Invitation to Barbados produces Gecko’s own “Black Gold”
Sarasota, FL; December 18, 2014 // – When Gecko’s Hospitality Group was invited to take a trip to the beautiful Island of Barbados to visit the Mount Gay Distillery, we just had to say YES!
Mike Quillen & Mike Gowan, working alongside Master Distiller Alan Smith, teamed up to blend a unique and special Rum for the Gecko’s family of restaurants and our valued guests. Through our collaborative blending process at the Mount Gay compound, a beautifully balanced and spicy Rum was brought to life.
Giving new meaning to the term ‘small batch’, Gecko’s Signature Rum is a handcrafted blend made of matured double pot distillates and aged column distillates. In a process called finishing, the blended rum is then matured for a second time in deeply charred Bourbon oak barrels. This unique process releases spicy aromas that are at once balanced, and bold.
The education shared with Mike & Mike during each step of the distillation process was a privilege. Barbadian sugar is among the finest in the world, yielding exceptional, rich tasting molasses. In the 18th century, Barbadian molasses had come to be called “Black Gold” because of the additional revenue it provided in the crystallized sugar from sugar cane. The end result is a pleasure for Mike and Mike to share with you. Until our Barrel runs dry, we can all enjoy the exclusive taste of Gecko’s Grill & Pub Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum, just in time for a Holiday toast.
Gecko’s Grill & Pub has a long history of serving as Business Partners with dozens of schools in Sarasota and Manatee County, providing Super Student Free Meals to tens of thousands of elementary students and supporting untold numbers of teams, projects, fundraisers and events in area schools. Gecko’s is a benefactor of the non-profit Y Youth Shelter, which serves children 10-17 years of age who are homeless, and Operation Second Chance, which serves America’s wounded, injured and ill combat veterans, The 4H Club & Foundation, and the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches, among many others. Quillen also personally serves on several community Boards, and is the immediate Past President of The Argus Foundation, a public policy community foundation which harnesses business leadership for effective community building.
Gecko’s Grill & Pub has been locally owned and operated since 1992, and employs over 300 Floridians. Quillen and his partner, Mike Gowan’s newest Gecko’s, located at Fruitville and North Cattlemen Roads opened June 30, 2014 and their ‘Better Burger’ concept, S’macks Burgers & Shakes, opened in Summer, 2013.
For more information, please contact 941.921.3924, or office@geckoshospitality.com.
