New rum dedicated to Whitby RNLI's lifesaving history launched

Trainee crew member Luke Pentith was inspired to create the rum in partnership with the RNLI after signing up as a volunteer last year.

Luke, who owns Whitby Distillery with his wife Jess, is donating 10% from the sale of each bottle to the RNLI.

Luke said: “The RNLI is a charity we have always admired.

"I joined the crew as a trainee last year and seeing first-hand the dedication and passion my crew mates have for their role is what inspired us to create the product.

“As the flavour profile of the Dark spiced rum progressed, Whitby Distillery invited several off-duty RNLI crew members to the distillery to help them perfect the recipe and flavour.

“The outcome is a Rum with oodles of coastal flavours including sea buckthorn and pepper dulse as well as cassia bark and cloves.

"The rum is laid to rest in a Madeira cask.

"This dark spiced rum has rich fruit overtones, molasses, and treacle murmurs.

“With the introduction of the new Shannon Lifeboat to the Whitby RNLI station we recognised the level of ongoing support that is needed to keep the station running.”

The drink has already been popular – the first batch of Dark Spiced Rum has almost sold out within 24 hours, but the good news was a second cask was almost ready for bottling so the distillery wouldn’t be out of stock for long.

The bottle features the RNLI logo, as well as important safety messages such as float to live, a message which can make the difference between life and death.

It also features, on the seal, an image of Henry Freeman, the only surviving crew member in the great lifeboat disaster of 1861.

The crew launched five times to rescue stricken vessels, but on their sixth launch, tragedy struck.

A freak wave hit the lifeboat, which capsized, and all but one of the crew were lost.

Freeman survived because he was wearing a new design of cork lifejacket.