How to start a rum brand with purpose

For the next piece in our series on businesses created during the pandemic, Nic Akinnibosun and Rico Oyejobi talk about setting up their rum brand Saint Ogun while keeping their day jobs at Mother ad agency

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During lockdown in 2020, Nic Akinnibosun and Rico Oyejobi joined forces to launch Saint Ogun, a rum brand that shines a light on the founders’ Caribbean and Nigerian heritage while keeping London at its core. The name, Saint Ogun, is a nod to Nigerian Yoruba culture, where Ogun is an Orìsà, a native deity, known for craft, invention, war and transformation.

The rum is made in both column and pot stills and is a harmonious blend from five distilleries across Jamaica, Guyana and Barbados, with “nothing added, nothing taken away”. Fruity and warm with hints of soft vanilla, Saint Ogun’s aesthetic is slick but accessible. The founders are completely new to the drinks industry, yet they’ve been spurred on by their passion for the spirit.

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