Kano launches new rum brand, Duppy White
Drink reflects the influence of Jamaican culture on his hometown of London and around the world.
UK grime MC and actor Kano has announced the launch of his own white rum brand, Duppy White.
Created in partnership with Duppy Share Caribbean Rums, Duppy White is the brand’s first 100% Jamaican Rum.
Kano’s motivation to launch the brand was compounded by his own life experiences – including memories of childhood trips to his family’s home in Brownstown and his tasting of Caribbean delicacies – leading him to curate a drink that reflects the influence of Jamaican culture on his hometown of London and around the world.
Duppy White saw the rapper work across every step of the rum’s production – including its design, taste and story – to create a product that draws on a distinctly Jamaican palette. The musician describes the process of creating a rum as similar to mixing a track – for him, both processes involve constant tweaking and perfectionism.
The various gustatory experiences Kano drew on when going into the making of the brand included the shells of Guinep fruits, the coconut drops bought by his mum along road journeys, Devon House vanilla and raisin ice cream, and his mum’s favourite Julie Mangoes. The latter feature prominently in the rum’s taste profile, along with banana, thyme, caramel, and pimento.
The bottle depicts Kano’s own life story, as well as the Jamaican influence on London’s culture. Its label is inspired by the image of a 7” vinyl record, and depicts scenes integral to Kano’s life – from images of his childhood street Manor Road and his barber shop in East Ham, to Robins Pie & Mash shop, his local Caribbean shop and Rex Club in Stratford, where he performed his earliest grime sets.
The back of the bottle features an acknowledgement of the influence of the Windrush generation on London and the UK. It includes an illustrated Empire Windrush ship, as well as a lyric of Kano’s – ‘Every entrance to a door has a footprint left by the ones that came before. Let’s talk about the day the wind was rushed up on the shore’.
Kano said: “For me, whatever I do has to be the real deal. This drink comes from me. This is my life, my family’s story inside this bottle, and wrapped around this bottle. This is something I believe in and genuinely love as a product. That was a major thing for me, creating something that I would like to buy myself, drink myself. I’ve been going out of my way to test it with family members and friends to see if they feel the same. People really, really enjoy it. Some people that don’t even drink rum, or it’s not their thing – they drink it and they’re a fan. It’s been a fun experience getting friends and family and peers to taste it. I can’t wait for the whole world to get their hands on it.”
Duppy White will be available at Naked City & City Splash festivals, and will also become the Official Rum of London nightclub Printworks during its Autumn run.
It can also be purchased on the Duppy White website.