SANTO DOMINGO 23 December 2022 ecoSPIRITS has announced plans to launch closed loop service in Dominican Republic under a Licensed Operator Agreement with KOI DOMINICANA SRL, the producer of Candela Mamajuana, a premium spiced rum based on a recipe which is native to the region. Like other ecoSPIRITS island markets around the world, ecoSPIRITS Dominican Republic will operate an ecoPLANT 1.0S Lite, deploy a fleet of Ocean Conservation edition ecoTOTEs™ and will join the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program to fund removal of waste from marine environments. Starting in early 2023, Candela will be the first spirit available in ecoTOTE format in the Dominican Republic, to be joined soon by other spirits producers participating in the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program. Resorts in Punta Cana and Santo Domingo will be among the first venues to receive closed loop spirits service.
Candela Mamajuana will be the first spirit available in ecoTOTE format.
The SmartPour 2.0S Ocean Conservation Edition.
Mamajuana, a traditional native drink of the Dominican Republic, is a blend of Dominican rum, natural spices, and honey. Candela, meaning “on fire” in Spanish slang, was created in 2016 by Alejandro Russo and his mother Lillian Arinoviche, who wanted to create the finest expression of this local drink to share with the rest of the world. Candela is the leading brand of mamajuana and it is designed to be enjoyed neat or mixed in speciality cocktails. It is known for its smooth sweet taste, rich rosewood and honey aromas and long finish with warming spices. The spiced rum is handcrafted in the Dominican Republic with all-natural ingredients. It is distilled from fresh-pressed sugarcane juice, and then aged in American oak barrels. Candela is proud of its quality production methods and its focus on sourcing local ingredients. The company has a big focus on sustainable practices and its production processes are powered by renewable energy.
Mamajuana is aged in American oak barrels.
The premium Candela can be enjoyed neat or in speciality cocktails.
Spirits consumption in the Dominican Republic is dominated by rum, and mamajuana is one of the most popular drinks, featured on menus in most bars and clubs across the island nation. Some of the nation’s most well known cocktails are rum based such as Piña Colada, the Coco Loco and the Passionfruit Mojito, and are often sought out by tourists on their arrival at the beach. For rum production in the Dominican Republic, producers must harvest the sugar cane, ferment, distill, and age the spirit in oak barrels for a minimum of one year, and it all has to happen within the country’s borders.
The popular tourist area of Punta Cana.
The nation’s capital, Santo Domingo.
Closed loop distribution in ecoTOTE format will initially start with the popular tourist area of Punta Cana. This glamorous seaside resort town, in the easternmost region of the country, boasts a plethora of hotels and hotel bars including several luxury venues. Closed loop service will next be made available to the nation’s capital, Santo Domingo, which is well known for its energetic nightlife, Latin music, and rum-based drinks. Santo Domingo is the largest city of the Dominican Republic and the biggest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. It is the nation’s cultural, financial, political, commercial, and industrial centre and it also serves as the chief seaport of the country, with the port handling heavy passenger and freight traffic. Other destinations on the list include La Romana, Puerto Plata, Cabarete, and the Samaná Peninsula.
Candela is a mamajuana, a traditional Dominican Republic drink.
The country's government is working hard to keep its oceans waste-free.
The Dominican Republic, one of the world’s top tourist destinations, is the tenth largest economy in Latin America and the largest in the Caribbean region open for commercial trade. In 2019, the Dominican Republic set out plans to invest in new sustainability initiatives specifically focused on its tourism industry, with the aim of boosting the nation’s ‘ecotourism’ image. As part of this, the government pledged to reduce marine and land-based pollution, cut the consumption of materials, and diminish waste arising from tourism with targets such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030. Following in the footsteps of the Bermuda, the Seychelles and the Cayman Islands, ecoSPIRITS Dominican Republic will participate in the ecoSPIRITS Ocean Program, which works with island nations that are most at risk from rising sea levels due to climate change. Each order of an ecoTOTE in the Dominican Republic will fund the removal of one kilogram of single use plastic, glass and other man-made wastes from endangered coral reefs and marine environments.
Alejandro Russo, Co-founder, Candela Mamajuana
“We are delighted to be partnering with ecoSPIRITS to bring circular spirits service to the Dominican Republic. We are proud to have Candela Mamajuana, an authentic Dominican product, lead the way into sustainable business practices. We hope Candela Mamajuana becomes an example of eco-conscious values and sets the standards for other brands to follow. We are excited to be operators of the country’s first ecoPLANT, and we look forward to seeing this closed loop technology in action.”
Jessica Berry, Sales Director, North America, ecoSPIRITS
“The Dominican Republic is a nation that loves to celebrate and enjoy life, as well as many delicious rum-based cocktails! It has a thriving tourism scene with several luxurious and world-renowned hotels. All of this makes it perfectly positioned to transition to the circular economy, and we are excited to work with Candela Mamajuana to launch our low waste and low carbon packaging technology in our fourth island market. Together, we can make a progress in ending single use glass in the Dominican Republic.”
For more information about ecoSPIRITS Dominican Republic, please contact ecoSPIRITS’ Sales Director for North America, Jessica Berry on [email protected]. Brands, bars, restaurants, and hotels interested in joining the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program in the Dominican Republic may contact Alejandro Russo via email at [email protected]. For media inquiries about ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Senior PR Manager, Sonya Hook on [email protected]
About Candela
Candela Mamajuana is the finest expression of the Dominican Republic’s legendary spiced rum. Known for its smooth taste of the finest rum, exotic spices, and honey, this spirit is made with all-natural ingredients and distilled from fresh-pressed sugarcane in its native country. The approachable spirit can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks or mixed in a speciality cocktail. Co-founded in 2016 by the mother and son duo, Lillian Arinoviche and Alejandro Russo, Candela is distributed throughout Florida, California, New York, New Jersey, and the Dominican Republic.
For more details on Candela Mamajuana, please visit the website: www.drinkcandela.com
About the ecoSPIRITS Ocean Program
The ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program complements the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program for island nations that are most at risk from rising sea levels due to climate change. Highlighted by the striking blue Ocean Conservation Edition ecoTOTE, each order of an ecoTOTE by venue partners in participating islands nations funds the removal of one kilogram of single use plastic, glass and other man-made wastes from endangered, coral reefs and waters. Using Green Steps Group’s proprietary “proof of impact” technology platform, cleanup operations are verified, monitored and reported through an industry-leading digital record. Ocean waste recovery benefits the venue partners, but is jointly funded by ecoSPIRITS and our Climate Partner brands and distributors.
For more information on Green Steps Group, please visit www.greenstepsgroup.com.
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 15 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. More than 1,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels, and retailers have adopted the technology. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow to 25 countries worldwide by early 2023. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.
For more information, please visit www.ecospirits.global.