County Down spirit distiller The Copeland Distillery has secured a listing for its rum with retailer Sainsburys.
Smugglers’ Reserve was launched only last October and will now be available to buy in all of the supermarket’s Northern Ireland stores.
It is the latest win for the company which was set up five years ago by Gareth Irvine.
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Copeland also produces gin and whiskey, with the latter due for release after maturation in 2024 - from a former cinema in Donaghadee.
Since then, it said it has sold 75,000 units across the world to export destinations including Australia, the US and China.
Mr Irvine said honing the production process has been difficult.
“Rum can be a tricky spirit to get right but this listing underpins how skilful our team is and how innovative our products are,” he said. “There are very few Irish rums on the market and whilst we compete with the category’s global leaders, our listing with Sainsbury’s shows that our rum offers something different.”
He said the resurgence of cocktail making bodes well for the new rum.
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“The rum category is primed for a huge comeback this summer with classics like the Mai Tai, Pina Colada and Mojitos all offering consumers a taste of far-off places, despite most of us choosing to holiday at home this year. Smugglers’ Reserve is a stunning liquid that is robust enough for both at-home cocktail lovers and professionals to experiment with.
“Just like the brave and determined smugglers who inspired our rum, we’re excited to bring Smugglers’ Reserve to Sainsbury’s customers here in Northern Ireland. This new listing will increase brand visibility and accessibility and allow us to share the history and heritage of Donaghadee as a coastal community with a wider audience.”