Eate Spotlight: Mainbrace Rum

Being based in Falmouth, Cornwall, I’m sure it is difficult for Mainbrace Rum’s founders to avoid the ever-present allure of the turbulent Atlantic waves. From the very name itself coming from an old seafarer’s saying, to their regular sponsorship of sailing events, this affinity for the sea is definitely shown throughout Mainbrace’s branding. With 150 new rum brands emerging in the UK since 2006, competition to stand out on the shelves is more fierce than ever. One of the ways that brands look to successfully bring in an engaged customer base is to pay homage to the history of their product. With a slick, ‘heritage’ aesthetic and numerous other nods to its nautical roots, Mainbrace Rum’s makes for a pleasing addition to any drinks cabinet. We spoke to Co-Founder of Mainbrace Rum Richard Haigh about Mainbrace’s story, heritage and philosophy, as well as insights on pairings and cocktails. 

What would you say is the most exciting thing about being part of the Spirits industry?

Being part of the community. We launched at Ian Burrell’s RumFest in October  2019 and the atmosphere was so welcoming. One of the most exciting things is encountering and appreciating all the other small spirits brands out there. While there may be a large number, every single one is unique and brings something different to the table. 

Mainbrance: Premium Golden Rum

Over the last year, we’ve entered quite a few international spirits competitions, where it has been interesting hearing from the judges about what makes a spirits brand stand out. We were thrilled to have collected a fair few awards, including a double gold at the San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition 2021, two golds at the 2021 Rum & Cachaça Masters, and a gold at the World Rum Awards.

What inspired you to create Mainbrace Rum?

The idea for Mainbrace was very much inspired by Cornwall. A couple of years ago, we were sitting at the Ferry Boat Inn in Helford Passage, Falmouth, watching the gig rowers come in from a race and celebrating together with a tot of rum. That inspired us to create a drink that would capture the spirit of camaraderie and Cornwall itself – a drink that people could enjoy as part of a celebration. 

What is the story behind your brand’s nautical theme? 

The name “Mainbrace” comes from the naval term to “splice the mainbrace”. In the days of sail, the main mast of the ship was steadied, or braced, with a thick rope called the mainbrace. If it was targeted by enemy fire in battle, a team of naval ratings (sailors) had to splice the rope back together during the battle in order to save the ship. As a reward for successfully achieving this herculean task, the captain would order the ship’s pusser (purser) to issue a double ration of rum to the team of ratings as a toast to victory.

 To ‘splice the mainbrace’ inevitably became a naval euphemism for an important celebration and was always accompanied with the toast ‘The King – God bless him’ or ‘The Queen – God bless her’. 

Today, it is still used to commemorate special occasions in Her Majesty’s Royal Navy.

Have you much explored the relationship between rum and food? Have you tried cooking with Mainbrace Rum?

We've been doing some experiments behind closed doors. There are various pairings that work well, particularly involving chocolate or apple flavours in desserts, but we’ve found Mainbrace in sauces, particularly some bbq sauce recipes are delicious. Watch this space and we’ll be announcing some soon.

Always Sunny: the recommended cocktail from Richard Haigh

What would you say is the most underrated rum cocktail and why?

Mainbrace and Tonic. Most people expect a rum cocktail or simple serve to always be sweet. Mainbrace compliments fruit flavours in punches and our ‘Always Sunny’ [Mainbrace, ginger ale and orange juice], the subtlety of a Mainbrace and Tonic with a slice of orange is incredibly refreshing on a hot summer’s day.

You say you source your rum from both Guyana and Martinique. What was your philosophy regarding where to source your rum from, and what makes these sources special?

 Heritage, expertise and quality. The distilleries we source from are world renowned and produce award winning individual rums. The blend of rums from Guyana has been made using the same stills and methods that were used by the British Navy as far back as 1732. We take these and create a splice with the unaged Agricole from La Favourite Distillerie which is known for its punchy rums at low ABVs.

We decided on this blend as it offers a well-balanced rum, with a long smooth finish and subtle warming spiciness. Our blend is also what makes us unique, as these styles have never been bottled together before!

Navy Strength Rum: inspired by the naval tradition of drinking rum

Currently you have two types of rum on offer, are there any plans to expand your product range? What is the future for Mainbrace?

 We’re always trying new things, but we haven’t found a flavour yet that we want to bring into the portfolio. You’ll have to keep an eye on us for when things come out of development and onto the shelf.

It seems that you guys incorporate a lot of historical elements into your overall brand image and design. How important do you think it is for modern brands to respect the heritage of the products they are selling?

We think it’s incredibly important, especially with a product like rum which has a long history and deep connection to traditions of who made it but also who drank it.

Honouring the naval tradition of drinking rum was one of the main reasons we created our Navy Strength range, which was launched on 31st July 2020 on the 50th anniversary of Black Tot Day. This was when the Royal Navy abolished the much-loved daily rum tot, served for 325 years to generations of naval ratings. With an ABV of 54.5% - consistent with the Royal Navy Standard – it was our way of commemorating the occasion. 

This year, to highlight the naval background of the rum, we have been partnering with sailing events around Cornwall, such as Fowey Classics, Falmouth Sailing Week, and Fowey Regatta Week, all taking place in July and August. 

That all said, respecting the heritage of products doesn’t always mean doing things in the same way. Rum producers, including Mainbrace, are always trying new things, new blends and new personalities to bring people into the rum drinking community. 

Thank you to Richard for taking the time to answer our questions and share Mainbrace’s story with us. You can find out more about Mainbrace here, or follow them on instagram @mainbracerum

Mike McShane

Mike is the Editor-at-Large for the Eate journal, and you’d think that given that fact, he would be able to write a decent bio. However it appears that this is all he could come up with. He is passionate about food journalism, red wine and talking about himself in the third person.