Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) of Guyana and Suriname Alcoholic Beverages (SAB) are working on a collaborative rum blend ahead of the 2025 International Business Conference (IBC), an initiative under the Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce (SGCC).
The new product, being developed by the two companies—best known for their signature rums, including SAB’s Borgoe brand—is expected to debut in time for the October conference, SGCC President Vishnu Doerga told attendees at the IBC launch.
IBC 2025 will be held under the theme “Building businesses for regional prosperity” at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown and aims to strengthen business ties between the neighbouring countries and beyond.
“We are currently working on a beverage collaboration between the two giants in both countries,” Doerga said. “Both DDL and SAB, which is the manufacturer of Borgoe rum in Suriname, are working on what is a combined product that could be made and how this could be done.”
The joint rum venture marks the latest collaboration stemming from SGCC’s cross-border partnerships. Last year, the chamber launched Dragon tours between Guyana and Suriname and has also played a role in advocating for improved operations at the Canawaima Ferry Service.
Doerga said the chamber, which now includes over 100 members—split evenly between Guyana and Suriname, with additional regional and international representation—is committed to fostering bilateral economic opportunities.
“We’ve now exceeded 100 members. We have about 40 percent from Guyana, 40 per cent from Suriname, about 10 per cent regional and about 10 per cent international. Our goal is to ensure that we continue to connect businesses.”
The IBC, first launched in 2023, has evolved from an information-sharing event into a platform featuring workshops, roundtables, and business-matching sessions designed to connect participants with relevant companies and agencies.
Doerga speaks at the launch on Wednesday (IBC photo)
