Jamaica’s Long Pond Distillery Has Resumed Operation

Long Pond Distillery    Photo by Cocktail Wonk

      The Long Pond Distillery located in Clark's Town, Trelawny, Jamaica, resumed operations after being closed for four years.   Mayor of Falmouth, Councillor Colin Gager said the reopening of the 264-year-old distillery is welcomed, and is important for the economic viability of the parish.  Mayor Gager was representing Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Karl Samuda at the official recommissioning ceremony on Wednesday.   He expressed the Government's support and commitment to the restart of operation at the distillery.

     The Long Pond Distillery which enjoyed a long and rich history dating back to 1753, has been closed since 2012 due to waste disposal issues.   Chief Executive Officer of National Rums of Jamaica, Winston Harrison said 22 residents from Clark's Town are now employed at the distillery and the company is currently of completing several orders for Europe, including for their long-standing customers in Germany.

     Harrison said the distillery is a historical landmark in Trelawny, producing rums for some of the finest and renowned brands worldwide over the past two-and-a-half centuries.  He said that during the four-year closure, the management of Long Pond worked with the authorities to ensure that the necessary practices and policies were put in place for the resumption of operations.  “As an organization, we have taken all the necessary steps to deal with the disposal of waste issue.  We now have the requisite approval to ensure that we can operate. Essentially, the world is breathing a sigh of relief, Long Pond Limited is back,” he said.  Andrew McBean, Process coordinator also expressed his pleasure at the reopening.  Noting that “good things will happen for Long Pond and the citizens in and around will benefit” from Long Pond’s reopening.