Hawksbill unveils spiced rums with zero-waste ethos

Caribbean spiced rum brand Hawksbill has added Mango and Pineapple expressions to its portfolio, crafted from excess fruit.

The brand is honouring its sustainability mission by using fruit that would have otherwise been discarded, in an effort to ‘stamp out food wastage’. Amy McLeod, Hawksbill Rum’s marketing manager, said: “We are very proud that Hawksbill’s new flavours will use real mango and pineapple that would have otherwise gone to waste, it’s another step in the right direction for us and the industry." The launch of the Mango and Pineapple iterations arrives in time for Zero Waste Week, which takes place 6-10 September. Zero Waste Week aims to reduce waste produced per person for the sake of reducing its toll on the planet and wildlife, with the help of participants. “Alongside this, we will continue to support conservation projects, ensure the use of eco-friendly packaging for the brand and continue with our company wide ‘Project Clean Up’ which launched earlier this year,” McLeod added. To produce the rums, the cores of the pineapple and the mango are steeped in Caribbean white rum for a minimum of eight weeks. The fruit distillate is then blended with a one- and three-year-aged Caribbean rum, and the liquid is bottled at 38.8% ABV. With the Intercontinental Brands-owned rum named after the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle, the brand pays tribute to its namesake by donating 10% of the profits from every bottle sold to the conservation of turtle habitats in Barbados. Each 700ml bottling can be purchased for RRP £23 (US$31.78) from the Hawksbill Rum website. The brand's range comprises Caribbean Spiced Rum, Mango Caribbean Spiced Rum and Pineapple Caribbean Spiced Rum. Earlier this year, the rum brand partnered with Barbados Sea Turtle Project to protect endangered turtles.