our Story
Something about a fire draws friends together, unleashing a world of storytelling and idea creation. Such was the case in Abaco, Bahamas where Flip Pallot, Oliver White, Clint Kemp and Graham Hegamyer rested around a crackling fire sipping Rum, smoking cigars, and reflecting on life.
The conversation drifted toward the romanticism and history of Rum. Contrary to the notion of Tiki Bars and fruit drinks, Rum created properly is a sophisticated spirit mentionable in the same likes of fine Scotches, Whiskeys, and Tequilas. The only problem is that with so many Rums on the shelf, it has become increasingly difficult to separate the good from the bad.
An idea sparked where we felt it our job, more our duty, to use all of our strengths and share with the world what a superior Rum is supposed to be. With the help of Clint’s friend, Dave, and Oliver’s friend, Ralph, we had partners who were behind the project financially.
Our crusade led us to Panama to a true living legend- Don Pancho Fernandez. Known as the “Cuban Minister of Rum”, Don Pancho is behind more classic Rums than most realize. Upon hearing our mission, he blessed us with the greatest gift of all by opening his reserves and creating us a product that we all felt was the epitome of a historical and classic Rum having ages 8, 12, 15, and 21 Year.
When realizing you have been granted access to such an incredible Rum through a legendary Master Distiller, where do you even begin creating a bottle worthy of containing such a treasured fluid? Simple- you travel back in time a few hundred years.
As a Bahamian, Clint spent many days throughout life wandering unexplored shorelines lost to time. On one of these walks years ago, he stumbled upon a perfectly intact bottle from the late 1600’s that once contained Rum of the era. We discussed and felt we had a Rum worthy of being brought back to life in such a significant container. We tirelessly created our bottle to perfectly match the original and carry on the legacy of a lost time.
Choosing the Frigate bird as a symbol of our brand was a relatively easy decision. The Frigate, known as an omen of good fortune to fishermen, represents a larger part of ourselves in that its life is based upon venturing into the unknown. Spending months in the air over an ocean they cannot land on, they live a life of seeking, which we are familiar with. All of us involved spend our lives “on the wing” in search of uncharted endeavors.
Beginning the process of turning a product into something available through actual stores was a whole new project. Luckily, as the small fishing community usually works, we crossed paths with two like-minded souls who happened to have just the skills needed. Famed fly tyer Drew Chicone and his childhood friend Chris Quarles came on board as a team to take their logistics backgrounds and intimate industry knowledge and make our product viable at the consumer level. At this point we had the juice, bottle, brand, and distribution.
Our journey continues as we push through the rigorous Spirits industry in the U.S. and try to share our passion with the world. Follow us on our journey as we have met others who share our ethos and ultimately have taken an idea and turned it into something capable of beginning a new chapter in the history of Rum.