Elevating Rum Culture – The Visionary Behind St. Lucia Distillers and Manchester Rum Festival: DAVE MARSLAND

Based in Manchester, UK, Dave has worked in the industry for 18 years. He started as a bartender and worked his way up to management. In 2011, he founded his brand agency, Drinks Enthusiast, dedicated to developing small spirits brands in the UK. In 2013, he became Brand Ambassador for St. Lucia Distillers, focusing on Chairman’s Reserve and Admiral Rodney, as well as the launch of Bounty in the UK market.

In 2017, he identified an opportunity to engage more rum brands in the North West of England, which led him to create the Manchester Rum Festival. Let’s learn more about Dave in this interview:

TRL: How do you see the rum market evolving in the next 5-10 years, and what trends do you think will shape the future of the industry?

The understanding of rum has improved much lately, with transparency a key factor for consumers to not only engage with brands but to make an informed decision – much like they do with whisk(e)y. Spiced and flavoured rums are seen as divisive in the rum industry, but I see it as an opportunity to evolve palates and an understanding of cultures, especially those with a heritage of spice cultivation and generational impacts.

TRL: What are some recent initiatives or products you’ve launched that have been particularly impactful?

Launching Bounty 151 Strong into the UK meant an opportunity to educate, and bring forward the Saint Lucian approach to strong rum. Not focusing on the ‘shot’ culture, instead, I put together a cocktail booklet of balanced serves that utilize Bounty 151 Strong, without the expected use of setting it on fire, whilst also gaining feedback and promoting bartender collaborators who have first-hand experience of selling a range of rum profiles to customers across the UK. To disrupt the Jamaican strong rum market, especially during carnival season, by bringing Bounty 151 Strong to lead alongside the Lucian carnival staple of Bounty Gold, meant that the brand’s overall visibility could be enjoyed without the negative approach that strong rum can sometimes bring to the palate.

TRL: How do you educate consumers about your rum, and what’s the most important lesson they should take away?

For me, telling a story has always been my strong suit. By visiting Saint Lucia numerous times, I’m able to incorporate the brand message within my own experiences. Across all St. Lucia Distillers brands and bottling, I’ve either been a part of the launch, or have seen that particular expression develop over the years, and the aforementioned transparency relates best to both consumers and trade in the honesty that St. Lucia Distillers prouds itself upon.

TRL: Can you share a collaboration or partnership that helped elevate your brand to new levels?

We’ve recently been collaborating with British actor Ralf Little with Chairman’s Reserve after he came across the rum on his travels to Saint Lucia after filming his successful television drama, Death in Paradise, for the BBC in Guadeloupe. With a renewed interest in the Caribbean lifestyle through a consistent key demographic around the world for us, pairing ourselves with Ralf became a great opportunity to not only tap into the show’s audience but also his followers who appreciate his honesty and genuine ability to like something. This continued our approach to the market as a brand with integrity, believability, and the ability to be enjoyed across all scenarios without it being ‘forced’ through one-off collaborations or down to a big-budget investment.

TRL: What’s one piece of educational advice you would give rum lovers to better understand the spirit?

Try, try, and try again. Palates adapt over time and going back to a bottle can be a joy to re-visit if it wasn’t ticking all your boxes the first time around. Also, don’t feel afraid to ask what may be a silly question. Everyone is at different levels of not just trying rums, but understanding production and processes. I for one will never judge if you don’t know your pot from your column stills, or grew up only drinking supermarket-driven brands – I’m just happy that someone is giving the category a go!

TRL: How can people learn more about you? Website? Social media page? People can follow me on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/drinksenthusiast/ or visit www.drinksenthusiast.com