Adnams customers are heroes – maybe not heroes in a half-shell, but heroes nonetheless. Having purchased Lost Years rum, they have played their part in saving sea turtles and have contributed to conservation projects in their key habitats.

The Adnams store teams recently received a certificate, acknowledging they have saved 10,259 turtles with their sales of Lost Years rum. Lost Years is the spirits brand with a purpose and so far, their project has saved over 100,000 sea turtles, and the aim is to save at least 1 million over the next few years.

Every year thousands of newly hatched sea turtles scurry across tropical beaches and disappear beneath the waves. They won’t be seen again for up to a decade. Where they go during these ‘lost years’ is one of nature’s great mysteries, but what we do know is that these ancient creatures are today in danger of extinction and, without help, could soon be lost forever. Working with their global charity partner, SEE Turtles, Lost Years funds community-based conservation at key nesting sites across the Caribbean and Latin America.

The idea for a sea turtle-saving rum was hatched on a family holiday in Jamaica in 2019.

British couple Lee and Trudy Smith hit on the idea of 'great rum doing good' over dinner one night. Lee had toured one of the famous rum distilleries on the island that day, while Trudy and the children visited one of the local nesting beaches and heard how endangered these beautiful creatures are.

It took over a year to make the Lost Years dream a reality – sourcing incredible rums from some of the region’s most revered distilleries and partnering with non-profit SEE Turtles to ensure every penny raised makes a difference. The brand was finally launched during the height of lockdown, in November 2020.

Buying a bottle of Lost Years won’t just get you some of the best rum in the world, it’ll save up to ten hatchlings – ensuring they get to disappear beneath the waves and begin their own ‘lost years’ journey into the future.

Adnams stocks a range of Lost Years products, including the classically Caribbean, Gold Spice Rum with Queen Pineapple and the sun-kissed Silver Spiced Rum with Toasted Coconut. Extremely versatile, they work well with simple mixer serves, in Tiki-style cocktails and rum-based classics, or simply on their own over ice.

Let’s raise a glass to all those helping these incredible creatures.