Premium rum Captain Morgan Gold launched in Kenya – PHOTOS
East African Breweries Limited (EABL) has officially launched premium spirits brand Captain Morgan Gold.
The regional brewer, which has until now been importing the rum produced by its parent firm Diageo, will now be producing the premium spirit in the 250ml bottle at a recommended retail price of Sh270.
EABL has started brewing Captain Morgan Gold at its Ruaraka brewery in Nairobi as it seeks to tap into the growing market of spirits drinkers.
The sugarcane and other raw materials are sourced from the country which means the taste is slightly different from what’s available in other markets.
David Phillip, who has been brand ambassador for Captain Morgan for about two decades, is in Kenya and has been drawing curious stares, not just for his tall stature and flamboyantly elaborate pirate costume but also for his loud and animated persona.
LOCALLY PRODUCED
Speaking during the launch in Nairobi on Thursday, Fred Otieno, Kenya Breweries Limited Head of Innovation, said by June EABL will start producing the 750ml bottle that will retail at Sh800, Sh400 cheaper than the imported version of the rum.
“The fact that it is locally produced, using local inputs, means that it will have a slightly different taste than the original,” said Mr Otieno.
He added that they had seen a lot of their consumers shifting to mainstream and premium spirits brands.
“By locally producing a brand such as Captain Morgan, our customers get to enjoy a renowned drink at an accessible price.”
The recipe used in production of the Captain Morgan variant will next year be adopted for local production in EABL’s regional markets as well as in Diageo’s subsidiaries in West Africa, Mr Otieno added.