A great rum is the product of a great distillery. St. Lucia Distillers Group of Companies, whose rums have gained recognition on both regional and international stages, is a perfect example of this.
St. Lucia Distillers Group of Companies is the sole rum distillery in St. Lucia, located in the agriculturally rich valley of Roseau. Established in 1972, the company was born out of the merger of Geese and the Barnard family. “Geese and the Barnard Family were actually the two main sugar distilleries on island and with the advent of bananas coming into play, the most logical thing for survival was to combine the two,” explained Sergin Joseph, Marketing Manager at the distillery. “So, St. Lucia Distillers Group of Companies was born, and the very first product that was made was actually Denros Bounty Rum.”
Fast forward to present day, and St. Lucia Distillers Group of Distillers has a variety of rums and rum related products, including local favourites such as the Bounty Rum brand and the Chairman’s Reserve brand as well as liqueurs such as Marigot Bay, and Ti Tasse. They also import several wines and spirits through their distribution branch, Barbay Limited.
Despite the intense competition on the international market, St. Lucia Distillers Group of Distillers and its products have thrived. “St.Lucia Distillers is very unique in the way we actually make rum. We use a combination of pot and column still rums which is then placed to age in various age statements. We’re able to play with flavours and different age statements to come up with those award-winning products,” explained Ms. Joseph. Over its 47-year lifespan, the company has received over 150 medals and commendations.
Their continued success can also be attributed to the commitment and teamwork of its staff. “The working environment at St. Lucia Distillers is one that is fun and allows the various persons working there to be a part of history for St. Lucia with the brands we produce,” added Ms. Joseph. “We’re like a family, working together to produce various rum brands that are revered and admired around the world.”
Furthermore, the company shows no signs of complacency. “St. Lucia Distillers since being bought over has actually had quite a bit of financial injection made in the business to be able to expand; to better market our brands and solidify some of our brands in the international market,” elaborates Ms. Joseph.
“We’ve also had some collaborations that show the connection to St. Lucia in terms of our history. Our Admiral Rodney Brand has just been relaunched with a product of three, and Admiral Rodney is synonymous with St. Lucia. We actually named our three ranges within the brand after the three ships that actually broke the line of the Battle of the Saints by Admiral Rodney: Admiral Rodney Formidable, Admiral Rodney Princessa, and Admiral Rodney Royal Oak.”
It’s safe to say that we can expect even more great rum products from St. Lucia Distillers Group of Companies in the future.
