Papa's Pilar Rum Expands Leadership Team With Two Executive Hires

New Managing Director and Chief Communities & Conservation Officer will help lead Hemingway Rum Company with a focus on its fast-growing, inaugural brand, Papa's Pilar® Rum

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Papa's Pilar Rum

Apr 08, 2019, 13:40 ET

KEY WEST, Fla., April 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hemingway Rum Company, the makers of Papa's Pilar^® Dark and Blonde rums, today announced two additions to its leadership team: Managing Director James Kempland and Chief Communities & Conservation Officer Mike Myatt. The two executives will help develop and drive the brand strategy for the ultra-premium, artisan-crafted Papa's Pilar Rum on a local and national scale. Papa's Pilar Rum is inspired by Ernest "Papa" Hemingway and is based in the place Hemingway called home, Key West, Florida.

"We're excited to welcome James and Mike to the Papa's Pilar team and look forward to leveraging their unique skills and experience to propel its growth in the premium rum category," said Steve Groth, Hemingway Rum Company Founder. "Papa's Pilar was inspired by Ernest Hemingway's attitude of never being a spectator, and we're looking forward to continuing to highlight his legacy while finding new ways to engage with consumers, partners and organizations who share that same adventurous spirit."

In his role as Managing Director, Kempland is responsible for developing the global strategic plan for Papa's Pilar Rum. He brings more than 25 years of business, consulting and strategic marketing experience to the Hemingway Rum Company executive team, having worked on food and beverage, consumer and luxury brands for global corporations including The NutraSweet Company, Brown-Forman, Diageo, Unilever, P&G and the Miller Brewing Company. Most recently, Kempland was Marketing Director at Louisville Distilling Company and Angel's Envy, where he led the brand's integration into Bacardi LTD while maintaining a focus on developing the highly-sought-after brand and capitalizing on Angel's Envy's unique brand story and position in the crowded whiskey sector.

Mike Myatt, as Chief Communities & Conservation Officer, is responsible for community building around Papa's Pilar by developing and implementing the brand's strategy to engage active-lifestyle consumers who emulate attributes of Hemingway. He also leads the brand's conservation efforts, including partnerships and outreach, to support organizations that embody Hemingway's commitment to conservation. An avid outdoorsman and fisherman, Myatt joined Hemingway Rum Company after spending 18 years with the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), where he worked with highly-respected and professional outdoor water adventurers and anglers. He was the IGFA Director of Corporate Relations and Chief Operating Officer in 2013 when Patrick and John Hemingway presented the IGFA with the first Papa's Pilar proceeds donation, honoring Ernest Hemingway's deep involvement with the association. He joins the Hemingway Rum Company team with an eye toward building and maintaining relationships with those who share his passion for conservation, active water sports and Papa's Pilar Rum.

Developed in collaboration with Ernest "Papa" Hemingway's estate, Papa's Pilar Rum was crafted to celebrate the bold and complex nature of Hemingway – author, explorer, story-teller, conservationist, bon vivant and Key West local. Inspired by Hemingway's exploits, Papa's Pilar Dark and Blonde expressions are born of hand-selected rums sourced from countries throughout the Caribbean for their age and distinct character.

The Hemingway Rum Company Distillery and Experience Center is located in the heart of Key West, Florida. The historic building serves as home to a working distillery, experience center, innovation lab, trading post and tasting room. It is located just yards from where Hemingway used to dock his boat, the Pilar, further honoring his contribution to the spirit of the city where he once lived.

About Hemingway Rum Company, LLC
Hemingway Rum Company, LLC is a distilled spirits company dedicated to producing ultra-premium, multi-sourced artisanal rums. Hemingway Rum Company is inspired by one of the world's greatest literary legends and adventurers, Ernest "Papa" Hemingway, and produces Papa's Pilar^® Dark and Blonde rums. The Hemingway family graciously donates a majority of its proceeds from Papa's Pilar Rum to charity. The Company encourages consumers of legal drinking age to Live Courageously and Drink Responsibly and proudly supports local organizations that serve Ernest Hemingway's adventurous, literary and conservational legacy. Hemingway Rum Company was developed in conjunction with Ernest Hemingway's estate.

About Papa's Pilar^® Rum
Papa's Pilar^® Rum – in both Dark and Blonde expressions – is an ultra-premium, artisan-crafted rum inspired by Ernest "Papa" Hemingway, an author, explorer, story-teller, conservationist, bon vivant and Key West local who is celebrated for what he was not: a spectator. Papa's Pilar's expressions are born of hand-selected, multi-sourced rums and are artfully blended by Master Blender, Ron Call. Hemingway Rum Company's Key West distillery, home of Papa's Pilar Rum, is located in a historic building just yards from where Hemingway used to dock his beloved boat, the Pilar. In addition to the working distillery, the building also includes an experience center, innovation lab, trading post and tasting room. Papa's Pilar was developed in conjunction with Ernest Hemingway's estate, and the Hemingway family graciously donates a majority of its proceeds from Papa's Pilar Rum to charity. Papa's Pilar is a proud member of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS).

For more information and where to 'find rum,' please visit www.papaspilar.com, "like" Papa's Pilar on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/PapasPilarRum and follow Papa's Pilar on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/papaspilar/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/papaspilar #NeverASpectator #PapaWouldBeProud

SOURCE Papa's Pilar Rum