Small Company, Big Plans

Pioneering a unique brewery-distillery hybrid that’s putting local ingredients on the global spirits map

In an industry where centuries-old distilleries dominate Jamaica’s rum landscape, Rick Anand and his team are building something unprecedented. As co-founder of RJ Rums and Spirits, he’s creating what will become the island’s first new distillery in 25 years, bucking a consolidation trend that has reduced Jamaica’s distillery count from hundreds to just six operating facilities today.

“We’re very small and we’re unique in the Caribbean because we’re both a brewery and a blending facility,” Anand explains. “We’re about to build a distillery. We like to think of ourselves outside the box from mainstream competitors.” The company operates from a 22,000-square-foot facility in Kingston, acquired in 2020, with capacity to produce up to 600,000 cases of beer annually. Currently running at 60% utilization, the operation employs fewer than 100 people, with Anand being the only non-Jamaican staff member.

“We like to use local ingredients wherever possible,” Anand explains. “Everything has been sort of crafted with that in mind for Brand Jamaica, keeping it small, keeping it craft, and making something a little different than some of the competition.” The approach includes sourcing ginger locally for their signature ginger beer and developing partnerships with local farmers for coconut-based products destined for global export markets.

Post-Pandemic Realities: From Local to Global

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed Jamaica’s tourism dependency while forcing RJ Rums to reimagine its distribution strategy. Before the crisis, Caribbean spirits producers relied heavily on local consumption driven by international visitors, a model that collapsed when travel restrictions eliminated tourist arrivals across the region.

“The local market is pretty much solely dependent on tourism. With COVID it showed its ugly head because you lose tourism,” Anand recalls. “Basically, there’s a lot of countries except for the US that weren’t allowed to fly. So, we had to pivot as a small company like everyone else did.” The disruption coincided with broader Caribbean tourism challenges, as the region struggled to maintain visitor numbers that had reached 32.2 million in 2023, representing a 14.3% increase from the previous year.

Anand’s response involved strategic geographic diversification. “We realized that you have to look way beyond the Caribbean to get your revenue streams in play to hopefully offset any of these world events,” he says. The company now operates in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, with expansion plans targeting Africa. “We’re trying to go back to the origin of Jamaica. We’re going back to Africa. We’re trying to break into Africa and it’s not easy, but we’re trying to figure out some of those costs and challenges.”

Building Community Through Employment

Jamaica’s employment market offers RJ Rums distinct advantages that contrast sharply with labor shortages plaguing North American markets. While craft distilleries across the United States and Canada struggle with worker retention and rising wage pressures, Anand finds himself in an enviable position within the Caribbean’s abundant talent pool.

“We actually are a little bit spoiled in Jamaica. We do have a large, talented employee base, and in most of the Caribbean, not just Jamaica, you’ve got high unemployment,” Anand explains. “So, attracting workers is not a big issue. Finding the right ones that are willing to work, that’s a different story.” The advantage isn’t just about availability. With unemployment rates consistently higher than developed markets, Caribbean employers can access skilled workers who might otherwise migrate to higher-paying regions.

RJ Rums has cultivated a relationship-based culture that prioritizes retention over rapid turnover. “Because we’re a small company, we’re less than a hundred people, everybody kind of works together. They understand what needs to be done,” Anand says. “We don’t have layer upon layer in many departments. Everybody pitches in and gets the job done.” The approach proved resilient during the pandemic’s economic uncertainty. “During COVID, we never laid anyone off. We kept everyone on payroll even though we weren’t producing. So, the company took the hit on that.”

Long-term employment relationships have become a hallmark of the operation. “Most of our staff stay with us and we have a small turnover every year, but nothing out of the ordinary. We’ve got employees now going on eight to ten years with us,” Anand notes. Brain drain remains a regional challenge, but the company’s community-focused approach has helped maintain workforce stability in an increasingly competitive global labor market.

Product Development and Market Trends

RJ Rums positions itself at the intersection of traditional Caribbean rum-making and emerging consumer preferences, particularly the growing non-alcoholic beverage segment. While the global craft rum market expands at 5.9% annually, driven by millennial demand for authentic, premium spirits, Anand recognizes opportunities beyond traditional alcoholic offerings.

“The non-alcoholic space is growing, isn’t it? Very much so,” Anand observes. However, Caribbean adoption lags developed markets. “It’s obviously not as popular as some of the more G20 countries, but in the Caribbean and some of the other surrounding countries, it’s catching on, but nowhere near what it is in America or some other markets.” The challenge, however, does not just involve consumer acceptance but production economics and market positioning.

“Non-alcoholic products are not necessarily any cheaper. They’re in fact more expensive to produce,” Anand explains. “So, you have to hit the right consumer, and you have to have the right demographics. It’s not something that you’re going to have somebody who’s low on the equity spectrum purchasing non-alcoholics when they could buy something that can give them that sensation of alcohol at a lower price.”

Product innovation remains central to RJ Rums’ differentiation strategy. “We’ve got this new ginger product, which is very unique, because most people drink it as a wine, but we’ve actually said, okay, let’s take it one step further and use things like lemongrass, which we get, and some of the local ginger,” Anand says. The company’s signature packaging includes three-dimensional bottles molded in lion shapes and transparent skull designs. “We are all a small batch. We don’t make anything in our spirit side that’s more than two to three hundred cases at one particular time.”

Building Jamaica’s First New Distillery in 25 Years

Capital investment represents the next critical phase for RJ Rums as Anand prepares to break ground on what will mark a historic milestone for Jamaica’s spirits industry. While global distillery tourism generates billions in economic impact, with whiskey tourism alone valued at $19.17 billion globally, Jamaica has seen minimal new distillery construction for decades.

“We are getting ready to bring in some investors, and we are going to be building the first new distillery in Jamaica for them in 25 years,” Anand confirms. The project leverages modern technology unavailable to Jamaica’s heritage distilleries, some dating back centuries. “We’re just looking at securing all our funding, trying to get the permits and all the permissions. Once that’s done, then we’re definitely moving forward with building a state-of-the-art distillery.”

Sustainability drives much of the facility’s design philosophy. “Technology has changed greatly in the last two years so we are going to be taking advantage of solar power and a lot of new things that have never been around,” Anand explains. “There’s distilleries in Jamaica that have been around for a couple of hundred years, so we’re looking at some new innovation to really advance our product lines.”

The ambitious vision will include tourism integration. “We’re even thinking of building an onsite restaurant with a bar and everything else. We’ve got lots of plans coming up, and we hope to be a tourist destination,” Anand says. Kingston Harbor’s strategic location offers unique advantages. “The cruise ships come into Kingston Harbor, which is one of the world’s biggest harbors, and there’s the Bob Marley Museum, and there’s not a lot else. So, we definitely want to be on that firm footing where people could have a chance to see craft beer being made and spirits being distilled.”

Lifelong Learning and Collaborative Culture

Anand’s management approach involves authenticity and collaborative leadership driving successful small-batch operations. As global craft rum brands increasingly emphasize heritage narratives and artisanal production methods to attract premium-seeking millennials, RJ Rums builds its culture around inclusive decision-making and continuous learning.

“We always say, no matter what, you never stop learning. Especially in our business, there’s always something to be learned from somebody else,” Anand explains. “That doesn’t matter if it’s from our general manager to somebody that cleans our tanks. You should always stop, listen and learn and talk and have an open dialogue and conversation.” The philosophy goes throughout the organization’s flat structure, where hierarchical barriers remain minimal.

“We’re not an autocratic type of company. If somebody has something to offer, we stop and listen,” Anand says. “I always, as a company policy, make sure that we include all people that are involved with production or procurement as part of a solution. I think the people that are hands-on understand what really is required on a day-to-day basis.”

Brand identity centers on craftsmanship rather than marketing complexity. “Our company logo says it all. The first word in our logo is craft, and that’s what it is. From our people to our craft beers and spirits, that’s the tagline really,” Anand notes. “It doesn’t have to be fancier than that because there is nobody else in our market right now that does that.”

Looking ahead, Anand remains focused on sustainable growth within Jamaica’s expanding rum sector. While challenges persist, including supply chain dependencies and competitive pressures from established producers, RJ Rums’ unique positioning as both brewery and future distillery offers distinct advantages in an industry increasingly valued for innovation and authentic Caribbean heritage.

At a Glance

Who: RJ Rums & Spirits

What: Caribbean craft brewery and spirits blending facility building Jamaica’s first new distillery in 25 years

Where: Kingston, Jamaica

Website: www.royaljamaican.com/pages/home.html

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