Soggy Dollar Rum Tapped as Presenting Sponsor for Hit Makers & Rum Chasers 25-City Songwriters Tour

Newly-launched Soggy Dollar Rum is on board as presenting sponsor for the Hit Makers & Rum Chasers 25-city songwriters tour kicking off Tuesday, Jan. 29 at City Winery in Nashville. This new partnership further authenticates that "off the grid" island vibe to be evoked throughout the tour at venues featuring an intimate evening with hit songwriters.

Tour proceeds will support music and arts initiatives for school children in the United States and US Virgin Islands.

Ty Bentli of Westwood One's nationally-syndicated The Ty Bentli Show will MC the kickoff show in Nashville featuring a Nashville-style writers round with JT Harding (Keith Urban's "Somewhere in My Car" and Blake Shelton's "Sangria"), Jon Nite ("We Were Us" by Keith Urban featuring Miranda Lambert, and Kenny Chesney's "Noise"), Bridgette Tatum (Jason Aldean's "She's Country" and Kristy Lee Cook's "Lookin' for a Cowgirl") and Justin Ebach (Brett Young's "Sleep Without You" and Jordan Davis' "Singles You Up").

Inspired by Soggy Dollar Bar--the 1970 birthplace of the original famed Painkiller rum drink--tucked away in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands, Soggy Dollar's Dark and Spiced Island rums were developed in the Caribbean and capture the local flavors and vibe of the island paradise. The rums are blended and bottled in the United Kingdom.

"The Soggy Dollar has a devoted subculture seeking the ideal of living life off the grid," says Soggy Dollar owner, Jerry O'Connell. "So many of our guests who visit the beach bar every year and live what's referred to as 'the Soggy Life,' have asked when will we be able to get this rum back home? So we're thrilled to be able to bring our rum and a taste of that laidback island lifestyle to cities across the U.S. as a Hit Makers & Rum Chasers tour sponsor."

Soggy Dollar Rum Caribbean specialty cocktails, including the Painkiller, will be served at Hit Makers & Rum Chasers events. A unique and entertaining musical experience featuring Nashville songwriters performing their hits and sharing behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the writing process in a relaxed island-esque setting. The events will also include a silent auction and an island-inspired custom dinner menu created by Mat Vacharat, owner and head chef at Lucky Chops and St. John Catering in USVI. Attire: Island Resort.

The Hit Makers & Rum Chasers songwriting series first launched in St. John, USVI in 2013. In January 2017, the show came to City Winery in Nashville to raise USVI hurricane relief funds. All proceeds from the 2019 tour will benefit The Charley Foundation, the 501 (3) (c) which distributes funds to qualified agencies that address the critical needs of children in the US and US Virgin Islands.