New rum brands developed by Northern Irish business
Butterfly Cane Rum has been developed in Northern Ireland by a leading wine and spirt merchants. Belfast-based Botl has launched the novel rum in a £500,000 investment.
Botl, a supplier and distributor of a range of wines and spirits is targeting burgeoning demand for rum among the lucrative 'Millennial' market of 18 to 30 year olds.
Butterfly Cane Rum is an entirely new product, a premium-quality, three- year old rum matured in oak barrels by Angostura-manufacturer Fernandes Family Distillers in Trinidad to hit the taste profiles currently popular in the rum category.
The brand name is inspired by nature, with the pure cane sugar grown in Trinidad and harvested when the native species of butterfly, known locally as the Scarlet Peacock, land on the crop feeding off the ripe sap.
The new brand is available as a 37.5% ABV, three-year old golden rum alongside a Spiced variety, which is infused with a mix of spices and vanilla to offer the perfect balance of rich deep taste and spiced warmth at 35% ABV.
Botl is owned and operated by drinks industry stalwart Jim O'Neill with his son Conor as sales director.
"We were looking for a younger, more energetic drink," says Jim O'Neill.
"The brand name and taste profile were researched thoroughly by an agency in London and we believe it will be more appealing to the younger generation. It will be positioned alongside the category leaders to take them on, and is premium in every way from the spirit itself to the labelling, packaging and carton quality.
"The label is UV inked to catch the light in nightclubs and we hope this level of attention to detail will give it universal appeal."
O'Neill is well established in the local drinks trade, beginning his career with the Irish Bonding Company, Diageo and Hollywood and Donnelly, before founding and running United Wine Merchants for 20 years prior to its sale to Waverley TBS. Botl, already boasts a £15 million turnover.
Botl has a number of trading contacts with retail chains in Great Britain in place, and is seeking a distribution partner both there and in the Republic of Ireland to strengthen its position in those markets while interest is already coming in for the new brand from as far afield as the US.
"Our focus in the on-trade will be to build the brand in trendsetting pubs," says O'Neill.
"We will be working with mixologists to create cocktails around the product, and will be giving support to those listing it from optics and show cards to tasting events and promotions throughout the year.
"I've been involved in rum for 50 years, and it's one of the few categories in growth while other spirits are in decline. It's an exciting time for us; this is our future and can only be good for Northern Ireland. We have high expectations, and hope the trade will support this local product."
