Janet Diaz-Bonilla always dreamt of telling her story. As an award-winning screenwriter and director, and a creative, the first natural step was to write a screenplay amply titled, La Marielita. After writing the first few drafts, something more significant and impactful had emerged. The cathartic process of writing her story stimulated her entrepreneurial spirit, which she credits her grandfather with inadvertently awakening. Now, as the first Cuban-American woman founder of a rum brand, this creative process holds personal and profound meaning.
Our brand is a story about perseverance and freedom at its core; strength and growth as its catalyst. When the time came to decide on a direction for creating La Marielita Rum, the path Janet chose led her to Panama; a place she had never visited, but has since fallen in love with its culture, its people and its essence. In Panama she met world-renowned Cuban Maestro Ronero, Francisco José “Don Pancho” Fernández Pérez.
The opportunity of collaborating with one of the world’s most gifted and respected Master Blenders happened very organically, and has been one of the most rewarding experiences about this journey. What has materialized from the origins that unite Don Pancho and Janet is a collaboration of precise sensorial intuition and extraordinary talent that create a distinctly unique bouquet of aromatic flavors.
Enfolded by freshwater rivers and a lush tropical climate, our rum is distilled in Las Cabras de Pesé, Panamá. It is proofed down by using filtered, local freshwater, and skillfully formulated by world-renowned Cuban Maestro Ronero, Francisco José “Don Pancho” Fernández Pérez. Before immigrating to Panamá, Don Pancho grew up surrounded by sugarcane fields in Cuba, learning from his father, and later earning a degree in microbiology. He is known worldwide as The Godfather of Rum, with experience in the spirits industry spanning over sixty years.
The painstakingly detailed process of fermenting, distilling, and, ultimately, aging rum, is often years in the making. Our rum matures in Bourbon curated American White Oak Casks, enveloped within Panama’s tropical setting, which is known for its rich environmental elements. Aged 18 years, 18 being the youngest year in our ultra-premium masterfully hand-crafted blend, there are no additives or artificial flavorings in our rum; what you see and smell is as pure as our intentions to provide you with a genuinely delicious tasting experience.
