Rum Brand Combats Homeless Crisis by Providing Winter Essentials to Anyone ‘Sleeping Rough’ in This Major City

Vapoura Rum, an English rum brand, is campaigning to combat the homeless crisis in London. (Photo: Vapoura Rum)

The Spirits Business reported on Wednesday that Vapoura, a British rum company, is running a gifting campaign to combat the homeless crisis by donating winter essentials to those “sleeping rough” in London.

“We have all been so shocked by the homeless crisis that seems to be ever-growing in our capital, but more so by the lack of human interaction and thought that society has seemingly dismissed,” Vapoura co-founder Olly Barkley said in a statement according to The Spirits Business. “People appear to be so comfortable ignoring those in need when a simple hello, smile or a one-minute conversation could take so little out of our day, yet mean so much for theirs.”

The rum brand’s founders will donate 100% of their profits from eCommerce and on-premise sales to purchasing coats and other cold-weather clothing. Vapoura’s founders will hand deliver these goods on Dec. 23 and Dec. 24.

The homelessness crisis is a global one, and major metropolitan areas outside of London face challenges. From Los Angeles to San Francisco, cities are grappling with larger populations of unhoused individuals living on the street and mental health issues and substance issues that are often reported amongst the population.

In May, the CEO of an AI Marketing Tool posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, about San Francisco’s unorthodox use of funds to combat the problem. The city spends $5 million a year offering free alcohol out of a hotel within San Francisco’s Tenderloin district.

The post was met with outrage online, and many claimed providing free alcohol was enabling addiction. Yet studies from The National Library Of Medicine reported that these programs were effective in reducing alcohol consumption.

About Vapoura Rum

Vapoura describes itself as a rum with a “distinctly English soul.” The brand distills its rums in copper pot stills and uses borehole water, according to its website.

The British rum brand has two expressions: Chapter One and Chapter Two. Chapter One is a spiced rum and Vapoura claims it has aromas of blood orange, cardamom, vanilla, pink peppercorn and ginger. The rum clocks in at a 38% ABV and is priced at £45 ($58.34)

The second expression, Chapter Two, is a gold rum with an ABV of 42%. It is priced slightly higher at £50, and Vapoura describes it as “smooth yet complex.” The brand cites aromas of raisins, tobacco and chocolate.