We must do our best!
“Yes? Do you like it?” With both hands on his waist, Danny Coppenrath stands in the business premises that he and his partners moved into a few months ago. In Spijkenisse, of course, because that is where the roots and the heart lie. Downstairs is a large storage area, where, among other things, the mobile 'Baron' bar is located, which will be taken to Cologne this afternoon for a festival. A large conference table in the screened-off space on the left. A portrait of grandpa hangs on the wall, several metres high. Upstairs we find more photos of 'grandpa Coppenrath', next to a map showing all the sales points of Baron Rum and a calendar with all the past and upcoming events that the men will be attending. From events by Oger and Mosselen aan de Maas to big parties in Maassilo.
Called out of bed
A family business? It certainly is, says Danny. The story of Baron Rum reads like an adventurous boy's book. In fact - despite the company being founded in November 2020 - it all started in 1953. Wil Coppenrath (1935) worked as a rower in the port of Rotterdam. After a long shift, and with a day off in prospect, he was called out of bed in the middle of the night. A late boat was coming in, could he still... With a sigh, Wil did as he was asked. The captain was so grateful that he gave away a carafe of spiced rum, not knowing what this kind gesture would set in motion. The young rower liked the rum so much that he went looking for the skipper the next day to find out more. Unfortunately, the generous giver had already sailed by then.
“My grandfather told this story countless times,” Danny smiles. “In the years that followed, he never stopped looking for that one specific rum. He went to liquor stores, attended tastings, drank rum during his distant travels… He never found that one rum. Until his visit to Spain…”
Danny ran a barbershop in Spijkenisse at the time. Grandpa once sat in his chair and let him taste the rum from Spain – it was close to the rum he had been given by the skipper. “Grandpa then said to me: 'Do you know what my real dream is, Dan, before I kick the bucket? To market that rum like I used to drink back then.' I immediately shouted: let's do it, grandpa!”
And so it happened. Dennis de Man, a cousin, came on board and Danny's best friend Robbert de Vos – and later his father Pieter – also got a share. The company was founded on grandpa's lucky day: Friday the 13th.
Lucky day
But first, of course, the rum had to come. “We started tasting with the rum from Spain,” says Pieter, who has now joined the conversation. “Until grandpa shouted: this is it! It eventually became a blend of rums from the Dominican Republic, Barbados and Gyana. It is bottled in Schiedam, by Herman Jansen – we found a good, nice partner there.”
Pieter vividly remembers the start of the company: “It was during the corona period, all catering establishments were closed, but the liquor stores were doing well. We went to them to build our name. We were already known in Spijkenisse – we were a hit there in no time. Social media exploded. We now sell to more than 180 liquor stores throughout the country and are available at more than seventy catering establishments. From NHOW and 1NUL8 to Crazy Pianos in Scheveningen and the Madero Ocean Club on Curaçao.”
Baron Rum also developed a number of cocktails, the best known of which – Mango NR.5, named after Grandpa's favourite song – has now become a hit at parties and festivals.
Sweet taste of success
Let's talk about that special bottle. A transparent crown cap, which immediately evokes a sense of nostalgia. The logo consists of a black crown. The label shows a blue mountain, with a winding path to the top. Because: you never reach that top in a straight line. Pieter: "The road to success - or actually achieving your goals, whether they are business or personal, big or small - has ups and downs. But when you achieve such success, grandpa said, you should celebrate it in style. He liked to do that with a glass of rum, surrounded by people who were dear to him or had helped him along the way." Pieter turns the bottle in his hands, shows the light at the bottom. With a press of a button, the road to the top of the mountain is illuminated. "Cool, huh? We get those lights from China."
Gold
We can safely say that Baron is doing well. The company recently even won the London Spirit Competition, where people from all over the world come to taste. They also won silver in America. “Now we’re going for gold,” says Danny, not without pride. But the guys do more than just sell rum. They go to parties and festivals, under the banner of Baron on tour, where they set up their own bar. Danny and Robbert were both already in the party business, so that was a small step. With Baron Agency, the guys help other companies set up their marketing and social media strategy. That explains the large conference table downstairs. The fact that Baron has quickly become part of their blood is evident from the fact that Danny has had the logo tattooed on his arm. Or else Pieter’s personalized shoes.
How do the guys from Baron actually celebrate their own success? Danny: “Last year we organised a great event in NHOW. We told our story there and celebrated the previous years. And of course we look to the future, to our dreams. We would like to have a nicer bar in the short term – we are working on that. We are now also selling relationship packages and Christmas packages. We would like to market our product in China. And soon we will be celebrating our third anniversary, that promises to be a great party too.”
Port
Is there actually still a link with the port? “That’s grandpa,” the two say decisively. He had the port of Rotterdam in his heart and always talked non-stop. Grandpa died as a result of corona. “Very sad,” says Danny, “especially since he was never ill. I am proud that we were able to make his big dream come true together. He was able to experience it. He often said that too: 'That I can still experience this at the age of 85!'”
The remaining men have the task and the honor to continue the business. And they do, with their eyes on the future, a heart full of dreams and a head full of good ideas. With a bottle of Baron and a smile from ear to ear, we step outside a little later. We will hear a lot more from these guys! And grandpa, he is watching. Danny: “We have to do our best!”
Interested in a relationship or Christmas package from Baron Rum? Send an email to info@baronrum.com