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2021 Tiki Caliente

Deadhead Rum Announces Six New Sales and Distribution Partners in the USA

Deadhead Rum Announces Six New Sales and Distribution Partners in the USA

Deadhead Rum Announces Six New Sales and Distribution Partners in the USA

Temecula, California – (July 15, 2021) Deadhead Rum, a product of Rones de Mexico and Imported by Iconic Brands, is pleased to announce that it has entered into distribution agreements with Silesia Brands, Inc./Phoenix AZ, Blurack/ Dania Beach, FL, Worldwide Beverage Group/Lenexa, KS, Alt Imports/Las Vegas, NV, OK Spirits/Morre, OK, and Cavalier Distributing/Richfield, OH.

“We are celebrating our 10th anniversary in business this year with coast-to-coast parties and the timing of these new distribution deals couldn’t be better,” says Kim Brandi, CEO and Founder of Iconic Brands which imports and markets Deadhead Rums. Deadhead Rums are distilled in the jungles of Chiapas, México by Rones de México, an award-winning family-owned distillery since 1948.   

“Deadhead Rum’s unique bottle designs have always separated themselves from other rum brands on retail shelves,” says Konrad Zietal, CEO of Silesia Brands, Inc., a specialty distributor in Phoenix, AZ. “My wholesale customers are always looking for unique products and the Deadhead brands are unique.”

Deadhead Rums also announced an exclusive direct-to-consumer (DTC) online deal with Blurack.Com, a new type of liquor distribution company. “We will be selling Deadhead Rums on our online retail platform as well as direct delivery services to the Tri-County area which includes Palm County, Dade County, and Broward County,” says Shawn Lederman, CEO at Blurack, which is headquartered in Dania Beach, Florida. “We’re very excited to partner with a portfolio of proven spirit brands,” he added. 

Deadhead Rum is celebrating its 10th year as a company and recently was recognized with a gold medal at the 2020 Craft Spirits International Awards Competition for its Deadhead single blended 6 year old Rum. The Tasting Panel rated Deadhead aged rum with a 95-point score and gave Deadhead Dark Chocolate Rum a 92 score. 

Deadhead Rum available products will include: Deadhead Single Blended 6 Year Old Rum  (40% ABV, 750ml SRP: $35.99); Deadhead Dark Chocolate Flavored Rum (35% ABV, 750ml SRP: $41.99); Deadhead Single Blended 10 Year Old Rum – Limited 10th Anniversary Release  (40% ABV, 750ml SRP: $79.99).

Michael Carbajal Joins Deadhead Rum as Brand Ambassador and In-House Mixologist

Michael Carbajal Joins Deadhead Rum as Brand Ambassador and In-House Mixologist

Bartender Michael Carbajal has joined the Deadhead Rum family as brand ambassador and in-house mixologist where he will continue to create signature cocktails and promote the brand on social media and at tastings across the country. 

“Unlike other spirits that have strict laws regarding production guidelines,”says Carbajal, “each rum country has its own production methods and flavor profiles and Deadhead Rum has always impressed me with its non-interventionist, traditional, natural approach to producing fine rums.”

“We love Michael’s work,” says Founder and CEO Kim Brandi. “Michael has been a supporter of Deadhead rum starting back in 2015 when he was bartending at Hula’s Modern Tiki where his Deadhead rum crafted cocktails were on menu. We brought Michael on to curate our cocktails for the 2021 Arizona Tiki Oasis event. His cocktail submission ‘It Takes Two to Mango’ was selected by the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, AZ and featured at the ZUZU lounge and the OH pool. Every signature cocktail Michael curated for the event was made with the mark of passion and uniqueness. His deep understanding about spirits and the flavors that blend well with them really shined through in each cocktail, and so it was a natural move for us to ask Michael to join our Tiki Tribe.” 

Deadhead Rum is distilled in Chiapas, México by Rones de México, the most decorated distillery in México.  Family-owned and producing exceptional rums since 1948, the third-generation family members today are combining the best practices of old-world tradition with the best new-world technology from fermentation through distillation, maturation, and bottling.

Carbajal has a planned visit to Rones de México in Chiapas, México. “I’m very excited at the opportunity to spend some time at the source with all the folks at Rones de Mexico and learn more about rum production in Mexico. Especially excited to meet Jorge Perez Rafael and learn from a master distiller,” added Carbajal. 

“I am proud to represent a rum from a family-owned distillery with such a deep history in rum production and community roots in the Chiapas region,” says Carbajal. “The fact that Rones de México commits to the well-being of its people and the community in Chiapas was also an important factor in my decision to join the Deadhead Rum family. I’m looking forward to spending time there,” Carbajal added. 

Rones de México supports sustainable agriculture and the economic and social conditions of the communities in which they operate. It is committed to preserving and respecting the earth and the environment and participates in fair trade and is green industry certified.  What’s more, Rones donates to local schools, health clinics, and to local artisans.

Carbajal will also be responsible for developing Deadhead Rum’s cocktail portfolio and digital assets (Carbajal is also a photographer) and consumer rum education. In addition, he will consult with on-premise accounts to assist Deadhead Rum in placements and staff training. 

New Partners Join Deadhead Rum for a Coast-To-Coast 10th Anniversary Party

New Partners Join Deadhead Rum for a Coast-To-Coast 10th Anniversary Party

Deadhead Rum is hitching up the Bamboozle travel trailer with our newest equity partners and brand ambassadors – the Tiki Tribe – riding shotgun on a coast-to-coast party celebration of our 10th anniversary as a company. 

The newest Tiki Tribe members – Jimmy Psycho, Sammy Velvet, Odd Rodney, Kris Reifer, Doug Dorr – will be merrily in tow as we pull into San Diego in July and Lake George in September.  

Grab your tiki mugs and don your favorite aloha attire as these two venues feature the  release of our 10-year-old Limited Edition Anniversary Rum. This rum is as smooth as a baby’s butt having rested in American oak with Chiapas oak for the past 10 years. It is rich, full-bodied with a whiskey-style nose of stone fruit, maple syrup, and vanillin. The flavor is intense. Real intense. 

The 10th Anniversary parties will also feature cocktails curated by master mixologist Michael Carbajal, crazy, spooky, and mesmerizing musical performances by the Jimmy Psycho Experience, fun games, sweet prizes, and awesome limited edition merch designed by Tom “Thor” Thordarson.  

Come join the Deadhead family and its newest Tiki Tribe members because the road goes on forever and the party and swag never end. 

PARTY DATES

July 29, 2021 Tiki Oasis, San Diego-CA: Deadhead 10th Anniversary Party

July 30, 2021 Tiki Oasis, San Diego-CA: Deadhead 10th Anniversary Party

July 31, 2021 Tiki Oasis, San Diego-CA: Deadhead 10th Anniversary Party

September 17, 2021 Ohana Luau at the Lake, Lake George, NY Deadhead 10th Anniversary Party

September 18th, 2021 Ohana Luau at the Lake, Lake George, NY Deadhead 10th Anniversary Party

jimmy psycho experiment deadhead rum cocktail

Deadhead Rum and The Jimmy Psycho Experiment invite you to an ‘80s Party!

Deadhead Rum and The Jimmy Psycho Experiment invite you to an ‘80s Party!

The fifth full-length release by The Jimmy Psycho Experiment “The Wave of Love” features thirteen tracks of “New Wave Love Songs” evoking the moody, humorous and quirky pop feel of 80s New Wave infused with the EZ listening Tiki Lounge vibe! 

“The Wave of Love” Track Listing:

Melt With You

Don’t You (Forget About Me)

Lovesong

Love My Way

Dreaming of Me

Hungry Like the Wolf

Head Over Heels

Be Near Me

Space Age Love Song

She Blinded Me With Science

Slave to Love

Tempted

Wrapped Around Your Finger

To enter the wild, weird, and retro-hip world of The Jimmy Psycho Experiment, Deadhead Rum’s mixologist  Michael Carbajal created a custom cocktail that will transport fans beachside to the 80’s with the Dead in Miami Cocktail. 

Fans who order before June 4, 2021 will receive an autographed The Wave of Love CD and FREE custom Deadhead Rum cocktail while supplies last. Must be 21+ to receive the custom cocktail and live in the United States. Beach and five-o’clock-shadow not included. 

 

Presales begin Tuesday, May 25, 2021 ONLY at www.JimmyPsycho.com

Street date is June 4th 

 

About the Cocktail Kit:

The Custom Dead in Miami Cocktail is FREE with purchase of The Wave of Love CD. 

A delightful aromatic mixture of rum and botanicals with the taste of sun-drenched tropics. Ingredients: Deadhead rum, Bonampak Botanical rum, coconut, strawberry and cinnamon syrups, fresh lime and Dole pineapple juice. Just mix the enclosed ingredients at home using the easy-to-follow directions, and ENJOY!

 

80’s Nagel-inspired CD cover artwork by Mark Thompson of Topesart.com

10 Years Strong. The Spirit Lives On.

When we created Deadhead Rum in 2011, we did so because we wanted to bring deserved attention to, and honor to, the storied history of rum production in México. 

After all, since the 18th-century, sugarcane has been a major crop in México and rum is a national beverage. Today, México has more sugar mills than any of its Caribbean neighbors. 

Last year, México produced 56.8 million tons of sugarcane making it the sixth largest producer in the world. And while México is internationally known for its tequila and mezcal, the fine rums coming out of México have gone largely unnoticed by the world rum scene. 

At Deadhead Rum, we set out from the beginning to change that global neglect. Starting with partnering with the most-awarded distillery in México, Rones de México, a family-owned artisanal distillery that’s been making handcrafted exceptional rum since 1948. Its master distiller, Jorge Perez Rafael, is the most decorated distiller in México. 

And while we had just the right distillery and master blender, we didn’t wish to put our fine rum in just any common bottle. We wanted our bottle to stand out on shelves and get noticed. And we wanted our bottle to represent a cultural connection to the history of the State of Chiapas. The shrunken head pays tribute to Mayan rituals of family protection, triumph, and honor in the Chiapas region. 

We were honored as well when The Tasting Panel gave Deadhead Rum a 95-point rating and our Deadhead Dark Chocolate Rum a 92-point rating. 

10th Anniversary Limited Edition Deadhead Rum

To celebrate our ten years of commitment to making the very finest rum and putting Méxican rum on the map, we asked our master blender Jorge to create a 10th Anniversary Limited Edition Deadhead Rum and disappoint us he did not. 

The Deadhead 10th Anniversary Rum is extraordinary. This elegant 80-proof spirit features a whiskey-nose of stone fruit and maple syrup. Brown sugar melts on the tongue, followed by cigar-leaf and sassafras. Toasted pecan and oatmeal drive even more textural complexity. Oak and leather are magnificent on the finish, which exudes pure depth of character.

Each amber glass-bottle features a black-matte, copper-foil embossed label that is hand-numbered. This sleek, stunning 10th Anniversary Limited Edition Bottle will surely be a back-lit beauty on top-shelves of bars and Tiki lounges everywhere. The 10th Anniversary Deadhead Rum Limited Edition will be available June 2021. 

It Takes a Village

For us, the past ten years have been an exciting (and certainly challenging) ride. And although we knew we had the finest rum and outstanding packaging (winning dozens of medals including Gold and Double Gold for taste at the Craft Competition International Awards, Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, BTI and Sip Awards and a Platinum Medal for bottle design at the Sip Awards) it hasn’t been a cakewalk in the hypercompetitive spirits marketplace. 

We are a small, family-owned company competing against the deep-pocketed global rum marketers producing oceans of rum from  better-known rum countries such as Barbados, Jamaica, and Cuba. 

But like the shrunken head ritual of Mayan civilization, we have empowered ourselves with the spirit of our global rum adversaries and market challenges and are finding creative and committed ways to put Deadhead Rum and the Méxican rum industry front and center. 

Even though Deadhead Rum started 10 years ago, facing the slings and arrows of uncontrollable variables such as distribution disruptions and a global pandemic, in some ways we feel born again. The new kid on the block. We’re back and we’re not going away.

This year we have reopened 24 markets in the US, and reopened Australia, and added the UK, Israel, South Africa, and Singapore expanding our footprint to 38 countries. From the nadir to the greater, sales are back up to over 40,000 cases. 

It may take a village to raise a child but it takes a whole lot more people to raise a successful global rum brand. We would like to thank everyone in this crazy business for making Deadhead Rum a success and an even greater success going forward. 

Starting with our own tribe, which we call the Tiki Council – those spirited cheerleaders both inside and outside the company who shout our message of authenticity and commitment to excellence every day.

And of course from our tireless distributors and loyal wholesale accounts to our enthusiastic bloggers, media supporters and on-premise devotees, without whom our renewed growth would not have been possible, we thank you all for making us 10 years strong. The spirit lives on.