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Silk Road Distillers rebrands as Offbeat

London-based startup Silk Road Distillers has been renamed Offbeat following a crowdfunding campaign that asked consumers to help the rum producer rebrand.

More than 70 names were submitted before Offbeat was selected

In May this year, Silk Road Distillers launched a crowdfunding campaign in a bid to raise funds for the relaunch of its white spiced rum following a trademark conflict over its name.

The rum was temporarily retitled Rum with No Name after its co-founder George Agate was told he couldn’t use its original name, Silk Road White Spiced Rum, due to a conflicting EU trademark.

The Rum with No Name crowdfunding campaign ran on Crowdfunder from 25 May to 8 June 2020 and surpassed its target of £5,000 (US$6,120), raising £5,139.

Contributors were given the chance to suggest a new name and win a year’s worth of rum. More than 70 names were submitted before Offbeat was selected from a shortlist. The name will be used for both the company and its white spiced rum.

Agate said the new name “demonstrates the exciting direction the brand continues to take, challenging the norms and celebrating the offbeat”. It is also said to reflect the company’s “unique brand heritage, which lies in adventure, pursuit of the un-ordinary and celebration of the eccentric”.

Offbeat rum, which claims to be the UK’s “first” white spiced rum, was launched in October last year under the name Silk Road White Spiced Rum.

Created to be served with tonic water, the rum is made with botanicals including ginger, lemongrass, cinnamon, hibiscus, rosehip and pink peppercorns. The botanicals are vapour infused into a white rum from Guyana. Offbeat rum contains no sugar and is bottled at 42% ABV.

Last week, Maison Ferrand announced it will rename its Plantation Rum brand to support racial equality in light of recent events.

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