Bartenders, Get to Know Pronghorn’s Ten To One Rum
Pronghorn, co-founded by Erin J. Hall, Dia Simms, and Dan Sanborn, is a stand-alone business dedicated to creating a template for how to effectively diversify any industry for any underrepresented group, starting with the spirits industry and the Black community.
Pronghorn aims to revolutionize the beverage alcohol industry by fostering diversity and supporting Black entrepreneurs through capital investment, business incubation, and career development. Committed to bridging systemic gaps, Pronghorn’s strategy contains three main pillars: Investment, Supercharging, and Bridge Building, which includes investing in Black-owned spirits brands, offering tailored mentorship, and creating opportunities across all career levels.
Pronghorn’s partnership with Ten To One Rum embodies these principles. Founded by Marc Farrell, Ten To One aims to re-imagine rum by blending pan-Caribbean heritage with an extraordinary product. Farrell, a Trinidadian native, created the brand to challenge conventions and elevate rum’s reputation in the U.S., where it’s often misunderstood.
“Throughout the Caribbean, rum is a revered spirit with a centuries-long history and heritage, whereas in America a lot of that culture ends up getting lost in trope-ish rum narratives of pirates and plantations, spring break, etc. Launching Ten To One in the U.S., we saw an enormous opportunity to transform perceptions of rum, and champion a story of unity, community, and progress that is at the very heart of authentic Caribbean culture.”
Ten To One’s blends, crafted from rums across Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, and Guyana, are completely additive-free, versatile, and have been recognized with over 100 awards.
The name “Ten To One” reflects Caribbean unity, inspired by the, “One from ten leaves zero.” This spirit of community extends to its branding, storytelling, and events, such as the “Kindred Spirits” cocktail manual featuring Black bartenders, as well as frequent collaborations with Black and Caribbean artists and creatives. Farrell wished to inspire consumers to rethink what rum can deliver and its broader significance across cultures.
Ciara, Ten To One’s co-owner, brings her artistic vision and entrepreneurial insights to the brand. “I loved Marc’s mission to reimagine rum,” she shares, recalling her first rum experience at 21. She notes parallels between crafting music and building a brand, both requiring collaboration and creativity. Ciara emphasizes Ten To One’s sense of community, celebrating its role in nurturing connection and pride.
“After spending time with the brand and getting to understand the many ways that Ten To One can flex and perform inside of some of your favorite cocktail combinations, I can honestly say to all other spirits, anything you can do, rum can do better.”
Where do bartenders fit in, you may ask? Bartenders play a pivotal role in amplifying Ten To One’s story, which Pronghorn supports through collaboration and education. “Bartenders are the gatekeepers of spirits culture,” says Sanborn, and Ten To One’s heritage and quality resonate with their craft. Farrell is intrigued by the amount of creativity and innovation the brand has experienced in a short amount of time.
“I hear bartenders say that they can create almost anything using our rums, whether it’s a riff on an old fashioned or Negroni, an espresso martini or something entirely different. In fact, we’ve had an incredible run of “Daiq-Off” competitions this year with our bartending communities across New York State and Chicago, which have yielded some of the most impressive, unexpected cocktails I’ve tried to date. Ultimately, we want our product to inspire consumers to open the aperture of what they think rum can deliver. If I had a dollar for every person, who after trying Ten To One, said – ‘I never expected that’ or ‘who knew that rum could be this amazing/good/versatile?’ — well… I’d have a lot of dollars at this point!”
Pronghorn’s expertise has enhanced Ten To One’s growth, making it one of the fastest-growing super-premium rums in the country. Sanborn credits their approach, as they offer strategic insight, from supply to marketing, empowering founders to scale their businesses. Pronghorn’s broader mission is equally ambitious, according to Sanborn.
“Our aim is to deliver $2.4B in economic impact, increase diverse founder and executive representation in the industry, and doing so to continue to support this vibrant industry rooted in the notion of celebration. I believe the model we have built for Pronghorn truly will be a template for how to diversify any industry.”
The growth of the premium rum category reflects a broader consumer desire for authentic stories and quality craftsmanship. Ten To One is a shining example of how tradition and innovation can intersect, offering a fresh perspective on Caribbean rum. With a commitment to representation, the brand is not only reshaping the rum narrative but also creating a path to meaningful cultural impact through its partnership with Pronghorn.
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