Ron Don Q

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Ron Don Q, alternatively known as Don Q, is a Puerto Rican rum brand. It is sold internationally, and it competes against Bacardi. The rum is named after Don Quixote, a famous Spanish book character.

[edit] History

In 1865, the Serralles family opened a rum manufacturer at Mercedita barrio, Ponce, near where Mercedita Airport is currently located. The Serralles were a Spanish family that had established in Puerto Rico. The Serralles worked on a sugar cane field-their rum manufacturing area-from where they began to produce rum. That same year, Juan Serralles, who would go down as one of the most successful liquor salesmen in Puerto Rican history, imported a still from France, which enabled him to produce his first casks of rum. Eventually, Ron Don Q would be publicly released, becoming a staple on Puerto Rican supermarket shelves.

By the 1960s, Ron Don Q was available on most of Puerto Rico's important supermarket chains, such as Pueblo and others. It also became available at Amigo.

Currently, Don Q is sold in other countries such as the United States, Mexico, the United States Virgin Islands, Spain and a number of others.

Ron Don Q faces Bacardi and Captain Morgan, among others, for the number one selling rum spot in Puerto Rico.

Ron Don Q has also been engaged in numerous advertising campaigns. Television ads have run on Puerto Rican channels for decades, and the brand has sponsored local sports teams, such as baseball's Leones de Ponce and their BSN basketball counterpart the basketball Leones. The Serralles distillery is also involved in the Copa Serralles boat race, where Ron Don Q is prominently advertised. Don Q also has appeared on a number of films. Also, Ron Don Q is available in small bottle samples at supermarkets, pharmacies and liquor stores.