery in Grenada up for sale, four years after it was established. Mark Reynier became famous in the 2000’s for reviving the fortunes of Islay’s Bruichladdich whisky distillery and then selling it to Rémy Cointreau in 2012. Next, he Founded the Waterford Distillery in Ireland. Then he started work in 2020 on the Renegade Rum Distillery in Grenada. The project took a terroir-driven approach to making rum from sugarcane rather than molasses, sourcing cane from 12 neighboring farms and including a code on each bottle tracing it back to the exact farm, plot and harvest date.
Maria Daniel, Managing Partner at consultant EY Parthenon Caribbean, which is leading the sale, said “the sustainability and social impact angle add an extra dimension for prospective buyers. Across the spirits industry, sustainability happens at the margins: lighter packaging, cleaner inputs,” she said. “The core imbalance stays the same: value sits downstream, while farmers capture only a fraction of it. Renegade was built to close that gap. Farm-to-bottle isn’t a marketing line, it’s a structural model: cane locally sourced and processed on site, by-products returned to the soil, an all-female, entirely neighborhood production team.”
maria.daniel@parthenon.ey.com
REPUBLIC NATIONAL DISTRIBUTING COMPANY FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY
Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), formerly the second-largest wine and spirits distributor in the United States, has filed for bankruptcy after a yearlong collapse. Late last month, RNDC explained on their website:
“For generations, Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) has been proud to serve customers and suppliers across the United States. We are grateful for the partnerships we have built and the trust you have placed in us throughout our history. On July 26, 2026, RNDC initiated a voluntary chapter 11 process to explore potential sale transactions in court and implement an orderly wind down of our remaining operations. This decision was not made lightly. Over time, our industry has evolved, consumer preferences have shifted and the wholesale environment has grown increasingly challenging. Over the last several months, we have taken deliberate steps to transition our operations across certain markets. We pursued and closed sales that preserved over 5,000 jobs and allowed our businesses in those markets to continue serving their customers and suppliers. Ultimately, RNDC’s financial position required us to pursue an in-court process.”
The filing says RNDC has over 100,000 creditors, assets between $500 million and $1 billion, and liabilities between $1 billion and $10 billion, according to Wine & Spirits Daily, who reviewed the document.
RNDC’s filing lists the 30 most substantial unsecured claims against the company, which total over $300 million. The largest unsecured claim is a sum of $93.92 million owed to Proximo Spirits, producer of brands like Jose Cuervo, for trade debt and litigation.
https://www.rndc-usa.com/
HOUSE OF RUM
Independent bottler, House of Rum, has unveiled its first single-cask Cuban expression, a 2010 rum from Ron Cubay Distillery. Know for its ultra-premium, single-vintage, single cask and cask strength rums, this latest bottling was distilled in a column still from Cuban molasses and barreled into an American white oak cask for five years in Cuba. In 2016, it was shipped to the UK where it was re-casked into an American Oak ex-bourbon barrel and continentally aged for an additional ten years and then bottled at 43% ABV. “We have listened to our loyal vintage cask customers who have told us they wanted something from us that is easy drinking, affordable and mixable and we are sure this fits that bill beautifully. This Cuban release affirms that we are steadily building a portfolio that has a rum for every drinking style, palate and pocket” said House of Rum founder David Howarth.
https://house-of-rum.com/
