WIRSPA Chairman’s Letter, 2021
WIRSPA Chairman's Letter, now available - read below or download.
Rum Producers Recommit to Responsible Drinking Actions
Caribbean rum producers - members of the West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA) - meeting recently, recommitted themselves to focusing on collaborative actions around promoting responsible drinking, and…
Caribbean Export and WIRSPA Partner on the Absolutely Caribbean Virtual Expo
Caribbean to host the Absolutely Caribbean Virtual Expo with 50 Caribbean exhibitors WIRSPA and Caribbean Export work together to support increased trade Eight Rum and Rum based spirits brands from…
WIRSPA News Roundup, July 2020 to October 2020
WIRSPA NEWS ROUNDUP includes: Consumption in COVID-19 – What Will The Year Look Like? New Rum Labels Promote Responsible Consumption No-Deal BREXIT Looks to Pose Challenges for Rum Shipments between…
Producers Add Valuable Information To Caribbean Rum Labels
Caribbean Rum Producers are now way ahead of many of their international counterparts with the introduction of new labelling on Caribbean Rum Products that will increase the information provided to…
Caribbean Hospitality Professionals to benefit from training through WIRSPA /WSET Partnership
Mixologists, bartenders and other hospitality professionals in the Caribbean, who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will be the beneficiaries of a partnership between the West Indies Rum…
High Ester Rum Production with Vivian Wisdom
Often shrouded in mystery and tall tales, terms like “dunder” and “muck” are catnip to rum enthusiasts who crave the magnificent, high ester, funky rums from Jamaica and elsewhere.
Caribbean Rum Producers to Benefit from Maintained Brexit Tariffs
Despite changes coming as a result of Brexit, Caribbean Rum will continue to be protected from unfair competition from subsidised cheap rum entering the UK market from other countries. Following…
WIRSPA News Roundup, March 2020 to June 2020
WIRSPA NEWS ROUNDUP includes: Long Road Ahead to Recovery Industry Pushes Back Against WHO /PAHO Messaging United Kingdom Adopts Global Tariff in Preparation for Full Brexit WIRSPA ACR Brands Exploit…
Defining Caribbean Rum – The CARICOM Rum Standard
It’s often proclaimed that rum has no rules; that it can be made in whatever manner desired. In response, rum experts decry the absurdity of such proclamations, pointing to the pile of rum regulations from Jamaica, Martinique (France), Brazil, and Cuba, along with lesser known examples such as Guyana, Panama, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic as proof. It’s unfortunate, but many enthusiasts simply aren’t aware of these per-country regulations, which might consist of technical specifications and/or Geographical Indications, or GIs for short.
However, there’s another rum regulation that even most rum experts aren’t aware of: The CARICOM Regional Standard for Rum. It’s been in place since 1991 yet is rarely spoken of. However, it defines the baseline for what can be called “rum” in over a dozen Caribbean rum producing countries. Just as the European Union and United States have their definition of rum, so does CARICOM – the birthplace of rum. If anybody should have an opinion about what rum is, it’s the Caribbean countries.