Business View Caribbean | Volume 8, Issue 7

40 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 8, ISSUE 7 “So, we have a long history of relationship with Diageo, and now we have a major partnership with Sazerac,” reports Miller. National Rums also values distribution partnerships, such as CPJ (Caribbean Producers Jamaica) – the distributor of National Rums products in Jamaica; their U.S. distributor Deutsch Wines and Spirits; and Demerara Distillers Europe B.V., which is responsible for European distribution. Shareholder support is also important to National Rums of Jamaica. Miller emphasizes, “We have amazing partnerships and we get extremely phenomenal support from our three shareholders, The Government of Jamaica, DDL and West Indies Rum.” With exports to 11 U.S. States, and 16 EU Countries, along with the U.K., National Rums was fortunate to have minimal supplier issues during COVID-19. “We were really blessed in that – because a lot of our rum is being aged, COVID didn’t impact us in that way,” says Miller, adding, “What has impacted us is the shipping Reserve, which has matured for a minimum of ten years, with a deep golden brown color and an aroma of spice and fruit; and Platinum, a colorless rum, aged for a minimum of two years with a sweet taste, is the newest addition to the Monymusk collection. “All rums in Monymusk come out of both distilleries – Long Pond and the Monymusk,” Miller shares, adding an exciting announcement for the company. “We are launching our first product under the Long Pond brand and everything under that brand will come out of the Long Pond distillery.” Relationships are an important role in the success of the business. For many years, National Rums has been supplying their Jamaican rum for the Myers’s brand of products. The Myers’s brand, which was owned by Diageo, has recently been acquired by Sazerac. Diageo owns the Captain Morgan brand, using rum only from National Rums for their Captain Morgan Black product.