The Cap’n walks the plank, not the parade.
Captain Morgan booted from NYC Puerto Rican parade
(AP) – 15 hours ago
NEW YORK — Captain Morgan rum is no longer welcome as a sponsor of the National Puerto Rican Day parade in New York City.
Parade organizers say they’ve ended their relationship with the rum maker and U.K.-based parent company Diageo (dee-AH’-gee-oh) PLC over plans to move production of Captain Morgan out of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory in the Caribbean.
Parade chairwoman Madelyn Lugo on Sunday said the parade is about “pride and respect” and Captain Morgan has shown neither.
Diageo’s other brands include Johnnie Walker and Jose Cuervo. The liquor company has a deal to build a Captain Morgan distillery in the U.S. Virgin Islands for a share in an obscure tax on rum sales.
It hasn’t responded to an e-mailed request for comment about the parade decision.
This year’s parade is scheduled for June 13.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.