El Supremo Rum responds to criticism after UK launch event
Rum brand El Supremo said it had “no intention to trivialise Indigenous culture” after receiving criticism about a launch event in London.
El Supremo Rum, which is distilled in Paraguay, hosted its UK launch event on Monday (9 March) at Cé La Vie in London.
The event was organised to mark the debut of the brand’s five-year-old, eight-year-old, 12-year-old, and 18-year-old rums in the UK.
However, certain aspects of the event have attracted backlash from members of the drinks trade, with accusations that clothing worn by waiters on the night was offensive to Indigenous cultures.
Chockie Tom, an Indigenous bartender, educator and drinks writer, wrote an open letter to El Supremo on Instagram, citing “an opportunity for change”.
In the post, Tom wrote: “Recent conversations in the rum community have highlighted an event where sexualised ‘tribal’ imagery and redface-style costuming were used as part of a rum brand activation connected to El Supremo Rum. For Indigenous professionals in bars and the drinks industry, imagery like this is not harmless. It reflects a long history in which Indigenous identities have been reduced to spectacle rather than respected as living communities.
“Your brand story references Indigenous heritage connected to Paraguay and the Guaraní people. When a brand chooses to build its identity around Indigenous heritage, it also accepts the responsibility to represent that culture with dignity and respect.
“Indigenous cultures are beautiful, complex, and deserving of respect. When brands use cultural heritage to build luxury narratives, those stories should elevate the people connected to that culture rather than reduce them to stereotypes. Luxury should never exist at the expense of the communities a brand claims to honour.
“For Indigenous women especially, these depictions are not abstract. The normalisation of sexualised and stereotypical portrayals of Indigenous identity exists within a broader history that continues to affect our communities today, including the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls across the Americas. Representation matters.
“If a brand chooses to build its identity around Indigenous heritage, it must also take responsibility for representing that culture respectfully.”
Filippo Maria Olivi, CEO of El Supremo Rum, responded to the open letter.
In a statement, he said: “El Supremo is a rum crafted in Paraguay and rooted in the country’s history, traditions, and identity. Our UK launch was conceived as a sincere celebration of that heritage.
“We acknowledge that some elements of the event’s cultural presentation may not have fully reflected Guaraní heritage as intended. However, there was never any intention to trivialise Indigenous culture, and we regret if any aspect of the evening gave that impression.
“We believe cultural representation should always be handled with care and sensitivity, and we are reviewing content from the event so that future communications more clearly reflect the true focus of the evening: a respectful celebration of Paraguay, including a traditional Galopera performance by Grupo Eirete, a Paraguayan folklore group based in the United Kingdom.
“El Supremo Rum is distilled in Paraguay at Capasa, the country’s historic national distillery founded in 1909. The brand is inspired by Paraguay’s cultural heritage, including the Guaraní legacy linked to the origins of Caña Paraguaya, and we take that responsibility seriously.
“We were also honoured to welcome representatives of the Embassy of Paraguay in the United Kingdom as we introduced El Supremo to the UK market. Following the event, the Embassy of Paraguay stated that it was ‘proud to support El Supremo Rum at its launch event in the British market. This important milestone marks the arrival of Paraguayan liqueur in the United Kingdom, reflecting the growing interest in our country’s quality products and strengthening trade ties between Paraguay and the United Kingdom.’
“El Supremo remains proud to represent Paraguay internationally with authenticity, respect, and integrity.”
Heritage and transparency
Global rum ambassador Ian Burrell was the compère for the London event.
Part of the open letter from Tom said directly to Burrell: “Many Indigenous professionals working in bars and the drinks industry have attended your masterclass and listened to you speak about the complex history of rum and the responsibility the industry carries in telling those stories honestly.
“Your work has helped shape how the global bar community talks about heritage, transparency, and accountability.
“Because of that leadership, many of us in the drinks community are looking to you now.”
In a request for comment following the discourse surrounding the El Supremo Rum event, Burrell said: “I wasn’t involved in organising the event – my role was simply to host and introduce the ambassador of Paraguay to London, the brand owner, and the evening’s performers, including the amazing folk dancers Grupo Eirete UK, a harpist and the DJ.
“At the time, I didn’t have detailed knowledge of traditional Paraguayan dress, so I wasn’t in a position to comment on whether the models hired for the evening were wearing authentic traditional clothing. The event itself was presented as a cultural experience and was supported by the Paraguayan Embassy. If, following further clarification or investigation, it were to be established that elements of the marketing for the rum involves cultural appropriation or the trivialising of indigenous Paraguayan culture, that would be something I would take very seriously and would not feel comfortable supporting.
“Coming from a Caribbean background, I’ve attended many rum events where costumes are sometimes used as part of the entertainment – occasionally reflecting traditional dress, and at other times being more stylised or provocative. Personally, I believe there is a time and place for such presentation, but I’m not certain a Monday evening rum launch in London was necessarily the most appropriate setting.
“That said, it wasn’t my event and I wasn’t aware that this element would form part of the evening. Overall, the event itself was intended as a cultural showcase and was, in many respects, an enjoyable experience, with good rum and an enthusiastic audience.”
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