Business Barbados 2022

taxing stills, stipulating that the rum had to be sold in bulk and banning rum shops from operating at the distilleries. This hostile environment saw a 97.5% reduction in the number of distilleries on the island, from 168 in 1856 to just 4 in 1905. The Barbados rum industry was saved by the introduction of column stills, which could utilise the large volumes of molasses produced by the central sugar factories. The first column still was introduced to Barbados by the Stade brothers when they founded what is today the West Indies Rum Distillery in 1893. The second was introduced by Mount Gay in 1930. The establishment of column stills on the island, along with the prevailing laws, saw the rise of the rum blenders in the early 20th century. The names of the most successful blenders are immortalised as modern rum brands. These blenders took advantage of Prohibition to re-enter the US market, which led to increased rum sales when Prohibition ended. The Barbadian rum export market fluctuated for much of the 20th century, seeing an upturn in the 1940s, followed by what has been described as ’The Doldrums’ in the 1970s. The close of the 20th century saw a rise in the fortunes of the export market, which has continued to grow. In 1996 R.L. Seale opened Foursquare Distillery, followed by St. Nicholas Abbey in 2006, thereby adding to the existing Mount Gay Distillery and West Indies Rum Distillery. With four distilleries operating on the island, Barbadian rum has made a resurgence in recent years, particularly in the premium markets, where the words ‘Barbados Rum’ are recognised as a sign of excellence in the spirits world. Geoff Ward has worked in the water industry in the Caribbean for over 15 years. He is currently completing his PhD at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, investigating the maritime and naval history of Barbados in the late 18th Century. Right: The Vulcan Triple Chamber Still at West Indies Rum Distillery is the world’s only surviving original 19th-century chamber still. 77 BUSINESS BARBADOS 2022 T H E B A R B A D I A N R U M I N D U S T R Y