New Port Richey distillery to bottle The Rolling Stones new signature rum ‘Crossfire Hurricane’
Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards pose for a photocall at the Rolling Stones "Hackney Diamonds" Launch Event at Hackney Empire on September 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jo Hale/Redferns)
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - Turning out distinctive bottles of spirits is nothing new for Spencer Wolf and his team at The Point Distillery in New Port Richey. But, there’s some special rum waiting in the warehouse – 28,000 gallons for The Rolling Stones.
Within days, they’ll start bottling the new signature rum from the Stones called "Crossfire Hurricane." The term refers to the lyrical place where Mick Jagger was born in the iconic song Jumpin’ Jack Flash.
Pictured: Prototype bottle.
This distillery was selected among many competitors anxious to bottle the rum. It became the drink of choice for the band when they spent time in the Caribbean, honing their music in their early days together.
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Wolf said unlike some other celebrities who just license their names, the Stones own the rum brand and have been intimately involved in the creation of both the rum and the distinctive bottle.
"Mick Jagger has been all over it to the finest detail," said Wolf. "And they wanted a product that represented them."
It’s easy to see.
"If you look at the back label, they’ve actually signed them," said Wolf. "And here, the tongue is probably one of the most prominent logos in the world."
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To coin some titles from the Stones, Wild Horses couldn’t drag Wolf away from the satisfaction he and his team feel.
"Oh, we were beyond ecstatic. This is the most famous iconic rock band in the world," he said.
Wolf said making the intricate bottle for a local brand of bourbon, Von Payne, helped convince the Stones to bring it to Pasco County.
"And I think it was said ‘if you can do that bottle you can do ours,’" Wolf said.
Wolf, who is originally from Great Britain, said his accent may have played a small part in it.
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The Rolling Stones are scheduled to perform in Orlando on June 3. What are the chances they might come to New Port Richey to see their rum being bottled?
"Discretion stops me from answering that question, but would I be surprised if they show up to see their rum being manufactured? No," he smiled.
Wolf said he expects to start bottling the rum in early December, and that it should be on store shelves around the beginning of the new year. He said it will have a retail price of around $37 a bottle.
"I think the Stones wanted it priced so that it could be accessible to a great number of their millions and millions of fans," he said.