The Pharmacist from Danish Virgin Islands

In June 1838, the Danish Government officially appointed Albert Heinrich Riise as the exclusive pharmacist for the island of Saint Thomas, in the Caribbean, and granted him monopoly status to produce alcohol in his pharmacy. Initially, Albert developed rum and bitters as medicine for stomach ills. However, his rum soon gained in popularity beyond its medical function, and in 1893 The A.H. Riise Company received its first International Gold Medal at the World Exhibition in Chicago.

Albert Heinrich Riise (1810–1882) came from Ærøskøbing where his father, Jens Christian Riise, (1773–1812) was a seafaring captain. He became a pharmacist and in 1832 he was employed at “Det Kgl. Militær-og Waisenhusapotek”– the royal military and orphanage pharmacy in Copenhagen”.

He collaborated with local doctors and became a pioneer in the field of distilling rum and bitter, that at the time, was used mainly for medicinal purposes, first and foremost as a much needed and sought after cure for intestinal, gastric, and other disorders.

He developed and refined strong brands such as Old St. Croix Brand, Riises Guava Rum, A.H Riise Rum, and more. In the aftermath of his success Riise was awarded many honorary positions on the island of St. Thomas.

At one point he was Director of the National Bank of St. Thomas and was made Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1860.