Meyers, a seasoned professional, has spent 20 years in the spirits industry and has hands-on experience with both rum and the US market. He spent ten years with the Remy Cointreau Group initially as Managing Director for Mount Gay Distilleries in Barbados and subsequently in New York as President and CEO of Remy's US distribution company. He also spent time at Moet Hennessy UK, a division of LVMH, where he served as Managing Director responsible for such world class brands as Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot and Glenmorangie.

West Indies Rum Distillery plans to build Cockspur Rum in the US on the heels of its success in other key markets such as the UK and Bermuda. Among the changes already in place is the appointment of MHW, Ltd., as the importer of record for the brands.

Savvy Drinks, a marketing and public relations firm specializing in spirits, has been retained to help build brand awareness with the trade and the consumer. Another important change is that for the first time in decades Cockspur Rum will be bottled at the distillery in Barbados for the US market. Until now, the rum has been shipped to the US for bottling.

"Our goal is to more than double our sales volume in the US over the next few years. Our initial priority will be in our core markets of Florida, New York and the Pacific Northwest. We look forward to working with all of our distributors across the country to establish Cockspur Rum as the pride of Barbados," said Meyers.

Taylor commented, "Cockspur Rum is a solid brand in other parts of the world. We are making a strategic investment to conquer the US and we believe we have the right team in place to make that happen."