Barbancourt distillery knocked out in quake

Source: Just Drinks
By Garry Pierre-Pierre in Port-au-Prince
25 January 2010

The earthquake that shook Haiti did not spare the country's largest rum producer, Barbancourt.

The plant, located in capital city Port-au-Prince, suffered extensive damage, according to Alain Duret, the company's human resources director.

An entire exterior wall of the distillery was knocked down, equipment was damaged and barrels of ageing rum were destroyed -although the group had shipped stock to its distributor in New York 24 hours before the earthquake struck.

Duret warned that production will not be resumed for at least a month. "Everything is uncertain," Duret said. "Hopefully in a week or so we will have a better idea of the extent of the damage."

He confirmed that two employees have died and about 20% of the 430 staff lost their homes during the earthquake, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.