Above: PMs past and present gather to barrel a special edition Appleton Rum

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and a number of her predecessors gathered this week to barrel a special edition of Appleton Rum that will be opened to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence in 2062.

The barreling ceremony for the Apple Estate Jamaica Rum Prime Ministers’ Reserve took place at the offices of J Wray & Nephew Limited on Spanish Town Road.

The blend includes the current 2012 product and some of the 50-year-old Reserve from 1962 that was aged for the 2012 celebration.

“As Jamaica moves into another 50 years, it is partnership, unity and working together for growth, development, job creation and prosperity that must be the basis on which we achieve the level of development necessary,” Simpson Miller said. “If we do not have this partnership, we will never be able to succeed.”

There are nine barrels of the rum, each bearing a plaque identifying the Prime Minister who filled it, along with their signature.

They will be on display at the aging warehouse at the Appleton Estate.

Simpson Miller was joined by former PMs Andrew Holness, Bruce Golding, PJ Patterson, Edward Seaga, Glynn Manley, the wife of Michael Manley; the wife of former PM Hugh Shearer; Bindley Sangster, who represented Sir Donald Sangster, and Seragh Lakasingh, who represented Alexander Bustamante.

Appleton and J Wray & Newphew were sold earlier this month to Italian firm Campari for $414.8 million USD.