Juneteenth is just around the corner on 6/18 and Equiano Rum, the first African and Caribbean rum,  is ideal to celebrate the meaningful occasion. The BIPOC-owned brand is helmed by World Rum Ambassador, Ian Burrell. Since its inception, the team behind the brand has been working to reclaim the often-overlooked narrative around the rum industry which is inextricably linked to sugarcane, while giving back.

The brand’s namesake, Olaudah Equiano, was an abolitionist who ultimately bought his freedom from slavery through selling rum. In honor of Juneteenth, Equiano created the Freedom Breeze cocktail, which you will find below.

Freedom Breeze

INGREDIENTS
1.5oz Equiano Original

0.5oz Amaro

1.5oz Pineapple Juice

0.75oz Oat Milk

2 dashes angostura

0.25oz Honey syrup

METHOD
Add ingredients into a shaker tin, minus bitters.

Shake and strain into rocks glass over a large ice cube.

Add 2 drops of Angostura Bitters over the cocktail, zest with lemon peel.

Dried oat sprig garnish.

INSPIRATION
“This cocktail was inspired by Juneteenth, now a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. I wanted the flavors to take you on a blissful and euphoric moment of happiness. Equiano Original Rum, pineapple and honey blended with oat milk takes me on a sort of tropical journey, and I used angostura bitters not only for flavor and balance, but for color… the pop of red which is traditionally used in celebrating Juneteenth to symbolize the blood shed for freedom… as we celebrate together as we toast, Cheers to Freedom!” – Adi Batista, Equiano Brand Ambassador, Georgia

Equiano is producing a limited batch blend from one of the best emerging distilleries in the world, Gray’s in Mauritius and the world-renowned Barbadian distillery Foursquare. Equiano is a 100% natural rum, with no spices, colorants, additives, or added sugar.
Its two expressions — Equiano Original and Equiano Light are perfect for mixing, sipping, and savoring. Celebrating the life of Nigerian-born writer, entrepreneur, abolitionist and freedom fighter Olaudah Equiano, the founders are proud to have Equiano’s name adorn their bottle and thus, placed philanthropy at the heart of their business long before its inception.
The Equiano Rum Co. proudly pledges 5% of global company profits and $2 of every bottle sold through www.equianorum.com to ground level freedom and equality organizations annually.
For all bottles sold to date, the grant recipient has been Anti-Slavery International, an organization that works to eliminate all forms of modern slavery throughout the world. BIPOC-owned and female-led, its four founders – Aaisha Dadral, Amanda Kakembo, and Ian Burrell created Equiano to reclaim the narrative around the history of rum.

Where to Buy: equianorum.passionspirits.com
Equiano Original Cost Per Unit: $59.99
Equiano Light Cost per Unit: $45.99