Mark Wignall | Rum, JIPO and Jamaican culture

The culture plays out in the early 1950s morning. Country chocolate, hominy corn breakfast. afu yam and corn pork at lunch. Oversize dumplings, coco and salt-mackerel rundown at dinner. For the adults, in the late evening, it is rum and water.

The intellectuals spoke of Marcus with a cup of the stuff nearby. Young men looked at women and flirted with beer and rum. Old men drank strong black coffee laced with rum, puffed on their pipes, and slapped away the persistent mosquitoes braving the smoke from a country fire.

Usaln Bolt would have long to wait to make that cultural incursion. Celebrated in Jamaican mento, ska and Trinidad calypso, rum was the cultural attachment and, although our people sang no anthems to it, the radio music would continue to hum, ‘... take me to Jamaica where di rum come from, di rum come from’, and replicate many versions of it.

We become attached to our spirits and our brews. When Paul Geddes sold out his part of the iconic Jamaican beer and soda manufacturing plant, Desnoes and Geddes, a few people in Jamaica went into mourning. To them, ‘just a business deal’ couldn’t quite explain the transaction.

In the 1970s, I had a friend whose job it was to board ships docked in the port of Kingston. In time, he befriended captains, pursers and chief officers. I would accompany him at many of those times. I can remember drinking a light white rum from the Virgin Islands and speaking of it in dismissive terms when compared to our flavourful Jamaica rum.

A few years ago, a local producer and distributor of rums and other spirits was sold and only very few people placed any undue thoughts on the extent to which certain brands would be protected in terms of quality, geographical strength and cultural attachment.

In October, the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) issued a ruling under the Protection of Geographical Indications Act preventing spirits aged outside of Jamaica from being marketed or classified as ‘Jamaican Rum’. Think of that. Without such a ruling, it would be open season for any large and powerful foreign-owned company to purchase what would be, in reality, an ‘Unfinished product’ which would then be aged overseas but marketed as a Jamaican rum product.

What the JIPO good sense ruling sets out to do is ensure that ageing takes place in Jamaica. It must take place in what is known as food grade, wooden barrels, no genetically modified yeast must be used in the fermentation. Fermentation must be done with wild local yeasts or cultured yeasts.

Plus, and most importantly, no blending with other rums takes place. About a decade ago, I found out that the famous Jamaican branded white rum had a cultural uniqueness about it. In the western part of the island, white rum was still consumed but one brand seemingly ‘owned’ about 90% of the western market while the more popular one ran riot in the more urban areas in parish capitals.

Many Jamaicans may not know that the strict definition of the champagne sparkling white wine speaks to a product made in a region of France named Champagne. So a company situated in Chapleton, Clarendon cannot produce champagne.

Just as how the man at street level selling his Jamaican jerk would bristle if he knows that his competitor is using only powdery Mexican spices, Jamaican rum manufacturers need the protection of the JIPO ruling to ensure that ‘Jamaican made’ is not simply a marketing tactic. So far, one local manufacturer claims that it is hurting and appealing the recent ruling handed down by the JIPO tribunal.

Jamaicans may also not know that Jamaican water is preferred by ships using the Caribbean as part of their sea route. I have known of ships using Central American and Mexican ports waiting until they reach Jamaica before taking on potable water.

If there is goodness in the water, chances are, the rum will be better. Jamaican rum drinkers, from those in the boardroom to the man sipping outside the site, will hardly think of those connections but he knows a good product and he can tell when it is not up to scratch.

This good product must be protected. The brand, the local distilleries, the economy, the culture, the consumer.

GANGS STILL BIG PROBLEM

The prime minister recently stated that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has had major success in the fight against gangs. He went so far as to state that the number of gangs had been reduced from 300 to just under 180. But, lacking in his assertions was any explanation as to how this was done by the JCF. If gangs have been reduced in Jamaica by over 40 per cent, according to the PM, why is crime still so high? While the PM focuses on the number of murders, other crimes are skyrocketing. Car thefts are at an all-time high. Recently, a doctor bought a brand new 2025 Toyota RAV4 for his wife and it was stolen from his house less than a week after purchase. Clearly, that crime had some sophistication to it and a gang was definitely involved.

On a typical sporting event at the National Stadium, how many cars are stolen? Twenty-five years ago, it would be five.

I need some help, PM. What is the definition used for a “gang”. Second, what is the definition of “dismantled”. If a gang leader was detained or arrested, was the gang considered dismantled? Third, there was no discussion if some gangs had merged and thus the gangs were not dismantled. All too vague was the PM’s assertions about gangs. Crime is too high in Jamaica for gangs to have been dismantled, like the PM reported.

I certainly do not want to believe that the PM I voted for in 2016 and 2020 is selling me propaganda. Please, PM. Give me something in these statistics to make me believe again.

Whenever our times mesh this week, I hope to speak with Minister Chang. He never plays the hiding game. See you later, Dr Chang.

Mark Wignall is a political and public affairs analyst. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and mawigsr@gmail.com