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Mark Allen firmly believes in the necessity of partying as he pursues his first world snooker title at the Crucible this Saturday.

This 38-year-old from Antrim has undergone a significant health overhaul which has resulted in weight loss of more than six stone in the past two years. This effort has paid off with several ranking titles to his name as well as an ascent to third in the world rankings. Dependending on this tournament’s results, he might even move to the No 1 spot.

Allen emphasized the importance of maintaining balance before his second-round game against John Higgins set for Saturday afternoon. Despite being a night owl, he is determined to keep a level playing field in an effort to reach the finals for the first time.

Spending time at parties doesn’t equate to a lack of dedication or discipline within the sport, according to Allen. He concedes that in the past the ratio might have been off and asserts that there is a critical time and place for everything. It’s important to keep in mind that life beyond snooker is also essential.

“I still enjoy a night out with my friends. I probably don’t do it as often as I did, but when I do, I make up for it. I enjoy having a few shots and going on the vodka, but I never do it too close to a tournament now, and that’s the difference.”

Allen, who reached the semi-finals last year – only his second appearance in the one-table set-up after a series of early-round disappointments – revealed he was convinced to change his mindset after a painful 13-4 second-round defeat to Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2022.

That loss coincided with a period of turmoil in his private life, after divorcing his then wife in 2020, and declaring himself bankrupt the following year despite career earnings in excess of £3.5m.

Allen added: “Ronnie wasn’t playing anywhere near his best and he still brushed me aside, and I had to ask myself whether I wanted to be that player who came back here and didn’t challenge.

“It’s been deflating coming here so many times and underperforming, because I know I’ve got the game to win it. I’ve tried so many things and so far none of them have worked, but I feel like I’ve improved things in recent years and I’ve come into the tournament this year on a whole new level.”

Judd Trump is two frames away from a return to the quarter-finals after pulling away from Tom Ford to establish an 11-5 overnight lead. Leading 7-2 after Thursday’s opening session, the third seed took the first frame on Friday before Ford spurned a strong chance of this year’s first Crucible maximum, running aground on 73 after 10 reds and nine blacks.

Trump capitalised on a series of errors from Ford to ease further clear and at one stage looked capable of winning the match with a session to spare, before the 14th seed rallied and took the final frame of the day with a break of 83.

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David Gilbert dispatched Robert Milkins 13-4 to become the first player through to the quarter-finals, and revealed a rigorous fitness regime is behind his push to reach the last four for the first time since 2019.

Leading 12-4 after Friday’s morning session, Gilbert required just 17 minutes to complete his victory over the 16th seed, who was hampered by a recurring back injury and showed the extent of his frustration by hurling his cue after missing a simple red in the 12th frame.

“The lesson I learned from when I got to the semi-final was you have to be as fit as possible,” said Gilbert. “I’m using my time wisely, eating properly and the right things. I’m hitting the gym, pure weights and just trying to lift as heavy as I can. I’m going to smash the gym and keep eating the right stuff.”

Stephen Maguire battled to a 5-3 overnight lead against the 2005 winner, Shaun Murphy, while Jak Jones carved a 9-7 advantage over Si Jiahui, a surprise semi-finalist last year, after a poor quality second session of their second-round match. Jones, the lowest ranked player left in the tournament at No 44, is looking to reach the quarter-finals for the second year in a row.

The vodka market has seen stable development over time, driven by growing customer demand and an expanding cocktail culture. Factors such as evolving consumer tastes, widespread urbanization, and greater disposable incomes are influencing the market size. The frequency of vodka consumption in developing economies has risen, contributing to the expansion of the market.

The vodka market is projected to reach US$ 39.96 billion in 2023 and is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2023 to 2033. The vodka industry’s value is expected to hit US$ 68.25 billion by 2033.

The consumption of premium vodka cocktails has risen in developed economies, which could be the reason for this growth. The increasing popularity of flavored vodkas, such as cranberry, lime, and raspberry, is aiding vodka sales. The burgeoning offline commerce in alcoholic beverages is expected to expedite market growth during the forecast period.

Are you prepared to elevate your Vodka Market business? Our sample PDF uncovers the latest industry trends, providing you with a competitive advantage. https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-16624

An Increase in Demand for Premium Vodka

Modern global consumers showcase more selective tastes as opposed to the scenario from five years ago. To enhance overall appeal and functionality, premium vodkas undergo numerous stages of distillation that sets them apart from their more common counterparts.

The rising trend for healthier alcoholic beverages, characterized by the blend of natural ingredients, less calories and the absence of sugar content is being fuelled by a heightened sense of health consciousness. In light of the increased consumer interest for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, the premium vodka category holds better prospects, more so on a foreign market scale.

With the consistent demand for flavored light beverages like hard seltzers, ready-to-drink vodka innovation is taking off in emerging countries. This is anticipated to drive the growth of the vodka market in the years to come.

Shift in Customer Preferences Towards Non-Alcoholic Drinks

The growth of the vodka market is forecasted to be hindered by the rising popularity of craft beer and the availability of alternatives. Strict government regulations and high taxes are also obstacles to the expansion of the global vodka market.

However, the global vodka market is expected to experience significant growth during the forecasted period due to consumer trends and various innovations, such as fruit-based healthy vodka. On the other hand, the emergence of non-alcoholic drink alternatives poses a formidable challenge to the vodka market.

North America Continues to Dominate the Market

The rising trend for flavored vodkas including Texas Grapefruit, Blood Orange, Bartlett Pear, and Sun-Riped Watermelon in the United States is driving its popularity. Canada’s increasing love for sweet citrus flavors along with acidic cherry and limeade vodka flavors is projected to stimulate the sector’s growth as well.

Moreover, the growth of the vodka market is anticipated to receive a further boost with alcoholic beverages such as Pyat Ozar, Svedka, and Hlibny Dar. The premium white spirits distribution system is likely to see improvements with the aid of the Canadian government, thereby setting off market expansion.

Our analyst shares their deep insights and expertise about the dynamics of the Vodka Market in an interesting discussion. You can tap into this knowledge by following the link provided here: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-16624

Let’s take a look at the key takeaways:

Competitor Analysis

The global vodka market is extremely diversified due to the presence of multiple regional and multinational companies. These firms are striving to maintain their stronghold in the industry by offering an extensive variety of vodka flavors.

Notable companies such as Diageo Plc, Brown Forman, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Pernod Ricard, and Constellation Brands Inc, among others, are adopting various business strategies. These strategies include initiating product innovations, forming partnerships, and expanding their distribution networks both online and offline. This is done to enhance their brand visibility and product portfolio, which will in turn facilitate market growth.

Recent Development

Constellation Brands Inc., a leading beverage alcohol manufacturer, inked a brand permission agreement with The Coca-Cola Company in 2022. This deal marked the introduction of the FRESCA brand into the alcoholic beverage market in the United States.

In March 2022, young entrepreneurs Stas Karanikolaou and Zack Bia collaborated with Global Brand Equities to launch Sunny Vodka. This new introduction enriched the company’s already prosperous liquid portfolio.

Roust Group, one of the premier vodka producers, partnered with Beijing Soko in October 2020. This collaboration was targeted at expanding the reach of Russian Standard vodka into the Chinese market.

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Provided here are the segments of the Vodka Market

Segmentation by Type:

Segmentation by Quality:

Segmentation by Distribution Channel:

By Region:

About Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, recipient of the Stevie Award, and a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) offers profound insights into the driving factors that are boosting demand in the market. FMI stands as the leading global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, consulting, and events for the Packaging, Food and Beverage, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Industrial, and Chemicals markets. With a vast team of over 400 analysts worldwide, FMI provides global, regional, and local expertise on diverse domains and industry trends across more than 110 countries.

Contact FMI:

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Future Market Insights Inc.

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Skrewball Whiskey x Joey Fatone

Skrewball Whiskey, the original peanut butter whiskey, has announced a partnership with Joey Fatone, the multitalented entertainer and member of NSYNC, to “Skrew the Usual” when it comes to celebrating the upcoming horse racing season and the sport’s big race in Kentucky this May.

As someone who consistently stands out when it comes to his race day fashion — it’s Fatone’s 22nd year attending the Kentucky Derby — the brand is joining forces with the singer to create a very special hat that’s perfect for race day.

“Horse racing is an iconic part of the summer season, and we’re thrilled to be part of it as we partner with the incredibly talented Joey Fatone,” said Skrewball Whiskey co-founder, Steven Yeng. “At Skrewball, we’re always looking for fresh and exciting ways to engage with consumers. Teaming up with Joey allows us to amplify that ethos and bring it to life in dynamic new ways.”

Skrewball Whiskey was forged through the entrepreneurial spirit of Yeng, a refuge from Cambodia and his spouse Brittany, an erstwhile chemist who later metamorphosed into a lawyer. Yeng nurtured a fascination for peanut butter shortly after setting foot in the United States. This fondness later found its way into a drink he concocted in the bar he managed in San Diego. The unexpected popularity of this unique beverage drove his spouse to exploit her chemistry skills to generate a non-perishable peanut butter flavoured whiskey. This revolutionary whiskey is famed for its awards and it continues to disrupt the norm in areas where whiskey dominates.

Only a dozen of these exclusive hats have been crafted!

The driving force behind this collaboration is Fatone’s equine racing inspired hat, custom designed to house small 50ml bottles of Skrewball whiskey, a feature highly sought after by racing enthusiasts who prefer to keep their chosen beverage within arm’s reach. Fatone will be seen flaunting this exclusive accessory (available in two shades to match his chosen attire for the weekend) during special appearances at distinct Louisville events, thereby reinforcing the spirit of Skrewball Whiskey at these venues through his signature charisma and high-octane vibe.

“The Kentucky Derby weekend is my favorite time of the year,” avows Fatone, a regular at the Barnstable Brown Gala (globally acknowledged as one of the leading parties on the global social calendar with proceeds contributing towards Diabetes Research at the University of Kentucky) and an annual attendee at the Derby. “It’s the golden opportunity to dress to the nines and don outlandish and ornate hats just like this one! It’s quite remarkable to associate with a brand as unique as this, a synergy that complements my personal style and enhances my Derby experience.”

Skrewing the usual this Derby

The brown hat is chic with a wide brim and simple decor in the manner of a few feathers and some leather wrapping, plus of course, the smart pouches meant to perfectly hold two little bottles of Skrewball. “Being out of the norm is what I normally do anyway so this is the perfect collaboration to me — plus I love peanut butter,” laughs Fatone. “The brand’s take on ‘Skrewing the Usual’ and having fun aligns perfectly with what I strive for as an entertainer.”

Want to get your hands on one of the coveted race day hats? Have no fear, the brand will be giving away a few to those who enter an online sweepstakes. Visit www.SkrewballWhiskey.com/RaceDayHat before May 12, 2024 to enter.

Those who are planning to spend Derby Day at home can still get in on the “skrew the usual” action thanks to Skrewball Whiskey who created a couple race-inspired cocktails. Easy to make at home — or on the go like Fatone will be doing via the whiskey in his hat.

PB&G Mule

Method: Stir all ingredients together. Add ice. Garnish with lime and optional mint, if desired.

Skrewball Old Fashioned (New Fashioned)

Method: Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass. Pour into a rocks glass with one large ice cube. Garnish with a cherry and orange twist.

And yes, I did ask if there were any plans for a new NSYNC album or tour — to which Fatone says, “There are a lot of moving parts these days! We all have families and independent projects going on. Justin is starting a tour and I’m on the road a lot with AJ from Backstreet Boys, JC is writing and producing, Chris is on tour with O-Town, and Lance has his radio show with iHeartRadio. At this time, there’s nothing on the table, but it could be a conversation… someday.” For now, to keep up with Joey Fatone’s race season coverage, follow him on Instagram @realjoeyfatone.

Rum has historically been known as “kill-devil” due to its strong taste and aroma.

While iconic Caribbean dishes span from ackee and saltfish to coucou and flying fish to mofongo, each island across the region is united by one common spirit: rum, to be precise. Derived from fermented and distilled molasses, this alcoholic beverage has played a major role in Caribbean culture for centuries, with the world’s oldest surviving rum distillery deed dating back to 1703 and hailing from Barbados. In the modern era, the spirit also serves as a major draw for tourism, with the Caribbean’s most opulent hotels and resorts offering carefully-curated rum experiences for visitors to enjoy. As you plan your next booze-focused foray into the region, don’t miss out on these world-class hotels.

The U.S. Virgin Islands were administered by Denmark until 1917.

The largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Croix has earned abundant acclaim for its scenic beaches and charming settlements—and for those hoping to explore the idyllic beauty of Christiansted, the King Christian Hotel is the perfect base. The property rests just steps away from the Christiansted National Historic Site, providing guests with ample opportunity to explore the town’s many shops and historic attractions, while visiting seafarers are welcome to set off on a snorkeling tour of nearby Buck Island. Meanwhile, those who prefer to stick close to the property can spend the day lounging in the outdoor pool or catching some rays on the sundeck.

St. Croix boasts a variety of inviting bars, with Breakers Roar standing out when it comes to delightful rum drinks. Located within the King Christian Hotel, this maritime-themed establishment excels in tiki bar culture, offering a plethora of intricate cocktails to try. Among the choices are the Banana Bana, a fusion of coconut and vanilla, and the Saturn Cocktail, a blend of gin and passionfruit. The menu also includes small plates like truffle fries and Thai chili wings. Additionally, as of early 2024, St. Croix’s Cruzan Rum Distillery has re-opened for tours, allowing visitors to taste the local rum at its origin.

The biodiversity of Puerto Rico is quite rich, home to unique species such as the elfin woods warbler and the Puerto Rican boa.

Situated on the flawless northeastern coast of Puerto Rico, the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve offers awe-inspiring views of the island’s Río Grande municipality. Its expansive 29 hectares provide a vital refuge for a variety of native birds and reptiles. For adventure seekers, they can venture to the stunning El Yunque National Forest for an extensive hike. This property also excels at providing a peaceful retreat, offering amenities like an immense outdoor pool area and the Rainforest Spa on site. Its recently opened villas, Villas en la Reserva, offer soaking tubs and open-air balconies along with daily fresh pan sobao deliveries.

Puerto Rico stands as the homeland of globally-renowned rum brands like BACARDÍ and Ron del Barrilito. Staying at the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve affords guests the possibility to taste the island’s finest offerings. On arrival, guests can drop by the elegant Lobby Bar for an Old Timer, a rum-infused take on the Old Fashioned, featuring cinnamon, jalapeño, and locally made Puerto Rican rum. For those preferring to unwind next to the pool, La Mina serves a great Mai Tai. Lastly, anyone seeking an unforgettable dining experience should consider Nori Teppanyaki. Here, guests can enjoy a revitalizing lemongrass mojito while admiring the proficiency of the restaurant’s chefs, who prepare dishes such as pad thai, seafood fried rice, and miso salmon.

Barbados is largely formed from coral limestone, a quality that imbues the island with clean drinking water within its underground aquifers.

Home to beloved rum brands like Mount Gay and Foursquare, the sovereign island of Barbados has a deep connection to the spirits industry that dates back centuries—and few hotels exemplify this as well as Colony Club by Elegant Hotels. Just a few steps past the property’s outdoor koi pond, the Rum Vault offers a world-class drinking and dining experience that showcases the splendor of sugarcane distillate at its very finest. There are 150 rums up for grabs within the space, with options spanning from homegrown Bajan spirits to far-flung distillates from Japan and Mauritius—and the venue even comes with its own expert Rum Ambassadors to provide insight into each beverage as the Vault Chef crafts decadent cuisine to pair with each drink.

While the Rum Vault is certainly a highlight of the Colony Club, it’s far from the only amenity in place for guests to enjoy. The property’s Luxury Swim Up rooms serve as particularly relaxing accommodations, allowing guests to access the sprawling lagoon pool right from the patio, while carefully-manicured gardens and the hotel’s scenic strip of white sand beach both play host to all sorts of native Bajan wildlife. During early morning hours, guests are welcome to take advantage of a complimentary yoga or Pilates class, while afternoon brings the opportunity to set off on a guided stand up paddleboarding tour for a truly relaxing day on the water.

The Vieques distillery is keen on introducing the quality of its product worldwide, starting with establishing a presence at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport

April 25, 2024 – 11:00 PM

Comenzó a operar en el 2020 y destila entre 50 y 60 galones por día.

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The name WhistlePig has become practically synonymous with rye whiskey, as the Vermont-based distillery has taken control of the premium space in that category over the past decade. But WhistlePig has branched out a bit, venturing into single malt whiskey last year with the launch of the Beholden. Now the brand has upped the ante on age (and cost) with the release of a new 25-year-old single malt called, in a cringingly dad joke style with lots of stylized punctuation, the Badönkådonk.

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The Beholden was a 21-year-old whiskey distilled at “the first single malt distillery in Canada,” which very likely means Glenora in Cape Breton although that is unconfirmed. I enjoyed that whiskey very much, even if the $800 price tag felt a bit excessive. According to a rep for the brand, The Badonkadonk was distilled at the same distillery and aged for a quarter century in new American oak barrels. The whiskey was then brought to Vermont in 2020 for further maturation in Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon barrels, and ultimately released as a single barrel expression. That means the whiskey may differ depending upon which barrel your bottle comes from, but official tasting notes describe “stone fruits, cedar wood, and a hint of discord” on the palate. Discord aside, that description rings true, with a decent amount of spice, tannic oak, dried fruit, and just a whiff of wood smoke along for the ride.

“Our single malts stand apart not only for age, but also maturation in the world’s best barrels,” said WhistlePig head blender Meghan Ireland in a statement. “After finishing The Beholden in our own well-aged rye barrels (with a wink), we set our sights on the best of California wine country. Known for their superstar Cabernets aged exclusively in American oak barrels, Silver Oak is the perfect partner to push boundaries with.” And for some reason WhistlePig recruited Monty Python cofounder and comedy legend John Cleese to promote the new whiskey by creating a video and penning a statement that plays on his love for scotch whisky. “I thought it was rather cheeky when I learned that some colonials were trying to ape the scotches that have from the beginning of time been crafted in Scotchland,” he said. “BUT… when I tasted it… MY WHOLE WORLD CHANGED!! My very DNA was instantly revised, my taste buds DANCED THE BAGPIPE, and I instantly became SPIRITUALLY ADVANCED.”

If you’d like to seek out some whiskey enlightenment for yourself, this bottle is going to cost you—it’s listed at $2,000, but will likely go for much more than that based on the prices currently listed for the Beholden at websites like . Fortunately, you can find it for its listed price at the WhistlePig now, but only while these limited supplies last.

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The popular brand of iced tea+vodka introduces five new flavors for summer.

It’s hardly news that ready-to-drink cocktails are all the rage. Indeed, we’ve been reporting on the trend for 5 years now. But the novel story these days is the dynamic shift within the overarching RTD category, which comprises both malt-based and spirit-based offerings. In short, the latter is growing at a far faster rate than the former. And Surfside is a brand riding these economic waters to great success.

A category leader in iced tea and lemonade-vodka RTDs, the two-year-old label is celebrating its national expansion with five new summer-friendly flavors: Raspberry Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, Black Cherry Lemonade, Raspberry Iced Tea and Green Tea. The fruit-forward additions join a wide stable of offerings that are all canned at 4.5% ABV, and typically retail for around $11 per 4-pack.

The independent producer behind the launch began life as part of Stateside Vodka, a Philadelphia-based distillery and cocktail lounge that still thrives in the city today. Initially the founders were canning an unflavored vodka-soda, but were compelled by acute demand for something non-sparkling.

“We realized there was a hole to fill in the RTD category,” recalls Clement Pappas, CEO of Surfside Iced Tea + Vodka. “When we were originally creating Surfside, we knew it had to taste great, be 100 calories or less and have no bubbles. Carbonated drinks can be filling and cause bloat. We also see today’s drinkers gravitate toward tasty alternatives to beer.”

Clement Pappas, CEO of Surfside Iced Tea + Vodka

Pappas’ team spent more than a year developing the taste formula. Indeed, it holds 100 calories, 2 grams of sugar and zero bubbles per 12-ounce can. It quickly emerged as a category leader, in part, because when it arrived on shelves in early 2022, there simply weren’t a lot of spirit-based hard teas and lemonades in the category. Yet the thirst was clearly there.

“We thought Surfside was a good idea or we wouldn’t have done it, but we didn’t predict just how much the brand would take off,” adds Pappas. “We grew 563% in just our second year on the market, from about 200,000 cases in 2022 to 1.3 million cases in 2023. It’s been a rocket ship of growth for us.”

Indeed, the canned cocktail segment has seen significant growth recently. While malt-based ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails still dominate the US market in terms of volume, spirit-based RTDs are gaining ground, despite the challenges of nationwide distribution.

Based on the latest economic analysis from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, spirit-based RTDs held a 16% share of the total category at the end of 2023 compared to 8% in 2021. This trend suggests that today’s consumers are increasingly valuing the sophisticated elegance of alcohol-based cocktails. The expansion of Surfside further offers enthusiasts a choice of at least five more refreshing alternatives for this summer.

New additions to the Surfside range include canned iced tea and lemonade-vodka RTD cocktails.

Sugarcane biodiversity disappeared as big plantations dominated the sugar trade in Hawaii, but now native varieties are making a comeback

Noa Kekuewa Lincoln remembers when he first encountered native Hawaiian sugarcane in 2004. The fresh stalks, bursting with color, might have sprouted from Willy Wonka’s imagination, not the soil.

Lincoln, a kanaka maoli (Native Hawaiian) expert in Indigenous cropping systems and an assistant professor at the University of Hawaii, said: “I grew up seeing grayish-green cane fields. But these canes are fluorescent pink, bright apple-green striped. They looked like huge cartoon candy canes. They almost don’t look real!”

Then working at the Amy BH Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden on the Big Island of Hawaii, he saw the multicolored stalks growing, mysteriously and simply labeled “Hawaiian sugarcane”. That chance moment took Lincoln on a 20-year detour into researching Hawaii’s heirloom sugarcane varieties, neglected after centuries of plantation monoculture. Lincoln set out to identify them and “treat them like the individuals they are”.

He likens his research method to traditional navigation, “where you’re triangulating your position” in relation to known points. He interviews kupuna, or elders, in the Hawaiian community; dives into digitized archives of newspapers dating back to the 1830s; and culls information from stories, traditional medicines and chants.

A chant can offer information about how a sugarcane variety looks, where and how it grows, and its role in the ecosystem. A 19th-century chant celebrating a dignitary’s visit to Ni’ihau island is one example: “My love returns to Ni’ihau / To the hidden waters of the pao’o fish / To the breadfruit that blossoms on the flats / The sugar cane of Halali’i dug out by hand.” It gives a location (Hawaii’s westernmost island), a name for the cane variety (Halali’i) dominant there, a tip on tending the plant and its proximity to breadfruit.

Lincoln marries these sources with modern tools like DNA analysis to see relationships between varieties of sugarcane. “For cane, some of the interpretations of the chants [and oral histories] only become clear when we are out in the field doing work and observe something that helps with the interpretation. It is very rarely just one line of knowledge that helps us understand, but multiple lines of knowledge intersect,” he said.

In one case, an elder said that a particular variety of sugarcane “called” dew from the north. Lincoln only grasped the full meaning of that statement when working with sugarcane in Kona. There, he realized that the crop cast tall shadows that preserved dew on the north side of its rows. And that substantially elevated soil moisture.

Through this research, he’s uncovered 25 Hawaiian sugarcane, or kō, varieties. Halali‘i is one such variety. The name means “little hala”, or pandanus, a tree ubiquitous in the islands. Growing on windy Ni’ihau island, this sugarcane variety is frequently buried in sand so that only its top shows, resembling a small hala tree. Its other names mark how its leaves resemble sea lettuce, an edible green alga.

Many Hawaiian sugarcane varieties also share names with native fish. If the cane and the fish share similar striations or some other commonality, Hawaiians gave them the shared moniker. The black sturgeonfish, common in Hawaiian reefs, and dark purple-black canes found on Kauai are both māikoiko. maka’ā means “glowing eye” and refers to the flagtail tilefish. It possesses bright blue eyes and gray-green stripes, like an extinct sugarcane with similar gray-green stripes.

Sugarcane was originally domesticated in New Guinea around 8000 BC and brought to Hawaii as one of Polynesian voyagers’ original “canoe plants”, critical species that form the core of Hawaiian agriculture and foodways. The ancient islanders put sugarcane to various uses. Sugarcane windbreaks decrease wind damage to root crops and maintain soil moisture. Native canes provide mulch and attract nitrogen and nutrients into the soil. With those natural enhancements, Hawaiians were able to grow bigger and better sweet potatoes and taro alongside sugarcane, which itself adapted into new varieties suited to its new environs.

Though Native Hawaiians introduced sugarcane to the islands nearly a millennium before Europeans arrived, that fact often gets overshadowed in histories that focus on the impact and influence of sugarcane plantations that dominated the islands from the early 1800s onward.

Lincoln suspects that there are even more varieties, as his lab has uncovered about 80 names of traditional Hawaiian types. However, his team struggles to connect all of them to existing plants due to the colonial obliteration of both traditional knowledge and crops. By the 1840s, sugar had become a major industry in Hawaii, and an 1875 treaty allowed Hawaii to sell sugar to the United States tax-free and duty-free, ensuring substantial profits and power for its planter class.

Today, Lincoln collaborates with a businessman who used to work in Hawaii’s once-thriving sugarcane industry. Bob Gunter, president and CEO of Kōloa Rum Company, previously worked with Amfac, which was one of Hawaii’s “big five” sugar businesses, and its Lihue plantation, an early and long-standing sugarcane operation. The plantation shut down in 2000.

According to Gunter, “Hawaii was globally famous for its exceptional sugar and the concentration of its sugar. Its production levels were unheard of in other countries. The problem was that it could not compete with countries that extensively subsidize sugar or neglect to pay their workers adequately. The playing field was not level.” Kōloa, which produces its rum from granulated cane sugar, had bought tons of the ingredient from Hawaii’s plantations as they announced their closures. However, the rum maker eventually had no other choice but to source sugar from east Texas, Louisiana, and Florida.

A budding industry is now aiding in the revival of native sugarcane. Agricole rum is distilled from freshly pressed sugarcane juice, rather than molasses or granulated sugar. Kōloa and two other producers, Kuleana Rum Works and Kō Hana, conferred with Lincoln and now cultivate about 40 types of sugarcane that existed prior to western contact. Kuleana has been bottling and selling agricole rum since 2009, and Kō Hana, which began as a farm in 2009, launched its first agricole-style rum in 2014.

Gunter’s company plans to make rum from these heirloom canes, but production was delayed by the pandemic. “We’re preserving it, keeping a bank of sugarcane varieties, to perpetuate them, making sure we don’t lose them,” he said. “We’re currently at four acres and expanding to 10 to 12 acres of native cane.”

Lincoln attributes this renewed interest in kō to two movements: a larger one to reclaim Native Hawaiian identity, culture and cultivation practices, and the craft beverage movement, propelled by local distillers who see the use of heirloom Hawaiian canes as good marketing. “We can confidently say that more heirloom cane is being grown in Hawaii now than at any time in the past century,” he wrote in a 2022 article.

Still, Lincoln acknowledges the tension between economic and biocultural values of heirloom Hawaiian cane. On the one hand, businesses can appropriate Hawaiian knowledge and stories. Yet the fledgling rum agricole business “has provided new opportunities for preservation, dissemination and observations of the Hawaiian canes, as well as new platforms for sharing of indigenous perspectives”, he wrote in that same article. For example, when commercial producers grow large quantities of single varieties, scientists can better detect mutations within those varieties.

There is also a clear benefit to rum aficionados. Juice from heirloom sugarcanes can produce very different, fragrant rums. Lincoln said: “You wouldn’t dream of drinking a wine and not knowing what grape it came from.” Perhaps one day, more of us will sip native Hawaiian rums and taste their distinct nuances.

On April 26, the three-day Whiskey Off-Road Mountain biking extravaganza begins. The races starts on Friday at 2 PM with the shortest race a 19.6-mile loop through the forested trails of Prescott, and is called the “15 proof”. This race is popular with some of the local middle school students and coaches. Coach Andy Binder and his daughter Jillian, an 8 grader are participating. Jillian garnered a first-place finish in the recent MBAA Prescott Punisher on April 13. Colton Devenie, a 7 grader, is also racing. Skyview School also has half a dozen students participating along with a handful of coaches. Prescott High’s Elliot McGrath is also in the race.

The Findlay Subaru Pro Crit takes place later on Friday. The women’s race is at 5:15 p.m. and the men follow at 6:10 p.m.

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