A Short History of Antigua Distillery Limited

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  In 1929 a group of eight local businessmen came together to buy molasses in bulk and control the distillation process for their rums. All but one of the group were successful rum shop owners. The members of the group were John R. Anjo, Joseph de Freitas, Manuel Dias, Emanuel C. Farara, Quin Farara, Emanuel Gomes, C.F. Joaquim and John A. Vieira.
  
  They raised £2,500 as capital, and in 1932 they formed a company which they named Antigua Distillery Limited (ADL).

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  The directors of ADL established their own rum distillery in 1933, on leased land on Rat Island in St. John's harbour. In the early days of this venture, Rat Island was reached by a causeway running out from lower St. John's, but in later years extensive landfill linked the little island more directly to the mainland.
  
  The early ADL distilling equipment was a 4 column copper Savalle still from France. For a number of years after the still was made operational the company bought molasses from the government-controlled Antigua Sugar Factory, and from the smaller, independently owned Montpelier sugar factory, which they later bought.

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  The first rum produced by ADL was sold un aged rum in casks to local rum merchants by allotment and aged or matured rum known as Caballero Rum. Each merchant blended and bottled the rum under a distinctive private label for sale in his rum shop. Some of the old rum labels were Red Cock, Silver Leaf, White House, Black Cock, and Bolanda. The only private label that has survived is Bolanda, which is still sold at Bushy's Rum Shop in Bolans.
  
  In 1947 ADL introduced its own label, Cavalier Muscovado Rum, and a lighter version of this rum, using a faster fermentation process, is still marketed today as Cavalier Antigua Rum.

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  The company replaced its Savalle still in 1991. The new still is a 3-column pure copper still from John Dore & Co. in England, modified on site to simulate 5 columns.
  
  The choice of copper rather than stainless steel is important, as interaction between alcohol and copper contributes to the flavour of the finished rum, and mellows it as it ages. The ADL still is the only column still in the Caribbean to which other metals have not been added. All maintenance and repair work are done with copper to preserve the integrity of the still.

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  With the new still in place ADL has expanded its product mix. English Harbour Rum was introduced in 1994, and named for Antigua's historic naval tradition at English Harbour in the south of the island, and with a bow to the Royal naval tradition of distributing a daily tot of rum to each sailor on board its ships.