Less than a year after its launch a 100% British-made infused rum is being exported to the Caribbean as sales of the spirit make it a £1billion industry in the UK.
Daymark 1683 takes its name from the distinctive red and white beacon that serves as a daytime navigation aid on St Martin’s in the Isles of Scilly.
The family making it have had a home on the tiny, idyllic island for the past 40 years and they combine the samphire picked at the water’s edge with sea salt to infuse the small-batch rum their company is distilling and producing wholly in the UK
The Caribbean has long been associated with rum and the Strong family took personal tasting lessons with the Mount Gay Distillery in Barbados whilst researching their product.
Now the painstaking learning and preparation that took family members around the world in search of perfect rum-making has resulted in Daymark 1683 being sold into some of the Caribbean’s most famous bars and hotels.
“In late 2019 we shipped significant orders to both Bermuda and Barbados,” said Neil Strong. “In both countries, rum is clearly at the heart of the nation and its people and we are delighted to be working with companies like Two Rock Wines, a Bermudian wholesaler that specialises in sourcing high quality products from family-owned wineries and distilleries worldwide.
“They sell into some of Bermuda’s finest locations including the five-star Loren Hotel at Pink Beach, Huckleberry Restaurant, Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, the Waterlot Inn, Fourways Restaurant and Harry’s.
“In Barbados, our stockists include the Coral Reef Club, the five-star Sandpiper Hotel, The Sea Shed, 1.11 East and local mixology company Shaken with Ice.
“On New Year’s Eve, the Coral Reef Club’s main cocktail was ‘Daymark Decade’ which combined our delicious salty rum with local fresh juices.
“Island life and scenery have been the inspiration for Daymark 1683 and, as a family, we’re passionate about our rum and the impression it’s been making both here and abroad.
“The Daymark was built on St Martin’s northeast shore in 1683 and still stands proud. That’s why we’ve chosen it for our branding and why we’re delighted it’s becoming such a familiarfeature in locations thousands of miles away.”
The value of the rum market in the UK grew at a rate of 7.5% between 2017 and 2018, according to analyst GlobalData.
This is roughly double the rate at which sales of gin grew. The gin market saw annual growth at a rate of 3.8% in the same period.
This, the group said, “clearly demonstrates how rum is capitalising on the slowing gin market after years of growth.”
Rum sales in the UK hit the £1billion mark in 2017, according to the Wine and Spirits Trade Association , up from £960million in 2016.
