Cayman rum rolls into US market

(CNS): Local rum makers Seven Fathoms have revealed that the product is heading northbound with the first ever shipment of the locally distilled run overseas. Seven fathoms is now being exported to the US via Luxe Vintages, the exclusive US importer for the Cayman Rum.  Following an agreement signed earlier this year by the local distillery, several pallets have landed in America.   The process for US import is not easy, according to distillery co-founder Nelson Dilbert who said the firm had been working on the export process for a long time. 

“We have been working on our US import approvals for the last year which includes product testing, label approvals and working with a wide number of US agencies, including the ATF, TTB, US Customs and the FDA. The demand is there so hopefully it will be worth it in the end,” he said.

The three tier system for liquor distribution in the US means the rum will travel through the hands of the importer to the distributor and then to the retailer.  From there, the retailers are able to sell to the general public through their physical stores and also online.  One large Chicago based retailer that has listed the Cayman made rum in their stores is Binny’s Liquors.

“We are excited about the potential for growth from the US Export market.  People that come and visit us here in Cayman want to be able to find the rum at home, as they email and tell us frequently." said Walker Romanica, distillery co-founder.  “The rum proudly displays its Caymanian origin on the label, which may serve to remind some of their time spent as a visitor here. We hope it takes them back to a time when they were sipping on a rum cocktail watching a Cayman sunset on Seven Mile Beach.”

Peter Staley, Managing Director of Luxe Vintages said he liked the rum from the moment he tasted it. “With the increased demand in the US market for small-batch spirits – combined with the huge pent-up demand for Seven Fathoms from the large number of Cayman visitors from the U.S. – we knew we had a winning combination.”

Artisanal spirits taps into the current global trend of eating and drinking small, local and artisanal foods and beverages. It's also being driven by "mixologists," a growing class of high-profile bartenders who craft drinks with specialty liquors and ingredients.

Seven Fathoms is made entirely in the Cayman Islands by hand in a small craft distillery located on George Town Harbor.  The rum is aged in barrels under the sea as the ocean provides the humidity and temperature which can’t be found on land along with the constant push and pull of the waves which mimics the touch of a distiller rotating their barrels in a cellar. Despite the diligence of even the most committed distiller, the waves are able to massage the rum with a far more consistent and steady precision, the makers say.