Tanduay rums come in a wide range of different expressions, with each product offer-ing its own unique flavor.
“From the complex Double Rum that has aged up to 18 years to the Especia Spiced Rum that has a touch of sweetness and is very approachable – you can drink them just by themselves. I use both at Blu, and they are so easy to work with. They make my job easier. The future between Tanduay and I is bright, I look forward to collaborating with the brand as much as possible,” said New York-based concept beverage director and bartending veteran Jeremy Le Blanche.
Le Blanche has been in the bartending industry for 11 years. He studied hospitality for five years before working as a barback/bartender, another four years for degrees, and one year for his bartending license.
“For the past 8 years, each of my roles was an amazing experience. I learned a lot eve-ry single day. From Switzerland to London, London to New York – my most important focus was to never settle, always keep growing and setting new goals for myself,” he said.
Le Blanche shared that traveling around the world opened his mind and made him discover new horizons.
“I became intrigued with mixology and culinary professions. I love how I get to be creative and innovative with my cocktails but also strive for consistency, so every customer gets the perfect cocktail whether it’s made by me or anyone on my team. I love that my role allows me to push the boundaries of what’s possible and to make my cocktails an immersive sensory experience for our guests,” he said.
Le Blanche said that New York is a great city to showcase creativity as it is constantly growing, evolving, and always has an incredible energy at any hour.
Asked how Tanduay would stack up against other brands, Le Blanche said that the product is “very good, very clean.” He shared that Tanduay Double Rum and Especia Spiced Rum by Tanduay are his two favorite expressions at the moment.
The rum market, however, is very competitive.
“It is all about marketing now to make Tanduay grow in the US, so more people know about it and have the chance to try it,” he said.
Le Blanche explained that one can make the most amazing cocktails, but it will not be picked up by the public if it is not promoted well.
“The same goes for restaurants and bars or anything – being excellent isn’t enough, you have to be unique and have great marketing to connect with people,” he stressed.
Le Blanche first learned of Tanduay when he met its New York brand ambassador, Matt Robertson, on social media.
“He came to Thyme bar to meet with me and we had an instant camaraderie that we have been able to build on over the years. The New York team at Tanduay is amazing and are very supportive. When I first tried the product itself I thought wow, this is very high quality rum and will be easy to incorporate into my cocktails,” he said.
Le Blanche likes the fact that the rum is from the Philippines as it gets people’s atten-tion.
“It’s unique and makes it easy for me to suggest something new to people. Once they try one of our Tanduay rum cocktails – they usually want to order another,” he said.
“Learning that industry experts like Jeremy likes the flavor profile of Tanduay rums and see their potential in cities like New York is a testament to the brand’s strict adherence to quality and focus on product research and development. It is also a testament to Fili-pinos’ craftsmanship and ingenuity as all Tanduay products are proudly made in the Philippines and use the best sugarcane in the country,” said Marc Ngo, Tanduay Inter-national Business Development Manager and Senior Brand Manager.
Founded in 1854, Tanduay is an iconic brand in the Philippines. It has received nu-merous international awards for its various rum products and continues its domination of the rum category in the country. It was named the World’s Number 1 Rum for five consecutive years by Drinks International Magazine, based on its sales. It has also re-ceived the “Brand of the Year” award for seven consecutive years.