Malibu Pineapple

About Malibu

The story of Malibu began in South Africa in 1978, when Gilbey’s South Africa launched Coco Rico, a light coconut flavored rum drink. When James Espey, an executive at International Distillers & Vintners, visited the South African subsidiary, his friend and colleague Peter Fleck showed him their newest product in the distinctive white bottle with the crossed palms and the setting sun. Back in London, Espey introduced the Caribbean style drink to his colleague Thomas Edwin Jago, who is credited with the creation of brands like Baileys Irish Cream and Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Recognizing the immense potential of the drink that tasted like summer in a bottle, the men went on a mission of persuading other company executives that marketing a Caribbean-style rum made in apartheid South Africa was not such a bad idea as it sounded. In 1979, the new drink was launched in the UK under the brand name Malibu, as Coco Rico turned out to be already taken. Over 40 years later, Malibu is one of the world’s leading flavored spirits brands, with almost 4.5 million cases sold in 2020. Today, Malibu comes in a range of different flavors, and the brand also introduced premixed drinks that come in cans or pouches. The iconic brand is owned by Pernod Ricard, which acquired it when it bought Allied Domecq in 2005.

As the brand took off, the production was actually moved from South Africa to the Caribbean, and for the past 20 years, Malibu has been made at the West Indies Distillery, which is fittingly located next to an amazing tropical beach in Barbados. Being in a position to make a difference, Malibu is determined to play its part in making the world a better place. In line with Pernod Ricard’s commitment to contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goals, Malibu has been building long-lasting relationships with its suppliers and sourcing materials and ingredients responsibly and sustainably.