BARCELÓ RUM REINVENTS ITSELF, “RAISING THE BAR” AND LETTING EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT IT

By: Liza M. Santana & Gabriel Pineres

(Miami, FL) May 19, 2009— The standard for rum drinkers is about to be raised as Barceló Rum is ready to show the U.S. market what Europeans has been raving about for years. Ron Barceló is taking aggressive steps to expose their brand to North America armed with a new bottle design, tag line, and the retaining of Creativas Group Public Relations which is based in South Florida.

Ron Barceló (with the help of Creativas Group Public Relations) is planning out a series of events featuring Barceló’s line of superior rums. These Barceló events will be carefully planned to cater to guests who truly enjoy this palate pleasing Caribbean spirit called Rum. Rum lovers will rejoice as these events will feature cigars, music, art, and of course the Barceló company which has a history as rich as their award winning spirits.

Barceló & Co. was created by two Spaniards Julian and Andres Barceló in 1929. Upon arriving to the Dominican Republic they opened the Barceló & co. distillery with the goal of producing high quality rum. Their operation was kept small as they were careful not to compromise the quality of the product. By producing smaller batches they were able to achieve better quality control which has earned them their place as one of the best rum producers in the world. In the year 2000 Barceló and a group of Spanish entrepreneurs created Barceló International, S.A. with the purpose of opening new markets to the company. Our Master distiller still produced Barceló Rum in the Dominican Republic with the same care and attention as eighty years ago.

Barceló Rum boasts a line of five quality rums to cater to any occasion. The light and crystal clean Ron Barceló’ Blanco age one year in oak barrels is perfect for mixing cocktails and most directly takes you back to the sugar canes of the Caribbean. Ron Barceló Dorado is aged a minimum of 18 months in oak barrels, boasts a golden hue, and is mostly mixed to obtain your cocktail of choice. Ron Barceló Anejo is considered a “Superior Blend” from a select group of premium aged rums and aged for four years in American Oak barrels. This Rum is enjoyed straight or mixed wisely. Ron Barceló GRAN ANEJO is Amber colored, with golden hues and aromas of citrus and peach and woods, it is the product of a careful blend of rums naturally aged for over four years in American oak barrels. These four rums put forth by Barceló were the staple of the company for many years. These quality rums inspired rum enthusiasts while collecting countless awards and medals the world over. With an already superior line up Ron Barceló had one more surprised up its sleeve when in 1980 they introduced rum that set a new standard, Ron Barceló Imperial.

Ron Barceló Imperial’s coup d'état on the rum world is well known as it attained the title of the “World’s Best Rum” after attaining a staggering 97 points out of 100, this being one of the highest scores in the history of the prestigious Beverage Testing Institute of Chicago. Such quality isn’t easily attained. Barceló Imperial is processed in one of the most modern distilling plants in the region. Perfection comes from using molasses from the finest sugarcane in the Caribbean and naturally aging for eight years in Kentucky oak barrels once used to age bourbon. The rest of the recipe is a long held secret by the Barceló family which adds to the mythical story of this superior rum. How it is made is one thing but the real pleasure starts when one sits back and sips on this world class spirit which is truly fit for the rum connoisseur.

With a great set of products and an amazing team of professionals pushing the brand all over the US, Barceló is more and more visible lately. Recently, hundreds of rum lovers flooded an array of events celebrating the “Rum Renaissance” including the main one held at the Shore Club on South Beach this past May 16th. The event, which showcased some of the world’s finest rums, featured a wonderful mix of professionals, experts, rum enthusiasts, members of the trade and the spirits media. Barceló was present at the event with models sampling the featured specialty drinks concocted by local Miami “mixologist” Elvis Rodriguez. Presented by GiftedRums.com the event was a huge success for organizers and for Barceló as a brand.

When asked about the direction of Barceló in the near future, Alex Mejido, vice president of Blend Wine & Spirits stated: “We are so excited about all the great new initiatives we will be implementing in the further to grow the awareness and loyalty to Barceló. With changes in the times, consumers and marketplace, come changes in the way that we do things to promote our brand.”

Attention rum lovers: Ron Barceló is ready to take you on a vacation to the Dominican Republic. No need to pack for this trip as the as you enjoy this laid back Caribbean destination with each and every sip of Ron Barceló. For more information: www.myspace.com/barcelorum www.facebook/ronbarcelo.

For media inquires and interviews, please contact Creativas Group at info@creativasgroup.com or 305.968.2384. For images: Please contact Creativas.

For distributor information please contact Blend Wine and Spirits sales@blendwineandspirits.com or 954.322.1057
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