History

Legend has it that it was the Dutch who first brought sugar cane to the island paradise of Barbados. With its near perfect climate, Barbados soon became the sugar capital of the Caribbean. By the mid 1600’s, distillers were prolific, and rum became the basis for the island’s economy. 

In 1654, the General Court of Connecticut became so alarmed by the number of barrels of rum flooding into its ports that it banned the import of “Whatsoever Barbados Liquors” to protect the small distillers of New England and began confiscating the cargos of “Rum Runners”. 

One of the oldest remaining sugar plantations and rum distilleries on Barbados today is Foursquare. Taking its name from Square Pond in the area, the Foursquare distillery was completely renovated in 1996. It was restored by taking its existing historic structure and combining it with the most modern technology. The Foursquare distillery is renowned for excellence and has won numerous awards.