September 29, 2008

By By Ken Tucker, Nashville

Country superstar Kenny Chesney, who is known almost as much for his island lifestyle as he is for his music, has partnered with Constellation Spirits to develop a new premium rum. The joint venture, Crouton Spirits, LLC, will develop the rum. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"As an entertainer, my goal is to create an enjoyable experience for people," said Chesney. "I'm going to take that same approach in developing a high-quality rum product with Constellation."

Under the terms of the agreement, Constellation Spirits, which is a major producer, exporter and marketer of beverage alcohol, and Chesney, the reigning Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association entertainer of the year, will work together on every aspect of the development, marketing and advertising elements, as well as product positioning of the rum.

Corona, which is part of the Constellation Brands portfolio, sponsored this year's "Poets & Pirates" tour, while Cruzan Rum sponsored Chesney's 2007 tour.

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