Appleton Jamaica not only offered liquor from their
premium brands to patrons who turned out at Dream Weekend this year, but also presented special mixes that were indigenous to the company.
Speaking with The Gleaner, Erica Williams, brand manager for Appleton rums, spirits and whiskeys, said the company aimed to deliver nothing less than perfection.
"This year we wanted to get it right, so we offered simple drink mixes comprised of Appletion and your favourite chaser. We were batting for portion control, which means we aimed to give patrons the right amount of rum with the right amount of chaser to give you that perfect mix," she said.
Appleton also provided fruit mixes. Williams believes fruit juices set the tone for summer.
"Fruity summer drinks is what we focus on; its really hot in Negril, so we made sure to give them something refreshing. Rum brands can also provide refreshments just as fruit brands, so we took vodkas, Appleton Special, and our White Overproof rum and made some summer refreshing cocktails as well," she said.
Many patrons, especially those in the VIP area were spotted with cocktail glasses, sampling the mixes. It appeared that the brand did indeed strike the right balance, especially where liquor portion was concerned, as not too many patrons were spotted overly drunk ... well, with the exception of Xtreme Wet and Wild.
Williams also revealed that the feedback to Appleton's presentation was favourable.
"They were surprised that they could enjoy rum cocktails without being overwhelmed. We have a variety of brands, and these chasers can be added to just about any brand and create a refreshing cocktail. As for our usual campaign on safe drinking, we made sure that patrons carried their IDs to the redemption centre and were over the age of 18. People underage don't get access to our products because that is not what we promote," she said.