After years of perceived indecision and critiques from consumers, Maison Ferrand’s Plantation Rum is finally going through with the name change that was first promised in June 2020. Henceforth known as Planteray Rum, Maison Ferrand owner Alexandre Gabriel made the announcement today from the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados. The initial product under the new Planteray Rum label will be Cut & Dry Coconut Rum, followed by other brands as soon as the current stock of bespoke bottles is exhausted.

In Gabriel’s words at the press conference, the updated name “pays homage to sugarcane, the PLANT that gives birth to the rum, and the sun’s RAYs that are vital for sugarcane growth and ripening.”

Uhhh … certainly, both statements hold true. In actuality, the new name feels somewhat out of place and seems destined to be mistaken as “planetary”, among other things. However, it seems that a choice was sought that didn’t differ too much visually from “Plantation”, thus leaving the negative racial connotations of the word behind. The Plantation name had faced criticism for years and caught even more attention during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in the summer of 2020. Representatives of the brand had previously claimed that “plantation” was a simple reference to “farm” in French, but this narrative changed in late June 2020 when the company admitted to the word’s historical connection to the slave trade. The company stated, “As the global conversation on racial equality continues, we recognize the distressing connotation that the term plantation can have for some individuals, primarily due to its association with much darker images and the atrocities of the past.”

Thus began Maison Ferrand – proprietors of Citadelle Gin and Ferrand Cognac among others – the lengthy process of finding a new name. As this period extended over several years, activists expressed growing dissatisfactions, accusing the parent company of delaying the name change or expecting that the passage of time would render it unnecessary. Alexandre Gabriel, on the other hand, suggested that the complexities of international business and trademark laws significantly delayed the process. In a 2022 interview, he described it as a “daunting and lengthy process,” stating that the ultimate name needed to be one that the company could use in over 100 countries where they have distribution.

It appears that Planteray Rum may be the new name, an unexpected choice no doubt. It might be quite some time though before this name begins to appear on familiar Plantation Rum brands in the US, given that the company is dealing with a large inventory of customized glass marked with “Plantation.” Eventually, the new moniker will take pride of place on all the company’s products, with the rest of the label details remaining the same. Here’s to hoping that the new name, “Planteray,” doesn’t end up being insensitive in a different way once all is said and done.

Jim Vorel is a staff writer for Paste and the resident spirits enthusiast. For more drink-related content, follow him on Twitter.

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