Black Snow

cheaper to produce in Puerto Rico or USVI. Also provides major source of revenue for those two territories. A civil war nearly broke out between PR and USVI when USVI offered better incentives and stole Captain Morgan (diageo) production from PR. That resulted in hundreds of millions of "carryover" taxes being routed to USVI instead of PR through a tax program set up to funnel liquor taxes back to territories as an annual source of revenue. Totally OT but I was somewhat involved in that deal from the USVI side and found it interesting.

In Tahiti, they use pineapple to make their spirits but the muck doesn't drain well enough for pineapples. they mature their pineapples to the point that you can eat the core. BEST.PINEAPPLE.ANYWHERE..big fan of Moorea, french influence with fresh fruit and seafood was some of best food I have ever had

A Rum Battle, a Tax Hangover - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Virgin Islands Snag Captain Morgan | Bond Buyer
Bringing Captain Morgan onto St. Croix will help the USVI's overall economy. Officials estimate the additional rum tax receipts will bring in nearly $119 million of revenue beginning in 2012, with that yearly amount growing to $226.3 million in 2038, according to financial analysis data from Fiscal Strategies Group Inc. That's a dramatic boost compared to the anticipated $20.5 million of gross rum-tax receipts that officials anticipate receiving from the territory's sole rum maker, Pernod Ricard in fiscal 2009, which begins Oct. 1. Pernod Ricard manufactures Cruzan Rum.

JPMorgan and Citi will lead the underwriting syndicate on the transaction. Hawkins, Delafield & Wood LLP is bond counsel.

Of the rum tax revenues generated from the new distillery, each year the first $18.4 million of receipts will go towards paying principal and interest payments on the bonds. The USVI will then place 3% of gross rum-tax revenue into a community trust program, which will support local sports facilities and urban redevelopment projects on the territory's three islands, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. That 3% allocation will generate $3.5 million of revenue for the islands in 2012, with that amount growing annually to $6.7 million in 2038.

Diageo will also receive funds from the rum tax revenues through tax incentives, marketing campaigns, and molasses subsidies. That allocation totals $36.3 million for fiscal 2012, and will increase every year to $89.1 million for those programs in 2038, according to Fiscal Strategies data.

 

Try Cruzan Rum, not expensive but my favorite rum. Has been made on St Croix for a long time. Their rum cream is better alternative to Bailey's if you can find any. Big disappointment to me when they quit making it

Our Rums | Cruzan® (cruzanrum.com)

 

I'm working on a piece of ground now that is in a program I never encountered before. State paid farmers to destroy infected groves and keep them out of production by giving major tax breaks to property.

Until a cure is found for greening or a tree developed that has resistance, citrus is in a death spiral in Florida

 

prohibition days?

 

incestous...yet Desi talks about clean water. can't clean the legacy pollution let alone treat even more