Travellers Produces a CARICOM 50th Anniversary Rum

Belize is known for many things, including its natural wonders. Travellers Liquors is also promoting Belize as one of the leading rum producers in the Caribbean. Through the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association, Travellers crafted a special edition premium rum to commemorate CARICOM’s fiftieth anniversary. Each CARICOM member state will be gifted a bottle at the CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting scheduled for July in Grenada. News Five’s Paul Lopez was at a launch ceremony.

 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“I tasted about five different blends and then of course we got to taste the special fiftieth anniversary blend which is absolutely more than two thumbs up. It is excellent, smooth, absolutely rich in flavor, and an exquisite blend.”

 

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Travellers Liquors Limited and the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association teamed up to craft a special edition rum to pay tribute to fifty years of Caribbean unity and progress. The CARICOM Fifty Premium Reserve Rum was officially launched on Wednesday.

 

Perla Perdomo, Chair, Travellers Liquors Ltd

“The West Indian Rum and Spirits Association, we are members of that and at the last board meeting a year ago, a resolution was passed that rum producers who wanted to produce in the project could participate in this project to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of formation of CARICOM. So those producers, there are fifteen members in this organization and those producers that wanted to participate took it upon themselves to come up with a blend, come up with a presentation, label to do a release for the occasion.”

 

An official launch event is scheduled for July at the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Grenada. There, all the members of the regional rum association will present their brands to the heads of government. Francis Fonseca, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will be gifting each CARICOM member state representative with a bottle of this latest blend. He was among the first to taste test the product at the launch.

 

 

 

Francis Fonseca

“It is a celebration of CARICOM, more than a year ago. This entire year we are really celebrating CARICOM, the fiftieth anniversary of CARICOM. Belize is a very proud, strong member of the Caribbean community. We value our membership in that community and so I think over a year ago the CARICOM Secretariat engaged with the private sector, including the West Indies Rums and Spirits Producers Association to say what we do, what are different things we can do to celebrate the spirt of our region and one of the things that rose out of that decision is the Caribbean is known for its rums. So they asked the producers association to discuss with their membership and I am very happy that Belize was included and our travelers liquors stepped up and said they wanted to participate.”

 

CARICOM was established in 1973 under the Treaty of Chaguaramas to strengthen regional integration and enhance the social and economic development of the Caribbean. Belize joined in 1974. There are fifteen member states in the Caribbean Community, including Haiti which was the first French-speaking Caribbean country to become a full member.

 

Perla Perdomo

“As you can see we designed a label with the CARICOM at fifty logo. The flag of Belize depicting Belize as a proud member of CARICOM with its rightful place as a rum producer as well as we have the authentic Caribbean rum trademark. This is a mark given to only those brands that pass the West Indies Rums and Spirit Association blends for rums.”

 

Jaime Perdomo, Expert Distiller

“It is aged for a minimum of five years in selected American oak barrels. The aging process results in a smooth, well-balanced spirit, with notes of vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, complimented with an array of oak spices and prunes. The rum can be enjoyed neat on the rocks, but it also serves as an excellent base for rum connoisseur’s delights.”

 

 

A press release from CARICOM notes that several of the special edition rums are unique blends that will only be available for the 50^th CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in very limited quantities. Perla Perdomo says Travellers Liquors takes pride in its contribution to the CARICOM initiative.

 

Perla Perdomo

“Travellers is very proud to be a part of the association and this project, because we feel that Belize has been a bit, I wouldn’t say ignored, but like overlooked as a rum producer. You always hear about other countries, but we are there. We have the quality. So, we wanted to showcase and be part of the group so that when our heads of government are there and do the presentation a rum of high quality is there to represent Belize.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.