J. Wray and Nephew Ltd. facts for kids

Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum

J. Wray and Nephew Ltd. is a well-known company from Jamaica. They are famous for making, blending, and bottling different kinds of rum. This company has a long and interesting history in Jamaica.

The Story of J. Wray and Nephew

The history of J. Wray and Nephew began in 1825. A man named John Wray opened a place called 'The Shakespeare Tavern' in Kingston, Jamaica. Kingston grew steadily over the years. It even became Jamaica's capital city in 1877. Because of this growth, The Shakespeare Tavern became very popular and successful.

In 1860, John Wray brought his nephew, Charles James Ward, into the business. Charles Ward was a very energetic and talented businessman. Under his leadership, J. Wray and Nephew started to grow a lot and became very successful. John Wray retired in 1862 and passed away in 1870. This left Charles Ward as the only owner of the company.

Charles Ward helped the tavern and liquor business become one of Jamaica's biggest companies for exporting products. In 1862, at a big exhibition in London, J. Wray and Nephew won three gold medals! They won these awards for their rums that were 10, 15, and 25 years old. The company's rums also won many other awards at international exhibitions. These included events in Paris in 1878, Amsterdam in 1883, New Orleans in 1885, and Jamaica in 1891.

In 1916, a company called Lindo Brothers & Co bought Wray & Nephew. Soon after, the new company, now called J. Wray & Nephew Ltd., bought the Appleton Estates. This was a large estate that had been making rum since 1749.

Later, at the end of 2012, a spirits company from Italy called Gruppo Campari bought Wray & Nephew.

A very important moment happened in 1997. Joy Spence became the master blender at J. Wray and Nephew. She was the first woman ever to hold this important position in the entire industry!

Products Made by J. Wray and Nephew

J. Wray & Nephew makes many different kinds of rum today. Some of their popular products include:

• Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum (this is their most famous product)
• J. Wray Gold Jamaican Rum
• Sainsbury's Superior Dark Rum (this rum won a gold medal in 2010)
• Coruba Jamaica Rum
• Appleton Special Jamaica Rum
• Appleton Estates Jamaica Rums:
  • Signature
  • Magnum Tonic Wine
  • 8 Year Old Reserve
  • 12 Year Old Rare Casks
  • 15 Year Old Black River Casks
  • Master Blender's Legacy
  • 21 Year Old Nassau Valley Casks
  • Blackwell Rum
• Koko Kanu

The Appleton Estate Rums are still made right on the Appleton Estate itself. This estate is very large, covering over 4,452 ha (11,000 acres) of sugarcane fields. It also has a sugarcane refinery and the distillery where the rum is made.

Besides their many rums, Wray and Nephew also produces a type of gin called Old Tom Gin.