Black Tears Rum Launches with Three Arrows in Japan

Three Arrows, one of Japan’s leading spirits importers and wholesalers, is expanding its rum selection, forging a new partnership with Black Tears Rum, Cuba’s first and only Dry Spiced Rum.

Black Tears, the first release from The Island Rum Company, is crafted with a dry Cuban rum of unparalleled quality and infused with spices native to the island — coffee, cacao, and aji dulce. With a seductive, mysterious flavour, its low-sugar, dry and bittersweet character makes Black Tears completely unique within the spiced rum category.

“It is truly a pleasure to be a part of the Black Tears family,” says Three Arrows Purchasing Manager Satoshi Horio. “We are looking forward to giving an extraordinary and fresh ‘spice’ to the blooming Japanese rum market.” 

Thanks to its complex flavour, Black Tears mixes beautifully in long drinks and cocktails, and as such, will be targeted primarily towards Japan’s vibrant bar and restaurant scene in cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. Black Tears adds intricacy and intrigue to traditional rum drinks, and serves as a beguiling foundation for more daring inventions.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be launching with Three Arrows in Japan,” says Adele Robberstad, CEO of The Island Rum Company. “As Black Tears is all about self-expression we want bartenders and consumers alike in Japan to express themselves with Black Tears. We can’t wait to taste the amazing drinks they come up with!”

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Capitalizing on the first mover’s advantage, Black Tears will take the lead in education around Cuban Dry Spiced Rum to On Trade players with a tailor made program to get in front of bartenders, showcasing the signature Black Tears serve, Tears & Tonic, a refreshing long drink for every occasion:

50ml Black Tears

150ml Tonic

Garnish: Orange slice & habanero pepper

In addition, Black Tears will work closely with Three Arrows to develop cocktails and other signature serves that will broaden Black Tears’ appeal across Japan.

The story of Black Tears is rooted in Cuban music, specifically a song about love and loss called Lagrimas Negras, which means Black Tears. According to local legend, a young woman sobbed Black Tears of Sorrow into a vat of rum, giving it an otherworldly taste.

Launching Black Tears globally, the brand has partnered with three young creators active in Havana’s dynamic cultural landscape: Lia Rodriguez, Yojany Perez, and Wilson Hernandez. In Japan, partnering with local influencers who share the Black Tears philosophy and can bring the brand to life in ways that will resonate with Japanese consumers will be a key element of the long-term brand strategy.

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Key to building momentum in bars will be the ‘Liquid to Lips’ campaign, particularly focused across high energy bars with table service. A bottle of Black Tears, a set of shot glasses , a shaker and garnishes will be delivered to tables for guests to self-pour and “express themselves“ with.

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To engage with consumers and extend the brand’s reach to newcomers, Black Tears will also be developing a phone camera filter for consumers to “express themselves” on digital. This unique approach will allow for organic and highly shareable activity across popular social media platforms in Japan such as Line and Instagram.

An official brand launch, combining all the key elements of the brand, highlighting particularly its roots in modern Cuban culture, will take place later in the year.

“We are delighted to launch Black Tears Rum in partnership with Three Arrows (Japan),” says Manuel Arce, Spirits Director at Nimbility. “Black Tears Rum will bring an exciting new category into the Japanese  spirits market and we are looking forward to work with the Three Arrows team to build the brand from Hokkaido to Okinawa with their extensive network of distributors and retailers. Japan, get ready for this Cuban dry spice rum to take over your highballs!”

Please contact threearrows@mbr.niffty.com  for more information about buying Black Tears Rum in Japan.

For more information about Black Tears Rum across Asia please contact info@nimbilityasia.com

Apolline Martin