Weaver by the Sea

In centuries past island locals learned to weave palm tree fronds for many practical purposes, creating special designs for thatched huts, as well as unusual fishing pots to capture food from shallow lagoons. Through countless generations this custom has remained unchanged, and the traditional fish pot design has become the hallmark of quality for St. Johns fragrances.

This art is perpetuated by families in St. Barts in the French West Indies where most of the palm castings are made. Others, totaling thousands a month, are made in St. Thomas, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Deftly and rapidly, busy hands form narrow strips of Tyre palm fronds (collected in the hills surrounding Hull Bay on St. Thomas). They are dried in the sun, then shaped into small baskets and slipped over bottles in a glove like fit. It takes over 30 minutes to hand weave one bottle.

The history of this weave illustrates not only the uniqueness of our product, but also the rich history of the Caribbean. St. Johns Fragrances has been using the fish pot design on our hand woven bottles since 1949 when the owner John Webb noticed the special palm weave used in fishing traps by the French community on St. Thomas. One evening in Cafe Normandie in Frenchtown, he was introduced to Joe Felix, a native of St Barth. Felix explained that the distinctive pattern of the fish traps was called, "fish pot weave" and was made of Tyre palm fronds. Webb knew this look would be ideal for his Bay Rum product and Felix was able to devise a "jacket" out of palm strips which he slipped over the bottle like a glove. He then finished the weaving by delicately tying the palm around the neck of the bottle. The whole process took between 20 to 30 minutes. John Webb was elated with the result of Felix's efforts and the beautiful packaging he had created.

From the 1940s onward, St. Johns Bay Rum was able to employ weavers on many Caribbean islands which helped keep this weaving tradition alive as fisherman have turned away from the tyre palm traps. The skill has been passed down preserving an important slice of island history. The image of the Weaver by the Sea is our tribute to this story and was featured on our limited edition 60th anniversary bottle of Bay Rum.