OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE JAN 2020

In the spring of 2019, six bottles of Barti Spiced Rum were submerged off the coast of Pembrokeshire where they would remain until the end of the year. Recently the “Sunken Six” have been retrieved from the twinkling deep, and in the scramble to find new homes for the bottles, over £800 was raised for The Fishermen’s Mission charity.

“The bottles came out of the sea fully enveloped in crustaceans and newly rooted seaweed. The detail was so interesting to look at and the amber liquid inside so intriguing, as it shone through the dense sea life, we knew they held great ornamental value. We set about figuring out how to offer the special bottles to our customers, since there were only six in the world we didn’t want to simply sell them.” explains Fran from Barti Rum.

So between boxing day and new year, raffle tickets were advertised for sale online at bartirum.wales, one lucky ticket holder would win on of the sunken six. Alongside the raffle, three of the bottles were listed for sale, quickly all three sold and three hundred raffle tickets went faster than hot tots of rum too!

The beneficiary was chosen as The Fishermen’s Mission. Fran adds “The Fishermen’s Mission help families in our and all coastal communities throughout the UK, we felt the cause was a very worthy, and particularly apt one. The industry can be isolated, dangerous, and life threatening. If we can support a family suffering from loss or help support someone in emotional hardship we are proud to do so. The total figure raised was £877.80”

The lucky raffle winner was drawn earlier this month and each bottle has made it safely to its new home, the furthest made it all the way to the Manchester area.

Thank you so much to our good friend Danny Curtis who sunk the bottles in his lobster pots and thank you to all who got involved by making a purchase.  One of the sunken six will remain at Barti HQ, and the final bottle is the subject of a competition currently running. Sign up to Barti’s newsletter “The Three Sheets to the wind Alliance” to find out more.