Caribbean Rum Producers Elect a New Leader - Margaret Monplaisir of St. Lucia Distillers

One of the many hats I wear is Community Envoy for the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association, better known as WIRSPA. The organization represents the collective interests of dozens of rum producers in CARICOM counties including Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana, Saint Lucia, et al. You might think of WIRSPA as the Caribbean rum equivalent to the Kentucky Distillers’ Association or the Scotch Whisky Association.

During their recent meeting in Georgetown, Guyana, WIRSPA’s member producers elected a new Chairperson of The Board, Margaret Monplaisir, the CEO of St. Lucia Distillers. Monplaisir takes over the reins from Komal Samaroo of Demerara Distillers Ltd. Her election is significant as she becomes the first female to head the group in its 52-year history.

On a personal note, I know firsthand how passionate Margaret is about making great rum as well as leveraging WIRSPA members’ combined efforts to achieve the organization’s goals, the Responsible Drinking Initiative among them. I was fortunate to interview her for WIRSPA’s Icon Series, which shares the personal stories of people who have significantly impacted Caribbean rum over their long careers.