On March 19, Club Kokomo Spirits, the San Diego-based company known for award-winning canned cocktails, founded by Mike Love, singer, songwriter, and co-founder of the Beach Boys, is introducing a brand new line of premium artisanal rums at Kona Kai Resort on Shelter Island.

The all-new line is clean, complex, and distilled in San Diego. Featuring a unique blend of demerara cane sugar rum and traditional Jamaican pot still rum, they work for both sipping and enhancing Kokomo-inspired cocktails.

Love’s aspirations started years ago when he was enjoying a perfect mojito while humming the chorus of his co-authored hit song, “Kokomo.” His penchant for wordplay took over as he uttered the word “Kokomojito,” and, ever since, Love’s dream has been to share the spirit of Kokomo with the world.

“The spirit of Kokomo is the serenity and good vibrations you feel when hanging out with your closest friends or family, preferably on a sandy beach,” said Love, “We took it, distilled it, and bottled it for everyone who takes a sip to enjoy, anywhere. Much like a Beach Boys song.”

With the three new craft rums, all blended and bottled by hand, people across the country can now experience the Kokomo spirit for themselves. They include:

• Artisanal White Rum: With an aroma of honey and pineapple, the first sip will bring flavors of fruit with an element of delicious complexity, followed by a smooth finish with refreshing notes of melon and mango. No added sugar or artificial flavoring – 90 proof, 45% ABV, gluten-free.
• Barrel Finished Rum: Featuring a proprietary blend of eight and 10-year-old Jamaican, Barbadian, and Dominican rums, the Barrel Finished Rum is aged in new oak, ex-whiskey, and port casks. It is blended exclusively by master distiller, Geoff Longenecker, and finished in hand-selected bourbon barrels. This rum boasts a woodsy aroma with soft vanilla, plus flavors of oak and caramel with lingering hints of bourbon and stone fruit – 92 proof, 46% ABV, elevated whiskey alternative.
• Tahitian Vanilla Rum: An exotic tribute to the white sand beaches of the Caribbean. With a delicate and sweet floral aroma, this well-balanced rum tastes of vanilla and spice with an extremely smooth finish. It leaves lingering hints of vanilla achieved using fragrant, ripe, whole Tahitian vanilla beans, 80 proof, 40% ABV, and gluten-free.

Founded in 2023, Club Kokomo Spirits produces award-winning rum and gin-based ready-to-drink canned cocktails in addition to the three new rum offerings. Distilling operations are headed by Longenecker, founder and owner of small batch distillery Seven Caves Spirits. With a passion for how dynamic and delicious rum can be, Longenecker started distilling rum back in 2017, with inspiration drawn from La Jolla’s sea caves and rich local botanicals. What Love does with harmony in music, Longenecker does with harmony of flavor.

“Making a rum this good is all about the precision of the craft along with our expertise and Mike Love’s vision,” said Longnecker. “With naturally derived ingredients that provide a clean yet complex finish, this line of rum is one you’re going to want to get your hands on.”

Club Kokomo Spirits’ new line of rum was crafted to not only be delicious but also affordable.

“To have a rum that is accessible yet sippable is a game changer,” said Brian Love, head of development at Club Kokomo. “Usually you’d have to go for very expensive high-end rum if you’re looking for something you can sip and enjoy, but our rum does just that without a $150 price tag.”

Bottles are available for purchase at clubkokomospirits.com.