A change for Ron Barcelo?

[Rum Runner]

While searching for some info on Ron Barcelo I was surprised to find the company is now known as DuBar y Co., (http://www.dubar.com.do/english/index.htm) with no mention of the Barcelo Brand of rum. They are showing a line of rum called "Columbus". And a product I had never heard of called "Black Label", which is a blend of rum and malt whisky....Yikes!

[Edward Hamilton]

It is interesting that the copyright on that website is 2007. Products lwith names like Black Label and Jack Walker have been around for years in the islands. Though they sound familiar, they aren't exported and are blended and marketed to the emerging affluent class of young drinkers who are looking to be seen as having a more mature taste.

Taking advantage of protective trademark laws for local producers, most of these products are molasses based alcohol blended with a lesser amount of imported or domestic spirit or spirit flavoring. These blended products are sold as whisky, tequila, brandy and a host of other spirits.

In some cases, there has been legal action brought against the bottlers but since these products aren't exported they generally continue to be sold in the local market. It should be noted that as exports from these countries increase the number of what could be considered knockoff products decreases. Hey buddy, wanna buy a Rolez, cheap?

[TheRumelier]

For some reason whiskies of any discription are huge in the DR. My biggest customer is a Domincan who has four stores currently. He buys more whisky than any other customer and it's not even close. This applies to a lot of Latin countries, go to Venezuela and see all the billboards for whisky. In the DR the import duty structure has now been changed to try and support local rum producers. However a lot of the rum producers have some sort of whisky in thier portfolios. It seems so strange that a country with so many fine rums sells so much whisky!!

[Rum Runner]

Though they sound familiar, they aren't exported and are blended and marketed to the emerging affluent class of young drinkers who are looking to be seen as having a more mature taste.


I think Ed nailed it there.

[RobertBurr]

We see the whisk(e)y phenomena here in South Florida as well. We are the number one market in the world for Johnny Walker Black. Class distinction is a big factor in Latin countries. Everyone drinks rum, so those that believe they're in the privileged class, distinguish themselves by drinking fine whiskies and Scotch. Venezuela is the number two market for JW Black.

It's a serious challenge to get Latins in South Florida to appreciate the finest rums, except from their own country, of course.

[RumBarPhilly]

In Philadelphia...

...the largest liquor-based event is Whiskey Fest in November. Every year it gets bigger and bigger. Tickets become more and more expensive and harder and harder to get. The PLCB funds these events pushing a lot of money into the whiskey industry. Sure, there are always a few rums in attendance, but itd be nice to see that support to rums in our lonely land-locked state.

[JC]

Totally agree with Robert here in the Dominican Republic itґs a distintion drink whisky, because here only Barcelo Imperial itґs easy to find, and thatґs is recently cause Cerveceria Nacional Domincana agree for the distribution.

[Paulipbartender]

Someone told me the other day that vodka sales in Barbados are very close to outstripping local rum. Absolut is the cool product to be seen with. Rum's your Dad's drink and what teenager doesn't try and put as much distance as possible between what they do and what their parents do/did.

*shudder*

[RobertBurr]

Someone told me the other day that vodka sales in Barbados are very close to outstripping local rum. Absolut is the cool product to be seen with. Rum's your Dad's drink and what teenager doesn't try and put as much distance as possible between what they do and what their parents do/did.

yes, in theory, college kids should be discovering cachaзa as their own unique spirit that's accessible, affordable and most importantly -- one that their parents have never heard of. The first company to figure this out and deliver good, inexpensive cachзa to the under-30 market in the US could make a fortune when Spring Break comes around.

[rumdog007]

yes, in theory, college kids should be discovering cachaзa as their own unique spirit that's accessible, affordable and most importantly -- one that their parents have never heard of. The first company to figure this out and deliver good, inexpensive cachзa to the under-30 market in the US could make a fortune when Spring Break comes around.

Robert, don't you think that cachaca's strong flavor limits the bandwidth of its mixibility? I think that the caipirihnia's window to be the "next mojito" has closed. The mojito is still hanging on. The young crowd, looking for the next phenom potion, generally latches on to a "shots" liqueur like Jagermeister (huge female following during the height of popularity), a shots and signature drink spirit like tequila/magarita, or a shots and multi-mixable like vodka. Cachaca lacks the shots-ablity, IMO. Tequila suffers from the same handicap regarding strong taste and limited mixibilty, but is bolstered by the ritual of the salt/lime/body-shot. Yes, the ritual of making the caipirihnia is admittably attractive to youngsters, that is, until they have to go out and buy fresh limes. The JW Black does have an "on the rocks" accessability which is kind of like a shot. And, I'll bet that the sales of it by the bottle, or by the drink, is largely by men. Liquor empires gamble millions each year on the next Hypnotiq for the women and gamble on marketing exclusivity to men. I could be wrong.:D

[RobertBurr]

my theory is based on my experiments with Piranha Punch, a dangerously delicious way to enjoy cachaзa.

[Dood]

I think that, in order to truly penetrate the college student market - based on my experiences making drinks at parties for these kids (god I'm getting old) - you're going to have to see more products like Cabana Cachaca, but with a lower price-point. Cabana is a bit high-end for the college kids, but the stronger flavors of cachaca will keep it on the periphery. College kids do like to shoot tequila, but few of them like to really drink it.

College kids drink vodka, Jack Daniels....um...they drink vodka, they drink Jack Daniels...yeah...that's about it. If cachacas are really going to make a big dent in that particular market, I think they're going to have to bring down their flavor profile to be more in-line with younger American tastes.

[Dood]

Another point in favor of Jack and/or vodka from a college kid's perspective that just hit me: Jack & Coke or Vodka Tonic or Vodka & Red Bull or Vodka Cranberry (I call them Cape Cods, but whatever) are EASY. The kids know what's in them, and theY'rE fast and easy to make.

With cachaca, most drinks I've had have been a little more involved...and to be honest, most of the kids I've interacted with in college feel that anything more than base spirit + single mixer is too complicated. At a Halloween party I thought one of the kids was going to faint when I put a single dash of bitters in their drink. 3 ingredients in one glass?????!?!?!

[Edward Hamilton]

I was recently at a party full of younger drinkers. A particularly lovely young lady told me she loved rum, Captain Morgan and coke and asked what I was drinking. When I told her El Dorado 5 year old, ginger ale and a squeeze of lime she replied, "Oh, that must be an acquired taste." When I offered to let her taste it she did reluctantly, then downed just about the whole rest of my drink and then went on to tell her friends about the great drink I had offered her.

[Dood]

I was recently at a party full of younger drinkers. A particularly lovely young lady told me she loved rum, Captain Morgan and coke and asked what I was drinking. When I told her El Dorado 5 year old, ginger ale and a squeeze of lime she replied, "Oh, that must be an acquired taste." When I offered to let her taste it she did reluctantly, then downed just about the whole rest of my drink and then went on to tell her friends about the great drink I had offered her.

I've had similar experiences, but when I run in to those people again they can never remember what I gave them before and tell me that they're still drinking Jack/Captain/Vodka and Coke/Cran/RedBull.

The biggest issue is one of mindset. I drink what I drink because I enjoy it - it tastes good. I want to taste the rum/whiskey/gin in my glass and enjoy the complexities of the flavors as they work together in the drink. Intoxication is just an awesome side-effect. College kids drink to get hammered (as quickly as possible). They don't like the taste of their spirits. Spirit + Simple Mixer means they can make and get their drinks quickly and get back to the business of getting trashed.

[RobertBurr]

I was recently at a party full of younger drinkers. A particularly lovely young lady told me she loved rum, Captain Morgan and coke and asked what I was drinking. When I told her El Dorado 5 year old, ginger ale and a squeeze of lime she replied, "Oh, that must be an acquired taste." When I offered to let her taste it she did reluctantly, then downed just about the whole rest of my drink and then went on to tell her friends about the great drink I had offered her.

"Uncle Ed" spreading the word among the next generation about good rum -- one converted soul at a time.