WWII veterans were driven to Shropshire to meet the master distiller who created a commemorative 80th anniversary D Day dark rum.
The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans took a groups of veterans for a couple of days break in Shropshire which included a visit to meet the Distinct Distillers team who have been selling ‘44’ a commemorative special edition D Day rum which raises funds for the charity.
Award winning Distinct Distillers, based near Ironbridge on the site of a WWII fuel depot welcomed a group of eight D Day veterans, one who served in Operation Market Garden and a veteran of the Burma campaign. The veterans enjoyed homemade cakes before a tour of the site, which included a visit to one of the old underground fuel tanks where casks of rum are stored. The master distiller explained how their 44 dark rum was made from the finest molasses and aged in sherry and bourbon barrel oak chips with notes of demerara, caramel and coffee.
Hannah Boon, MD, Distinct Distillers said, “The Distinct Distillers team felt so privileged to have these WWII heroes on our site. We were delighted when the charity accepted our offer to visit our distillery and we were keen to explore how we could raise additional funds to support their work with veterans. After the popularity of the 1944 Dark Rum, we’re expanding our plans with the charity further and will be releasing another line ready for VE day in 2025. We have also launched our Heroes Reserve Cask Programme, which are available to purchase with a £350 donation per cask going to the Charity. We also laid down 12 barrels, each one dedicated to those veterans who visited, and we’ll mature these for 5-7 years until ready for release.”
Dick Goodwin, Vice President of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans said, “The Commemorative D Day rum has raised over £750 to support our work and it was really fascinating to see and hear how it is made and to visit the huge underground tanks which store the casks under perfect conditions. Later that evening the team from Distinct Distillers visited our hotel for a rum tasting which went down very well, especially with our naval veterans!”
To find out more about the support the Taxi Charity offers to veterans or to donate visit www.taxicharity.org or to purchase a bottle of the D Day rum visit www.distinctdistillers.co.uk
About Distinct Distillers
Award winning Distinct Distillers is a family business in the Shropshire hills near Ironbridge. £2 per bottle from sales of their 44 dark rum is donated to the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans. www.distinctdistillers.co.uk/collections/1944
About the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans
The Taxi Charity is run by volunteer London black taxi drivers and has been supporting thousands of veterans since 1948. It is the only Forces charity that focuses on providing fun and entertainment and arranges free trips (for veterans from all conflicts) to the Netherlands and France for acts of commemoration and days out to museums, concerts, or social events across the UK.
The charity received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2021 and celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2023, a remarkable milestone for a small, niche charity peopled by enthusiastic volunteers.
In 2024, the charity took veterans to Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day and commemorated the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands in September. In May 2025 they will be returning to the Netherlands for the 80th anniversary of Dutch Liberation.
To fund and facilitate their work, the charity is wholly reliant on donations, grants and sponsorship.
