Mainbrace

Born In Cornwall, Sourced In The Caribbean

Launched at the end of 2019, Mainbrace is a family-owned brand based in Helford Passage, Cornwall.

The idea to enter the spirits business was sparked on a summer’s day at the Ferryboat Inn in Helford Passage, where the family were watching the local gig rowers celebrating after a race. That spirit of teamwork and celebration inspired them to bottle the moment, and thus, Mainbrace was born. As a family of varied tastes, they wanted to create a Cornish rum that would suit a variety of usage options, fitting perfectly into a refreshing long drink, a sophisticated cocktail, or a drink that could be savoured neat.

In the quest for the perfect blend that captured the spirit of the sea, they worked with mixologists in Cornwall and London to experiment with different flavours, eventually setting on a blend of two styles that have never been bottled together before: English Navy Rum from Guyana and Agricole Rhum from Martinique

Splice The Mainbrace

Mainbrace’s history is rooted in naval traditions, taking inspiration from the daily tot of rum that the hard-working sailors looked forward to after a challenging day at sea. Between 11am and noon, a call of “Up Spirits” would summon the men to gather on deck and receive their daily ration, with sailors most commonly choosing rum and officers opting for gin.

The name Mainbrace is also inspired by the naval term to “splice the mainbrace”, which embodies the spirit of courage, teamwork, and friendship. In the days of sail, the main mast of a ship was steadied by a thick mainbrace rope, making it the longest line in the running rigging. Due to its importance, this rope was often targeted by enemy fire in the heat of a battle, meaning that a brave team of ratings (sailors) had to splice the mainbrace back together during battle to save the ship.

If they successfully achieved this difficult task, the captain would order the ship’s pusser (purser) to issue a double tot of rum to the team as a reward and a toast to victory. To “splice the mainbrace” inevitably became a naval euphemism for a celebration and was always accompanied by the toast “the King – Gold bless him” or “the Queen – God bless her”.

However, the introduction of heavy machinery on vessels made it increasingly difficult for sailors to operate these delicate systems under the influence of alcohol, eventually leading to the abolition of the daily tot on the 31st July 1970. On this day, many seamen wore black armbands and poured their tot into the sea as a symbolic farewell to the beloved tradition.

Mainbrace Navy Strength Rum was created in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Black Tot Day, with an ABV consistent with the Royal Navy Standard of 54.5%. As the barrels of rum and gunpowder were kept next to each other, this was the lowest alcohol content that would still allow gunpowder to light if it was accidentally soaked in the navy rum.

The Mainbrace Rum Blend

Mainbrace is produced using locally sourced sugar cane and traditional pot and column still distillation – the same methods that were used to make navy rum for the British as far back as 1732. We take our rum seriously so there are no sweeteners, colourings, or other additives included in the blend.

Guyana

One part of Mainbrace’s blend originates from the banks of the Demerara River in Guyana, with a blend of 3 rums aged between 2 – 5 years from 3 different stills. The first part of this blend comes from a double wooden pot still in Port Mourant, which made Demerara rum for the Navy since 1732.

The second part of this blend comes from the wooden Coffey still – the last of its kind – which was originally part of the Enmore Sugar Estate.

The final part of the blend comes from an original column French Savalle still which dates to the 18th century.

Martinique

The agricole part of Mainbrace’s blend is made in La Favourite Distillerie in Martinique, which was established in 1842, rising to prominence for punchy agricoles even at low ABVs.

The distillery is powered on a closed loop system that uses the excess fibres of sugar cane to fuel its furnaces. This creates steam, which is then used to distil the rums – a sustainable method of distillation that is exclusively adopted by La Favourite.

Mainbrace Premium Golden Rum

The nose is initially dominated by dried fruits and toffee notes, giving way to notes of sweet apple and spices after some time. The palate starts with grassy notes that quickly give way to caramel and toffee nuances. The finish is long and smooth with a subtle warming spiciness, making it an extremely well-balanced rum.

In 2021, Mainbrace Premium Golden Rum was awarded a gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the Rum & Cachaça Masters competition, and a bronze medal at the London Spirits Competition. The bottle’s design has been commended at the World Rum Awards 2021, winning a bronze medal.

Cocktails

Signature Serve: Mainbrace & Tonic To get the full flavour of our unique golden rum, try this refreshing drink that brings out the flavours of Mainbrace Premium Golden Rum.

• Mainbrace Premium Golden Rum
• Navas Tonic Water
• Ice
• Lime or Lemon to garnish

Always Sunny For those who want to live in world of summer sun and the carefree mentality of days by the Helford.

• 50ml Mainbrace Premium Golden Rum
• 25ml Fresh orange juice
• Ice

The 'Not So Sour' A simple, sophisticated take on a classic cocktail recipe.

• 50ml Mainbrace Premium Golden Rum
• 15ml Cointreau
• 15ml Lime juice
• 5ml Vanilla syrup

Mainbrace Navy Strength Rum

Mainbrace Navy Strength Rum is consistent with the Royal Navy Standard of 54.5%. This was the lowest alcohol content that would still allow gunpowder to light if it was soaked in the rum. So, the term “proof” came from testing whether the rum was of high enough ABV to light the gunpowder.

In 2021, Mainbrace Navy Strength Rum was awarded a Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and golds at the World Rum Awards, and the Rum & Cachaça Masters competition, and a silver medal at the London Spirits Competition.

Cocktails

Espresso Rumtini Impress your friends with a delicious new imagining of a creative drink to splice up an evening.

• 50ml Mainbrace Navy Strength Rum
• 15ml Butterscotch
• 25ml Coffee
• 25ml Kahlua
• Caramel Syrup
• Garnish with an orange twist

Splice The Mainbrace A modern twist on a traditional drink and an ode to the days of sail when lime was often mixed with navy rum.

• 50ml Mainbrace Navy Strength Rum
• 25ml Lime juice
• Ice
• Garnish with a slice of lime

Old Fashioned Enhance and develop your menu with our variant on a classic cocktail.

• 50ml Mainbrace Navy Strength Rum
• 10ml Apple cordial
• 5ml Yellow Chartreuse
• 2 Dashes of Angostura bitters
• Garnish with dried or fresh apple

Mainbrace Cornish Dry Gin

In February 2022, Mainbrace announced an exciting extension to its spirits range in the form of Mainbrace Cornish Dry Gin. The gin was launched to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, where the brand raised a toast to “the Queen – Gold bless her” in celebration of the occasion.

Mainbrace Gin is handcrafted in Penzance, Cornwall using a traditional copper pot still in the London Dry style. Mainbrace Cornish Dry Gin is therefore made by distilling natural botanicals, with artificial flavourings or additives after distillation strictly prohibited according to the London Dry style.

To capture the spirit of the sea, the gin is made with Cornish water and local botanicals, namely lemon verbena harvested from St. Michaels Mount, and three different types of seaweed – Kelp, Dulse, and Sea Spaghetti – sourced from the Cornish Seaweed Company.

These seaweeds create a delicious umami palate, which is complimented by juniper, orris, lemon and lime peel, lemon verbena, angelica root, and lime leaf for a subtle citrus flavour.

Cocktails

Gin & Tonic Combine Mainbrace Cornish Dry Gin with some Navas Premium Tonic for a classic combination that will transport you to the banks of the Helford.

• Mainbrace Cornish Dry Gin
• Navas Premium Tonic
• Ice
• Garnish with a slice of lemon

Gimlet Mainbrace Gin is best served as a Gimlet cocktail, which was named after Admiral Gimlette, a 19th century Royal Navy surgeon who insisted the men mix lime syrup with gin to get their daily dose of Vitamin C.

• Mainbrace Cornish Dry Gin
• 50ml Lime Syrup
• Ice
• Garnish with a slice of lime

Gin Dubonnet Mainbrace Cornish Dry Gin can also be enjoyed with Dubonnet and a twist of lemon peel, said to be Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite cocktail.

• 25ml Mainbrace Cornish Dry Gin
• 50ml Dubonnet
• Garnish with a slice of lemon