Island Rum Brands has boosted the reach of its two Cuban rum brands, readying the rollout of Black Tears Dry Spiced and La Progresiva to Germany.
The privately-owned, 13-year-old company, which has a production arrangement with the Cuban government for the pair, has secured the services of Karlsruhe-based Kammer-Kirsch as its distribution partner. The new market joins the UK and France in Western Europe as well as Kazakhstan, which was announced last month, in stocking the two expressions.
Black Tears, which Island Rum Brands claims was the first spiced rum to come out of Cuba, will feature in all of Germany’s alcohol distribution channels, while higher-end sipping rum La Progresiva (below), will be available from “specialty retail” operators and the on-premise.
“This launch is a particularly important milestone, as we are entering one of the biggest – but also most challenging – markets in Europe,” said Island Rum Brands’ international commercial & marketing director, Helena Zakmane. “I trust that the partnership with Gerald Erdrich and his team at Kammer-Kirsch will be long-lasting and successful.”
The rum category has witnessed a slew of M&A transactions recently; Six months after offloading Venezuelan rum Pampero to Gruppo Montenegro, Diageo announced the sale three weeks ago of its Cacique brand, also produced in Venezuela, to La Martiniquaise-Bardinet.
Pernod Ricard got in on the act in August, agreeing the divestment of South African rum Red Heart to KWV.
