You are currently viewing A.H. Riise | German Rum Festival 2022

A.H. Riise | German Rum Festival 2022

A.H. Riise – A Danish rum brand with Caribbean history.

A.H. Riise Rum

This exclusive rum is the life’s work of one of the most important and enterprising Danes of his time, the pharmacist and court councilor Albert Heinrich Riise. The history of A.H. Riise Rum leads back to times past and far away, when the former Kingdom of Denmark-Norway was still colonial owner of today’s US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean.

The islands of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix were discovered by none other than Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1493. The Danes took over the colonial possession quite late after several changes of ownership by the West India Company. In 1733, with the takeover of the island of St. Croix from France, sugar cane cultivation also began – an important step for rum production. Today, the islands have long belonged to the U.S. Virgin Islands, but the success of rum continues unabated.

A.H. Riise, who gave the rum its name, originally came from the small Danish island of Ærø and moved to the Caribbean after completing his studies. There he lived with his wife Henrietta Marie on the island of St. Thomas from 1838 to 1878. Albrecht Heinrich Riise, Master of Science in Pharmacy, was granted the privilege of running a pharmacy in the capital Charlotte Amalie of the Danish West Indies by royal decree, making him the first pharmacist on the island.

A.H. Riise – an enterprising pharmacist

His diligence and regular trading trips, during which he made useful discoveries, ensured that the St. Thomas Pharmacy became increasingly well-known among the inhabitants of the surrounding Caribbean islands. He used his passion for exotic flora and fauna, along with his green thumb, to produce various pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and alcohol. The pharmacist experimented with herbs and rare plants to provide remedies for any ailment.

His productivity also brought him into contact with the islands’ thriving rum business. Soon he became a supplier to the Danish Navy. A.H. Riise’s blended rum delighted the sailors in particular, as they were paid part of their pay in “liquid currency”.

Successful all over the world

In the course of time, A.H. Riise rums became more and more famous and found their way from the small Caribbean pharmacy to the whole world. As early as 1893, A.H. Riise rum received its first international award at the Chicago World’s Fair, which was held in honor of the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. Since then, the excellent qualities of these rum variations full of character have been awarded many times with medals in numerous competitions and exhibitions.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Im Laufe der Zeit wurden A.H. Riise Rums immer bekannter und fanden ihren Weg von der kleinen karibischen Apotheke in die ganze Welt. Schon 1893 erhielt der A.H. Riise Rum die erste internationale Prämierung auf der Weltausstellung in Chicago, die zu Ehren der 400jährigen Jahrfeier der Entdeckung Amerikas durch Christopher Columbus stattfand. Seitdem wurden die hervorragenden Qualitäten dieser charaktervollen Rum-Variationen vielfach mit Medaillen in zahlreichen Wettbewerben und Ausstellungen ausgezeichnet.