Cornwall LivingIssue #111
The spirit of Cornwall
Capturing the essence of Cornwall in a truly unique bottle.
As the Haigh family was sat one sunny day, watching the gig rowers come in for a celebratory post-race drink at The Ferry Boat Inn, Helford Passage, a dream was born. What they saw, was a close-knit Cornish team whose success was based on teamwork, and they decided that they wanted to capture that…in a bottle!
So it was that the journey began to create a rum that could be enjoyed equally as a sipping rum or in a cocktail. After testing various blends of flavours, branding, and bottle designs, Mainbrace Rum was born, capturing the punch of agricole from Martinique and the sweetness of a Guyanese rum; a combination of tastes that had never been exclusively bottled before and giving a nose initially dominated with notes of dried fruits and toffee, followed by those of sweet apple and spices, finishing long and smooth with a subtle warming spiciness, making for an extremely well-balanced rum.
The stunning design of the Mainbrace bottle takes inspiration from naval history, and the barrels known as grog tubs; while its very name encompasses the courage, loyalty and teamwork needed to ‘splice the mainbrace’ as well as embodying the spirit of celebration and hard-won victory of those gig rowers.
Mainbrace Rum was launched at London’s RumFest in October 2019, where fellow rum enthusiasts were given the first opportunity to experience its complexity of flavours. The Haighs concentrated their efforts on making Mainbrace Rum available in its birthplace… Cornwall. And it wasn’t long before the rum took off. Now available to purchase in bars across Cornwall, this tempting tipple has won a string of awards, including Gold at the World Rum Awards, Double Gold at the World Spirits Competition and Gold at The Spirits Business Awards, to name just a few!
With its seafaring roots, it’s fitting then that Mainbrace has announced a partnership with the Port of Falmouth Sailing Association (PoFSA). The partnership will involve the sponsorship of the Mainbrace Rum Race for the Carrick Fleet, which will take place during Falmouth Sailing Week on Wednesday 11th August 2021. So, while you’re watching the racing unfold why not do it with a glass of Mainbrace Rum in hand!
Did you know?
A seafaring history.
The barrel, known as a grog tub, was used to carry the Navy rum – or ‘tot’ – given out twice daily to the sailors, sadly a tradition now obsolete!
Originating in the heart of battle, a brave team of sailors would attempt to ‘splice the mainbrace’ if it was damaged in order to save the main mast of a ship ñ a difficult, but vital task. If they succeeded, they were rewarded with a double ration of rum to celebrate.
DISCOVER MORE
You can get your fill of Mainbrace Rum from North Coast Wines in Bude, John’s Liquor Cellar in St. Ives and Truro as well as online from Drink Finder, Ellis Wharton Wines, Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange, and Mainbrace’s own website.
Mainbrace Rum
01326 735026