Real McCoy Spirits, the makers of the award-winning rum inspired by legendary Prohibition rum runner Bill McCoy, announces the appointment of distinguished industry veteran John Esposito as the company’s new chairman.
“With his significant leadership experience in the beverage alcohol industry, John is an invaluable addition to the Real McCoy team. He’s been involved with some of the greatest brands in beverage alcohol,” said Bailey Pryor, Real McCoy Spirits founder and CEO. “We are delighted to be working with John during this exciting period of growth.”
John Esposito brings 40 years of leadership experience in all three tiers of the distilled spirits industry to the role of Real McCoy Spirits chairman. Esposito has also served as CEO,High West Distillery; president, Stoli Group USA; CEO, Bacardi North America; president and CEO of Schieffelin & Somerset and Moet Hennessy USA; as well as president of one of the largest distributors in the country, Premier Beverage of Florida.
“I’m energized by the new wave of authentic brands created by unconventional leaps like Bailey’s,” said Esposito. “He and the team’s passion for crafting a high-quality, ethically-made product is right on trend with the contemporary consumer’s needs.”
In his role as chairman, Esposito is responsible for helping to build strategic relationships, find talented people to join the Real McCoy team and assist with sales and marketing advice.
About Real McCoy Spirits
Bill McCoy was the pioneer rum runner of the Prohibition era who became a household name for selling only the best quality unadulterated spirits, known as “The Real McCoy.”
While making a PBS documentary about McCoy, filmmaker Bailey Pryor was inspired to make a rum brand that matched the legend of “the Real McCoy”.
The Real McCoy is a small batch artisan spirit crafted by fourth general Master Distiller Richard Seale at the Foursquare Distillery in Barbados and uses only the finest blackstrap molasses and pure spring water. In McCoy’s Prohibition Tradition, the multi-award winning suite of 3, 5, and 12 year aged single blended rums are unadulterated – there are no added sweeteners or flavorings. The rums are produced in a rare combination of column and artisan pot stills, then authentically aged in heavy char American oak bourbon barrels. The Real McCoy is available in NY, IL, CA, CT, MA, NJ, FL, WI, GA, CO, TX and RI.