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Touring Appleton Estate in 1950
Step inside Appleton Estate in 1950. A rare Wray & Nephew brochure and archival photos reveal how Jamaican rum was made—from cane fields to pot stills.
Mar 9
•
Matt Pietrek
14
5
1
France’s Largest Rum Maker Hides in Plain Sight
You know Saint-James and Negrita—but do you know the company behind them? Meet France’s largest rum maker, shaping the industry from Martinique to…
Feb 20
•
Matt Pietrek
17
1
Appleton Estate Rum: How the Brand Began
The little-known story behind Appleton Estate Special and how it marked the true beginning of Appleton Estate as a rum brand in the 1940s.
Feb 2
•
Matt Pietrek
11
1
2
Most Popular
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The Fallacy of "White Rum"
May 23, 2023
•
Matt Pietrek
22
10
1
Is Bumbu Rum? It Depends...
Jun 25, 2024
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Matt Pietrek
16
3
1
The Many Myths of Smith & Cross
Sep 25, 2023
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Matt Pietrek
18
10
2
Plantation Rum Becomes Planteray Rum
Jan 9, 2024
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Matt Pietrek
19
2
1
Jamaica Rum Styles Primer
Aug 18, 2025
•
Matt Pietrek
26
10
1
Hurricane Melissa’s Impact on Jamaica’s Rum Makers
Oct 30, 2025
•
Matt Pietrek
21
5
News
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Equiano Rum - Dueling Ownership Bids
Dueling bids for the brand's assets and a founder’s exit —Equiano Rum battle spills into the spotlight.
Sep 5, 2025
•
Matt Pietrek
11
3
Equiano Rum - What Happened?
Ian Burrell announced he’s no longer representing Equiano Rum. UK government filings tell more of the story, including a possible Uncle Nearest…
Sep 3, 2025
•
Matt Pietrek
14
2
Is Luca Gargano (& Friends?) Buying The Renegade Rum Distillery?
When I first published about the upcoming sale of the Renegade Rum Distillery, the buyer —or buyers— weren’t known. However, in the past 36 hours, new…
Sep 15, 2024
•
Matt Pietrek
11
7
Renegade Rum's Sale - What We Know
The obvious question is “What happens to the Renegade distillery?” It’s not publicly known who purchased Renegade or their plans, but we can provide…
Sep 4, 2024
•
Matt Pietrek
15
10
Jamaican Rum
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Touring Appleton Estate in 1950
Step inside Appleton Estate in 1950. A rare Wray & Nephew brochure and archival photos reveal how Jamaican rum was made—from cane fields to pot stills.
Mar 9
•
Matt Pietrek
14
5
1
Appleton Estate Rum: How the Brand Began
The little-known story behind Appleton Estate Special and how it marked the true beginning of Appleton Estate as a rum brand in the 1940s.
Feb 2
•
Matt Pietrek
11
1
2
Jamaica Rum's 2024 GI Revisions Paused Per Court Order
A Jamaican court has put enforcement of Jamaica's 2024 rum GI revisions on hold, pending further hearings.
Sep 30, 2025
•
Matt Pietrek
11
1
Mai Tai Rum(s): Myths and Mistakes
The Great Mai Tai Rum Debate - Are we overthinking it? Some historical context provides guidance.
Aug 30, 2025
•
Matt Pietrek
27
5
2
Geographical Indications
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Jamaica Rum's 2024 GI Revisions Paused Per Court Order
A Jamaican court has put enforcement of Jamaica's 2024 rum GI revisions on hold, pending further hearings.
Sep 30, 2025
•
Matt Pietrek
11
1
Why Is Rum Held to a Higher Global Standard Than Whiskey?
There is no truly global standard for distilled spirit, nor is rum the wild west of distilled spirits. It’s catchy, but wrong.
Dec 20, 2024
•
Matt Pietrek
11
2
1
Rum Aging Regulations - A Tale of 14 Rum GIs
Despite having previously summarized over a dozen rum GIs, there's still plenty to learn by focusing on the post-distillation requirements for a wide…
Oct 23, 2024
•
Matt Pietrek
11
2
1
Jamaica's Rum GI Changes - Overview and Analysis
There’s news today from Jamaica regarding small but important revisions to the country’s rum geographical indication, aka GI. In what follows, I will…
Oct 10, 2024
•
Matt Pietrek
8
10
1
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