The Rolling Stones now has two connections to the Tampa Bay area.
In 1965, the iconic British band wrote the song “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” at a hotel in Clearwater. And, on Nov. 28, the band announced its branded rum will be made at The Point Distillery in Pasco County. The production contract is a big step for the company, which has been globally exporting rum since its founding in 2018.
The Point Distillery owner and CEO Spencer Wolf describes the deal as a “tremendous” endorsement of the company.
“It’s an authentication of our business and capabilities,” Wolf said.
It’s especially welcome after the past few years of economic tightening and government shutdowns during isolation, which affected its early growth and development. It even pivoted to make hand sanitizer during the pandemic, he said.
The deal was a competitive contract among distilleries, Wolf said. The rum comes from a partnership between Universal Music Group and Socio Ventures, a venture platform with a portfolio of artist-backed beverage brands. The Point Distillery will bottle, package and seal the rum, which will be decorated in green and gold labeling (with the recognizable tongue and lips symbol) and called “Crossfire Hurricane,” inspired by the opening lyric of the song “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”
Details of the contract and financials of the company were not disclosed. But the Point Distillery is investment-led. Everything earned goes back into the company, which has grown to service more than 50 customers, like Red Eye Louis, Rude Bwoy Spirits, Annabay Rum and Big Five Rum, Wolf said.
The Point Distillery was established after a $1.3 million investment to reopen a 30,000-square-foot dilapidated distillery space. The Pasco Board of County Commissioners aided the company through a low-interest loan from the Penny for Pasco fund. In August, they approved a restructuring deal of the company’s loan to purchase new machinery, according to a release.
“Securing a contract like this brings more job opportunities to our residents and showcases our business community in such a cool and different light,” Bill Cronin, the president and CEO of the Pasco EDC, said in a statement. “The county supported The Point and its expansion, and now they are working with one of the biggest, if not the biggest, names in rock ‘n’ roll.”
While the contract means more business and employees for the company, Wolf doesn’t see that changing its plans to stick around in Pasco.
“[Pasco] has been very good to us, and we’ve been good to them,” Wolf said. “We took a decrepit main street site that was decaying and turned it into a thriving business. And we’ve managed to give employment to a lot of people.”
As for when Mick Jagger and the crew are coming to Pasco, Wolf said he hopes they will. The band is set to play in Orlando on their upcoming U.S. tour.
“I can tell you that the band owns the brand, and they’re very involved in it,” Wolf said. “So draw your own conclusions.”
