With rum cover-over taxes accounting for nearly 30 percent of the Virgin Islands’ economy, it’s time to spark a robust conversation about the future of the distilling industry and its local impact.
Nearly 20 trailblazing Black-owned spirits brands from across the Caribbean and mainland U.S. are coming to Frederiksted, St. Croix, to share their entrepreneurial journeys, discuss community-centered business models, and offer tastings of their award-winning products.
The Spirit of Craft – Celebration of Craft Distilleries was created to open dialogue around the distilling industry, ignite new local ownership opportunities, and explore changes that could bring direct economic benefits to the territory. The celebration centers around six core goals:
- Empower aspiring local distillers and craftspeople with practical, accessible tools and guidance.
- Model employee-owned business and social entrepreneurship practices promote equity and economic justice.
- Support farmers by increasing the value of locally grown herbs, fruits, and botanicals.
- Maximize the local impact of rum cover-over revenues by advocating for reinvestment and transparency.
- Launch career pathways through a UVI Craft Distilling Certificate Program, hands-on apprenticeships, and investment opportunities.
- Foster resilience and food security by linking sustainable agriculture to economic development.
No visiting founder may embody these values more fully than Lincoln Nicholson of Wait A Bit Vodka. Based in Jamaica’s Trelawny region, Wait A Bit is the country’s first Black-owned distillery. The area is known for its yellow yams, a prized agricultural product. Nicholson purchases the cut ends of harvested yams—typically discarded as waste—and transforms them into a premium vodka, creating income for farmers and reducing waste.
In contrast, the Territory’s two major distillers—Diageo (Captain Morgan) and Beam Suntory (Cruzan Rum)—are international corporations that do not source local agricultural inputs. Molasses used in their production is imported from Honduras, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic. By 2035, the Virgin Islands will have spent nearly $1 billion on imported molasses to support these operations.
The Spirit of Craft event invites community members to engage in bold conversations about local ownership, sustainable farming, and economic empowerment. From employee-owned business models to modern farming practices, this festival reimagines a more sustainable, locally rooted distilling industry for the Virgin Islands.
Guests can expect tastings from visiting distillers, a curated marketplace of local artisans and vendors, live demonstrations in the newly restored Prosperity Farm Distillery Farmhouse (formerly Plantation Nightclub), and hands-on workshops.
Learn to make your own moonshine or mango brandy. Kids will enjoy tractor pull rides and Jungle James’ petting zoo. Entertainment includes quadrille dancing, Rising Stars Steel Band, Baz N’ Dem, Los Maestros, and the Craft Cocktail Mixology competition.
The evening culminates with a concert under the stars from 6–9 p.m. featuring legendary jazz drummer Dion Parson & The 21st Century Band with special guests. Opening act: St. Croix’s own, The Troublemakers.
Admission: One canned food item per person, benefiting My Brother’s Table. Adults 18+ can purchase a $20 wristband on-site for full access to tastings and cocktails. Wristband proceeds will help launch UVI’s Craft Distilling Certificate and Apprenticeship Program.
