Cane Land Distilling Company rolled out (pun intended) some big changes earlier this month—including a new name. The nearly 2-year-old company has rebranded its products to Three Roll Estate. The rebrand was motivated by product cohesion and trademark conflicts.
Jonny VerPlanck, head distiller and VP of operations, says the company was close to completing trademark procedures for its products in 2018, as Cane Land was already trying to create new labels to ensure a more unified look among its spirits. But during this process, the team found an overseas company with a similar name: Cane Island Rum in the Netherlands.
In order to avoid confusion and guarantee that the Baton Rouge company could eventually expand outside the United States, the team decided the best option would be to rename its products.
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“We have really tried to make it a positive,” VerPlanck says about the new name. “We are still a young company, so we took it as an opportunity to rebrand and get us closer to the mill, the actual farming process and the fact that we make all of our stuff from start to finish.”
The new name refers to a three-roll mill, a type of sugar mill that has been used in sugar production for more than 100 years. It also happens to be the machinery used at Alma Plantation and Sugar Mill, Cane Land’s parent company and where the distillery get the sugar products to produce its spirits.
The tie to the sugar mill also alludes to the fact that the company is one of the only single-estate distilleries in the nation, meaning it’s in charge of the farming, milling and distilling processes. Every product also has a “Certified Louisiana” distinction printed on the bottles, assuring consumers they are getting a high-quality and honestly made spirit.
“We are proudly displaying the ‘Louisiana Certified’ and farm-to-table certification,” VerPlanck says. “Many people in Louisiana and throughout the West Coast really care about that. Having these certifications is a big deal for people who are really into their spirits.”
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While VerPlanck admits the process has been challenging at times, he hopes the Three Roll Estate name change will contribute to the rapid growth of the company. By the end of the year, the company plans for Three Roll Estate products to be sold in 10 different states. That said, VerPlanck has a larger goal in mind: worldwide domination.
“We are shooting for the top rum on the planet,” he says. “We want to be recognized worldwide—that’s the goal.”
Three Roll Estate is at 760 St. Philip St.