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The Real McCoy

Barbados rum named for a Prohibition runner who never watered down his cargo.

Founded by
Bailey Pryor

Their story

The Real McCoy rum started with a documentary. Bailey Pryor was producing a film for American public television about Bill McCoy, a Prohibition-era rum runner, when he decided to make a rum in McCoy's name.

Starting in 1920, McCoy sailed liquor from the Caribbean to waters just outside New York, selling from his boat beyond the three-mile limit. Unlike many rivals, he never diluted or adulterated what he sold, and his reputation for honest goods is often linked to the phrase the real McCoy.

Pryor developed the rum with Richard Seale, the fourth-generation master distiller at the family-owned Foursquare Distillery in Barbados.

How it's made

The rum is made in small batches at Foursquare in Barbados, blending column and pot still distillate. It is aged in American oak barrels that once held bourbon, with no added sugar, flavoring, or other additives.

Why we carry them

We like The Real McCoy for anyone who wants an honest, unsweetened rum. It sips well and makes a fine daiquiri.

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