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More locals given opportunity to participate in Cooper Island Rum Festival

- thanks to collaboration with ROMASCO Group of Companies
The 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival was held on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Callwood's Distillery on Tortola participated in the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Callwood's Distillery on Tortola participated in the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Checking out the variety at the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Checking out the variety at the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Patrons at the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Patrons at the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Scenes from the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Scenes from the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Meron Napier, Operations Manager at Cooper Island Beach Club, has hailed the collaboration with ROMASCO Group of Companies for the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Meron Napier, Operations Manager at Cooper Island Beach Club, has hailed the collaboration with ROMASCO Group of Companies for the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Scenes from the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Scenes from the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Scenes from the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Scenes from the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
There was also a variety of rum punch available at the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
There was also a variety of rum punch available at the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Scenes from the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Scenes from the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Scenes from the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
Scenes from the 5th Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019. Photo: VINO
COOPER ISLAND, VI- More local vendors were given an opportunity to participate in the Fifth Annual Cooper Island Rum Festival on November 16, 2019, thanks to a first time collaboration with ROMASCO Group of Companies.

Regarded as one of the most eco-friendly islands in the Caribbean, Cooper Island also features the Virgin Islands most extensive rum collection with roughly 280 on island and the rum festival afforded travelers and visitors to the island to sample some of the finest rums in the world.

This year the Cooper Island Rum Festival also aligned with the BVI Tourist Board and was included as part of the ongoing BVI Food Fete.

"We did so because we really wanted to support the local vendors, their businesses, to help them to try and get back on their feet," said Cooper Islands Beach Bar's General Operations Manager Meron Napier.

Many local vendors have been struggling since the devastation of hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017.

More local involvement

Napier noted that as they seek to improve the festival annually this year they were successful in making provisions for more locals to attend the event. "This year we are running a ferry trying to get more locals involved in getting them across because not everybody can pay for a private charter boat."

"So there is a lot more local influence this year and then the farmers, the fishermen, all the local businesses just all pulled together and made this event happen."

The local influence was made possible with the collaboration with Romasco Group of Companies, which saw two of their large boats filled with mainly persons residing in the territory attending the event.

Among the rum producers and distributors on spot with promotions and tasting were Callwood Distillery, Cooper Islands Rum Bar, Tico, Riteway- promoting Mount Gay, and BVI Gin.

10 Responses to “More locals given opportunity to participate in Cooper Island Rum Festival”

  • think dem smart (17/11/2019, 13:30) Like (6) Dislike (19) Reply
    ain't have much yachters around now so them want we locals to support
    • wow (18/11/2019, 04:51) Like (11) Dislike (2) Reply
      That make sense and we’re in season? You just a natural bitter ratchet person
    • native (18/11/2019, 09:03) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      With attitudes like yours, they would have reason to prefer yachters support.
  • one eye (17/11/2019, 15:34) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    good event
  • True (17/11/2019, 17:47) Like (2) Dislike (4) Reply
    locals, how does having sponsors at the event help people get back on their feet?
    • wow (18/11/2019, 04:52) Like (5) Dislike (3) Reply
      You can’t figure that out but you can figure out how to by an iPhone for $1000
      • True (18/11/2019, 08:44) Like (2) Dislike (3) Reply
        actually I use a laptop but why don't you explain it when the sponsors give the product to Cooper island for the event they then charge the locals brought across on the Romasco ferry.....reply on whatever device your broke ass can afford
  • Concerned (17/11/2019, 21:17) Like (5) Dislike (6) Reply
    Are we paving the road to addiction? Something like this should never be promoted! Government - are you going to stand by and let our human resources be destroyed? Don't we have enough young men and women slave to the bottle?
  • 1 (18/11/2019, 07:37) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Just another event
  • NezRez (21/11/2019, 21:28) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Cooper Island is part of the B.V.I. just like all of our other islands, and must have functions like everyone else to survive. We are all part of the B.V.I. We have lobster fest on one island, poker run on a few islands, festival and parades on another island, medicinal herb meeting on another, and the list continues. Why jump on and separate Cooper island from us? I live in Tortola and have never been to Cooper island or other ones too, but I know that we are all one B.V.I. and we should support each other. There is strength in unity my people.


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