Anybody try Black Coral Rum?

Came across this. Black Coral Rum distilled in good ole Riviera Beach, Florida. Dunno how long they been at it, but if you click on the "products" link and then click the Rum link, it takes you to the page for the rum and says its available "for pick-up only". Weird, I thought producers had to sell through a distributor and couldn't sell directly to the public??? Maybe years ago and they've changed that?

Anyway, North Palm Beach county used to be my old stomping grounds and I still commute and work there. See if I can't stop by and pick up a bottle this saturday.

http://blackcoralrum.com/

howlinowl

There is a "three tier system" in Florida for liquor sold in the state:

1. The distillery produces their product but may not immediately sell it.
2. A distributor buys the rum from the distillery and transfers it to its warehouse and readies it for sale. Often the warehouse is hundreds of miles away, and the rum goes on a long and silly trip, the cost of which is later paid for by the consumer.
3. The distillery buys back ITS OWN PRODUCT from the distributor and may then sell it to the consumer.

I believe this may all be traced back to old control and tax revenue abuses from the bootlegger days, which were originally caused by Prohibition. Of course the government stepped in and got rid of that evil ol' prohibition, making their government rules and regulations the hero once again. Yay government.