Mystic — The Real McCoy Rum of Mystic has announced that Constellation Brands, which had $7.3 billion of sales in 2017 and is best known for distributing Corona beer, has acquired a minority stake in the company.

Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Bailey Pryor, who launched the rum in 2013 from his home on Pearl Street, said he, his wife, Jennifer, and other company officials will continue to oversee operations, but Constellation will expand distribution and marketing.

After starting out five years ago by selling three types of rums in Connecticut crafted by a Barbados distiller, Pryor’s rums are now sold in 16 states and 22 countries. He recently returned from a trip to promote the introduction of Real McCoy in Dubai, Scotland, England and Romania. The rum has won more than 100 industry awards.

Pryor said this week that when he started Real McCoy, “I thought it would just be a little side business, something fun to do. But it’s just taken off."

He said he’s had to put his filmmaking career, in which he made documentaries for outlets such as the Discovery Channel and PBS, on the back burner.

“It’s totally monopolized my life,” he said about the rum.

Pryor said the rum has experienced significant growth over the past few years, but he declined to discuss sales. 

It was while making a PBS documentary about legendary Prohibition rum runner Bill McCoy that Pryor discovered the distillery in Barbados that made McCoy’s rum. The discovery gave Pryor the idea to make a rum and he reached an agreement with the Seale family, which has run the Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados for four generations, to produce rums aged three, five and 12 years, as well as special editions. The rums distinguish themselves from many others on the market by having no sweeteners or flavorings and are aged in American oak bourbon barrels.

But now with the help of Constellation Brands, a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange, Pryor said the rum will be in all 50 states by the end of next year. In addition to Corona and Corona Light, Constellation distributes popular Mexican beers such as Modello and Pacifico, making it the third largest beer company in the United States behind Anheuser-Busch InBev and MillerCoors. It also distributes many brands of wine, such as Robert Mondavi.

Pryor said Constellation, which also distributes Svedka Vodka, is just beginning to expand its liquor offerings and Real McCoy will be its first rum.

“They could have partnered with any rum, but they chose to invest in us,” he said, adding that he had interest and offers from other companies as he sought a “strategic partner” to expand the brand.

Pryor said Constellation also was impressed by the substantial marketing program created by Jennifer Pryor to promote the brand. He also has trademarked “The Real McCoy” phrase.

“We chose Constellation because they understand how to expand a business without destroying its original integrity,” he said.

Pryor said the rum will continue to be produced at the Foursquare Rum Distillery, which he said has plenty of rum aging in casks to meet the expected increase in demand.

In a news release announcing the partnership, Constellation Brands' Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Bill Newlands said his company was look forward to working with the Pryors, Real McCoy Chief Operating Officer John Esposito, Richard Seale, the master distiller at Foursquare, and the rest of the Real McCoy team. 

“The spirits category represents a significant growth opportunity for Constellation, and continued investments in artisan brands like The Real McCoy are part of our overall Total Beverage Alcohol strategy,” Newlands said.

j.wojtas@theday.com