The county of Demerara in Guyana has been steeped in the history of sugar and rum production since the 17th century. Today, Demerara Distillers Limited operates the last remaining distillery in Guyana at Plantation Diamond on the East Bank of the Demerara River, after having consolidated all the old original stills and marques which make Demerara Rum so distinctive.
The story of rum in Guyana started in the 1640s with the introduction of sugar cane by the early European settlers. By 1670, the foundation of Demerara Rum production was laid down with the establishment of distilling into the new territories by the British.
1600s - The county of Demerara once covered by the Atlantic Ocean, was recovered by the Dutch in the 1600s. Using their ingenious land reclamation methods, the Dutch successfully reclaimed the land resulting in soil that was high in minerality and nutrients paving the way for sugar cane cultivation in the 1650s.
1700s - By 1780, there were over 300 distilleries producing their own unique rums, each with its own marque identifying its origin (e.g. SWR, ICBU, PM, EHP, LBI, AN).
1800s - In the 1800s, colonial rums using British blending were becoming more popular and the first Old Vatted Demerara (OVD) was made with rum produced by the Port Mourant distillery as the major component.
1900s - This period saw an unexpected drop in the price of sugar and the introduction of taxes resulting in the severe consolidation of the sugar industry, as it was not economical for all estates to remain in operation. By 1942, there were nine remaining distilleries. In 1999, final merger of the remaining sugar estates and distilleries by transfer of the various stills, equipment and expertise by Demerara Distillers Limited at the only active distillery in Diamond, on the East Bank of the Demerara River.
2000s - The El Dorado range now includes a unique collection of aged rums ranging from 3 – 25 Year Old. El Dorado rums are produced to the highest standards and conform to the international regulations on age statements. Therefore the age on the bottle refers to the age of the youngest rum in the blend, even though the oldest may be many years older.