Ten to One Rum
Launched in 2019 by Trinidad-born Marc Farrell, Ten to One is an independent bottler of Caribbean rum aiming to authentically broaden and enhance the public perception of the category with exceptional, approachable, and versatile blends. Grounded in community, the name Ten to One is inspired by the original West Indies Federation, which was composed of 10 Caribbean nations, emphasizing a strength-in-numbers approach to the brand’s mission.
Farrell grew up in Trinidad and Tobago before moving to the US to attend MIT to study chemical engineering at age 16. He’s also earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, a master’s degree in philosophy from Cambridge, and at 33, became the youngest vice president in Starbucks history. But to Farrell, his business and educational background only anchor his love of rum. As he puts it, “I’ve been a student of rum, and its place within a myriad of settings, my entire life. With this has come a deep sense of appreciation for both the heritage of rum, as well as the broader role it plays in the contemporary Caribbean culture.”
As someone born and raised in the Caribbean, Farrell recognized that the consumer experience of rum differs between the Caribbean and the US, and sought to elevate appreciation of the category to its true, deserved status within global drinking culture. Rather than focusing on making purely Trinidadian rum, he chose to explore and call attention to the rich and diverse history and cultures throughout the Caribbean, noting every contemporary rum culture was created with intentionality—whether by use of pot or column stills, methods of fermentation and aging, etc.—and they all have distinct characteristics to celebrate.
Ten to One rums inherently celebrate pan-Caribbean culture and are blended with versatility in mind first and foremost. Each core expression is crafted to be enjoyed as they would be in their countries of origin—commonly neat, on the rocks, or with a splash of soda, coconut water, or tonic—while simultaneously being able to play in the global craft cocktail space. To assist in combating negative perceptions of the category, Ten to One rums contain no added sugar, coloring, flavoring, or other additives. Every element of the brand is intentionally grounded in Caribbean tenets without resorting to tired, cliché rum tropes—from transparency in sourcing the exceptional spirits themselves down to the labels (inspired by old shipping labels) and the Scarlet Ibis logo (the national bird of Trinidad and Tobago).