Negrita (sometimes referred to as Negrita Rum or Rhum Negrita) is a French rum brand. It has origins back to the mid-1800s and is currently owned by French spirit company La Martiniquaise.
 | |
| Distributor | La Martiniquaise |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Caribbean (French islands) Martinique and Guadeloupe |
| Introduced | 1800s |
History
editNegrita was first blended and labeled by the Bardinet Company of France in the mid-1800s.[1] It was founded by Paul Bardinet who was a young producer of liqueurs in the French commune of Limoges. He experimented with different blends of tafia to create the new rum.[2] The brand was advertised through billboards with the slogan "el ron de la Negrita" (en. "the rum of the little black girl") with a picture of a Caribbean girl wearing Madras ribbons in her hair. The image became the symbol of the brand and the name was trademarked in 1886.[2]
Bardinet's son, Edouard Bardinet, moved the operations to Bordeaux in 1895. He added whiskey and brandies to the company portfolio, with Negrita staying as the symbol of the Bardinet Company.[2]
In 1993, the company became part of La Martiniquaise.[2]
By 1994, Negrita was the flagship brand of dark rum, accounting for 41% of grocery sales in Europe.[3]
Production
edit
Negrita is a blended rum which is distilled on the French islands of Réunion, Guadeloupe, and Martinique.[1] It is made from sugar cane juice (i.e. rhum agricole), not molasses.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b O'Reilly, James; Habegger, Larry; O'Reilly, Sean (2012). The Best Travel Writing, Volume 9: True Stories From Around The World. Travelers' Tales. ISBN 9781609520571. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
- ^ a b c d Bruce-Gardyne, Tom (14 September 2017). "Negrita: a brand history". The Spirit Business. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
- ^ "Economoist Intelligence Unit". Marketing in Europe. 1994. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ Payne, John C. (1996). The Great Cruising Cookbook: An International Galley Guide. Sheridan House, Inc. ISBN 9780924486920. Retrieved 13 August 2017.