Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum was created in honor of the father of the old-school tattoo, Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins. While our bottle has always paid homage to Collins’ craft – we wanted to turn it up to eleven.
Our fresh new look further celebrates the life and times of our namesake, and continues to honor his legacy.
While we may look different on the outside, you’ll be glad to know the rum in the bottle remains the same bold and smooth-as-hell recipe you know and love.
Collins was a Navy vet who built his reputation inking soldiers and sailors in WWII-era Honolulu, where he set up his legendary tattoo shop on Hotel Street. Our revamped bottle recalls elements of his original Hotel Street shop’s business card design, with images of the island and the Diamond Head volcanic turf.
Sailor Jerry’s original business card included his now famous quote , “My Work Speaks For Itself”. We craft our rum in his name and to his standards.
The Hula Girl – our enduring icon – remains proudly on our bottle (and inked forever into our hearts), but now with more vibrancy.
Before the age of airlines, pretty much the only Westerners who made it to Hawaii were sailors. After months at sea, they’d arrive on the shores of Honolulu with an authentic greeting of beautiful hula dancers welcoming them. For sailors, a hula girl tattoo was a way to hold onto that memory. It was also a badge of honor, showing they’d made it to the island.
Sailor Jerry’s version of the hula girl is the perfect embodiment of Hawaii, not just as a place, but as a state of mind.
We proudly feature Norman’s ‘Sailor Jerry’ signature – now BIGGER and BOLDER. Sailor Jerry is known the world over for his bold, bight iconic style of tattooing.
His name symbolizes quality and his designs still live on today (chances are, someone, somewhere, is getting a Sailor Jerry tattoo right now).
