Cornish spirits brand Mainbrace is running a competition, in celebration of King Charles III coronation in May. Peter Morrell reports and enjoys a “Tot”

Mainbrace, an award-winning family-owned spirits company, based in Helford Passage, is running a competition for Mainbrace fans to win a trip to London over the weekend of the coronation of King Charles III. They want to encourage rum and gin drinkers to ‘splice the Mainbrace’ in celebration of the new king.

‘Splice the mainbrace’ is a naval term for an important celebration or victory and was always accompanied with the toast ‘The King – God Bless Him’ or ‘The Queen – God Bless Her’. For the first time in 70 years, we can raise a glass to our new king

Entrants can only participate with a purchase of Mainbrace. Customers can do so by either purchasing a Mainbrace drink at an eligible Cornish pub or retailer, filming themselves drinking Mainbrace or ‘splicing the Mainbrace’ in a local pub or at home and uploading to the page to be entered. Alternatively, a bottle of Mainbrace can be purchased from the Mainbrace website and a link will be sent to the competition page where entries can be uploaded.

The competition will be live on the 6th of February, and the final draw will be conducted on the 21st of April. The winner will be treated to a trip for two to London, with a 2-night hotel stay in The Tower Hotel, an outing to the Tower of London to view the crown jewels, and an evening dinner at a selected bar or restaurant with travel included.

For more information on how to enter the competition visit
https://mainbracerum.com/mainbrace-coronation-competition-celebrate-king-charles-iii-coronation-by-splicing-the-mainbrace/

About Mainbrace

Launched at the end of 2019, Mainbrace is a family-owned brand based in Helford Passage, Cornwall. The idea to enter the spirits business was sparked on a summer’s day at the Ferryboat Inn in Helford Passage, where the family were watching the local gig rowers celebrating after a race. That spirit of teamwork and celebration inspired them to bottle the moment, and thus, Mainbrace was born. As a family of varied tastes, they wanted to create a Cornish rum that would suit a variety of usage options, fitting perfectly into a refreshing long drink, a sophisticated cocktail, or a drink that could be savoured neat. In the quest for the perfect blend that captured the spirit of the sea, they worked with mixologists in Cornwall and London to experiment with different flavours, eventually setting on a blend of two styles that have never been bottled together before: English Navy Rum from Guyana and Agricole Rhum from Martinique

The name Mainbrace is inspired by the naval term to “splice the mainbrace”, which embodies the spirit of courage, teamwork, and friendship. In the days of sail, the main mast was steadied, or braced, with a thick rope called the mainbrace. If it was cut by enemy fire in battle a team of naval ratings (sailors) had to splice the rope back together under enemy fire to save the ship and win the battle. As a reward for successfully achieving this herculean task the captain would order the ship’s pusser (purser) to issue a double ration of rum to the team of ratings as a toast to victory.

To ‘splice the mainbrace’ inevitably became a naval euphemism for an important celebration and was always accompanied with the toast ‘The King – God Bless Him’ or ‘The Queen – God Bless Her.’

Mainbrace therefore embodies the spirit of celebrating a victory, no matter how big or small. As the spirit of the sea, it is the essence of the sea, the ethos of maritime life, and a drink most associated with the sea.

Mainbrace Rum Review

I have been sampling Mainbrace rum but before describing my conclusions it is worth noting the bottle. Its clean gold label matches the colour of this golden rum perfectly. The bottle has a bulbous bottom and a long, thin elegant neck, rather like a ship’s decanter and the stopper is made from cork and wood.

I started by tasting Mainbrace neat, the nose had strong notes of raisins, dates, and toffee. Background aromas included vanilla, oak, and spices. These continued onto the palate and were joined by warming ginger, grassy, and intriguing smokey flavours. The rum was silky smooth and the finish is very strong and persistent.

For people who appreciate good rum, drinking Mainbrace neat will keep them satisfied but I started thinking about cocktails. Given the time of year and the warming character of the rum, my first thought was for welcoming Hot Toddy for guests to drink when they arrive on a frosty night.

Pour 50ml of Mainbrace rum into a squat tumbler and top up with 150ml of hot (not boiling) water, stir in two tsps of honey, add a squeeze of lemon juice and garnish with a round slice of lemon. You can optionally add 2-3 cloves or a shake of cinnamon. Give it one final stir and serve to your guests.

My second thought was to bring some Caribbean sunshine to the party, so the ideal drink would be Rum Punch. Put some ice in a tumbler, pour over 50ml of Mainbrace rum. To keep it simple top up with mixed tropical fruit juice from the supermarket, look out for one containing some or all of pineapple, passion fruit, mango and orange. Garnish with maraschino cherries and a slice of orange on a cocktail stick and be instantly transported to a beach with silver sand and swaying palm trees.

I enjoyed Mainbrace rum a lot, it’s a very versatile spirit, great for sipping to enjoy the subtle flavours, and as a base for killer cocktails.

You can buy Mainbrace rum from their website:
https://mainbracerum.com/shop/