Lars Soderstrom, CEO and Founder of Tobago Gold Europe BV, talks to Newsday about his product at his Arnos Vale, Plymouth home. - Photo by David Reid Launched by Lars Söderström in 2020, Tobago Gold (17% ABV) is a blend of rum, Trinitario and Criollo cocoa, and spices. The product is said to tap into the consumer trend for products with low sugar and low alcohol content. Soderstrom, who describes his small highly-skilled team of employees as a mixture of Caribbean creative talent and experience, along with overseas management skills, is excited about the rapid progress and bright outlook for the company. s an amazing opportunity to work with an indigenous, artisan product that is sure to make waves both locally and internationally, representing everything that is great about Trinidad and Tobago (TT). He said apart from the rewarding taste, Tobago Gold is also a healthy choice with a variety of spices.

I then went nearby to the Harvard Club, where I met an experienced Egyptian bartender. I gave him a sample drink, and he said, 'Very good, but it needs more rum.' The bartender added more rum, at no cost to me, and we agreed that 17 per cent was good. Caribbean rum liqueur brand Tobago Gold has made its debut in Germany through distributor Liquorland Cooperation. Tobago Gold will be available to sample at Bar Convent Berlin Developed in a kitchen at Arnos Vale, Plymouth, Tobago Gold, a premium liqueur, has been delighting the tastebuds of people around the world for the last six months. Winning the awards brought visibility, credibility, a stamp of approval and much-needed investments, used towards establishing the product and penetration other markets.” We tasted over 200 blends in my kitchen, and by the end of January, we came up with a chocolate cream liqueur prototype.”Coincidentally, the first two people I met were a Trini from Moruga and an East Indian gentleman who has a Trini wife. I gave them a drink and they loved it.

Söderström said: “As a fresh contribution to the cream liqueur category, we want to be an inclusive and energetic lifestyle brand.The cocoa-pod bottle design, which can be added to any collection, is environmentally-friendly and made from advanced technology. It was engineered by marketing consultant Che Hernandez. In six months, Tobago Gold has become a hit around the world. We have attracted investors, expanded to new markets, won awards and produced 10,000 litres in 2021.

The brand’s recipe is inspired by the traditional Tobagonian cocoa tea, in which cocoa and spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon are simmered with milk for a ‘spicier, more intense’ hot chocolate. When I went to countries in Europe such as Italy, Sweden and Holland, all the people I met loved the taste. Look outside of the house. It makes you happy, and everyone who comes here loves it. Tobago is beautiful, clean, green and serene. The natural beauty is the inspiration behind the name of our product.”As he owns a cocoa estate, it was natural that Soderstrom would look to develop a product with the pods. After becoming a certified chocolate maker in Vancouver, Canada, in 2013, his first vision was to create a new chocolate brand in partnership with the Grenada Chocolate Company, but the deal fell through with the death of its CEO. Glen Rogers, Divisional Manager of the Wines & Spirits Division for Alston's Marketing Company Limited explains how his immense feeling of national pride influenced the decision to be Tobago Gold’s importer and distributor in Trinidad & Tobago. The chocolate rum cream is a combination of spices, intense Trinitario cocoa and 17 per cent Caribbean white rum.

Wednesday 2 March 2022 Tobago Gold, a chocolate rum cream, developed in Arnos Vale, Plymouth. - Photo by David Reid At last we have a product with the potential to reshape and rebuild the chocolate cream liqueur category in Germany,” said Hannes Koch, co-owner at Liquorland Cooperation, which was founded in spring 2021. “We are excited to bring the spirit of Caribbean lifestyle to our market.” Soderstrom, who owns a property in Maraval, has made Tobago his home for the past seven years. His European-style house, perched on the hills in Plymouth, overlooking the sea, is the inspiration behind the name of his creation.Soderstrom is proud of his product for being distilled with a higher percentage of cocoa and superior quality of white rum than other liqueur brands. Lars Soderstrom, left, CEO of Tobago Gold chocolate rum cream, with his cocoa estate manager Krishna Ramnarine at the La Caurita estate, Maraval valley. - Photo by David Reid He told Newsday during an interview last week, “I wanted to bring a Caribbean flavour with the values of Carnival to the world – creativity, happiness, inclusiveness, have fun together and creating personality.” Originally an engineer from Sweden, Soderstrom held several managerial positions across Europe and America, before coming to Trinidad in 2000. He is a former TSTT marketing vice president, ex-CEO at the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation in Barbados, and past business development adviser at the Inter-American Development Bank.