Shakespeare Distillery launches ‘Jester’ A New British White Rum!

Shakespeare Distillery has launched a new and unique White Rum named ‘Jester’ to accompany their portfolio of handcrafted premium products on Friday 2 April. The independent artisan spirit producer based in Stratford-upon-Avon has successfully been distilling Gin for the last five years on their own premises. Their products are inspired by the Tudor period, which is ingrained in the history of the town, being known worldwide as the birthplace of William Shakespeare. 

The name ‘Jester’ is taken from the famous sculpture of a Jester which sits in Henley Street, just yards from Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Almost all of Shakespeare's jesters were fond drinkers, and known to be bold, memorable, and popular characters - the ideal traits for a new British-made spirit.  

Most of the rum on sale in the UK has in fact been imported. Distilling rum requires patience, experience, and a palette for perfection which is why many British rum distillers choose to import their base spirit before spicing it themselves. Shakespeare Distillery are one of only a handful of distilleries in the UK to create their rum in its entirety onsite. 

The big misconception with rum is that it is assumed that the alcohol and flavour are both created during the distillation process – this is not the case! Gin gets it flavour from being distilled with botanicals whereas rum’s unique flavour and alcohol comes from fermentation.

By importing their base rum, a distillery will have no control over the flavour of the fermentation. Shakespeare Distillery’s own fermentation is a 7-day process in which the unique combination of yeast, water and sugar creates both flavour and alcohol, bubbling away slowly in ‘Titania’, their new aptly named fermenter.

The distillers skillfully and meticulously ferment sugar cane molasses to craft this base.  By using molasses, a superior and more characterful flavoured rum can be produced. The rum is then distilled twice producing a final bottled white rum of 40% ABV. The rum combines tropical fruits with a hint of citrus and buttery smooth molasses make for a rich, yet mildly sweet finish. The rum can be enjoyed sipping neat or alternatively as a rum cocktail.

The rum is available in three bottle options and is priced at £34 for a 50cl bottle, £17.50 for a 20cl bottle and £6 for 5cl bottle. These can be purchased online or from the distillery shop for click and collect and customer visits.  Free delivery is offered within the UK on all orders over £35. Purchases can also be made at Shakespeare Distillery’s own Stratford town centre shop at No 1 High Street from 12 April. 

Peter Monks, Director at Shakespeare Distillery said “Having established our business five years ago, our Gins have gone from strength to strength. We are passionate about experimenting with quality spirits and wanted to create a new spirit that was different and bold. We are delighted to launch our first brand of premium, handcrafted White Rum and I am so proud of the entire team, who have worked hard during a year of lockdowns, to produce this truly delicious Warwickshire made Rum. We’re very much looking forward to our loyal customers getting to taste it and I know they won’t be disappointed!” 

Peter added that the support and advice the business has received from CWLEP Growth Hub account manager Jim Clark has been invaluable.

He said: “The Growth Hub is like a one-stop shop. Jim is always on the end of a phone or email for business advice and he is the conduit for any schemes, funding information or advice from business professionals that we might need.

“Jim also sends information that might be of interest relating to grants or Covid support and it is really useful to be able to go to one place for all of this information since the Growth Hub is well-placed and knowledgeable in everything related to small businesses. “

Shakespeare Distillery will also be launching a spiced Rum in mid-May and have begun aging Rum in barrels for release at a later date. The distillery aims to establish themselves as a producer of UK Rum, both own brand and white labelled over the next 3 years.

Established in 2015 by Simon Picken and Peter Monks, Shakespeare Distillery is an independent artisan spirit producer based in Stratford upon Avon. Everything they produce is in small, handcrafted batches, ensuring they can devote time and attention to creating the best tasting spirits around.  The range of award-winning gins are available to buy in many local wine and spirit outlets, bars, restaurants, and hotels, with a fast-growing range of stockists.

The company also offers distillery tours to discover how gin is made as well as offering a gin school, shop, seasonal gin tasting river cruises and cocktail masterclasses.

In February 2020, the company won the New Tourism Business Award in the West Midlands Tourism Awards for their destination distillery experiences.

For more information about Shakespeare Distillery please visit http://www.shakespearedistillery.com/