‘Very good’ – Charles sips specially distilled rum during state visit to Guyana

The King declared a premium rum distilled in his honour “very good” when he took a sip to celebrate his state visit to Guyana.

Charles began his two-day trip to the South American country with a cultural evening hosted by President Mohamed Irfaan Ali after the two men held talks before the entertainment began.

Among the guests were Brits with connections to the country including pop star Eddy Grant, born in the country before moving to the UK as a child, and former justice secretary David Lammy whose parents were from Guyana.

The King was offered a glass of “Royal Welcome” limited edition 2026 rum made by food and beverage company Banks DIH, and smelt the spirit before taking a sip and pulling a surprised face and laughing as he said “very good”.

King Charles holds a glass of a specially produced Guyanese rum created in his honour during a state reception at State House in Georgetown, during the royal visit to Guyana (Ben Stanstall/PA)

PA Wire

Before sampling the drink he asked guests nearby: “Do you drink this? Endless rum punches at the end of the day?”

The President offered advice telling the King “you’ve just got to drink it down” and Charles took another sip before saying: “That’s very kind. Somebody else will have to finish it!”

Gregory Garraway, Banks DIH’s rum plant executive, said the rum was more than 20 years old adding: “We wanted the King’s visit to be something he could actually taste.

“Our description of the rum is extremely smooth, rich and flavourful and he loved it.”

Charles arrived in the country from the Bahamas for the first leg of his nine-day tour of the Caribbean which will end in Antigua and Barbuda which is hosting a major Commonwealth leaders’ summit the King will open in his role as head of the “family of nations”.

The trip to celebrate Guyana’s culture and people, as it marks the 60th anniversary of independence from Britain, comes in the wake of renewed calls from Caribbean nations for Britain to apologise for its role in selling enslaved people for profit and for reparations.

Guyana’s president said in a recent interview with ITV News Charles has recognised slavery as the darkest days in human history – but moving to the apology is “the next step”.

Within a few hours of arriving in the Bahamas on Tuesday the King acknowledged the “great suffering of the past” and confirmed the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting would discuss the legacy of slavery.