Global Drinks Intel has announced a partnership between the Global Rum Awards 2027, part of the Global Drinks Awards, and the West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers’ Association (WIRSPA), marking a significant step in strengthening how rum is recognised and evaluated on the global stage.
The collaboration brings together Global Drinks Intel’s awards platform and WIRSPA, widely recognised as the voice of the Caribbean rum industry, which represents producers across the region and works to promote Caribbean rum as a premium category in its own right. The partnership reflects a shared focus on ensuring that rum is represented with accuracy, credibility and relevance to today’s international drinks market.
As part of the partnership, WIRSPA will support the development of category structures and provide input into judging, helping to ensure that the diversity of rum styles and production approaches is properly reflected. The organisation will also promote the awards across its network, extending the reach of the programme to producers throughout the Caribbean and beyond.
The Global Rum Awards have been developed as a dedicated platform for the category within the wider Global Drinks Awards, which recognise excellence across spirits, RTDs and no- & low-alcohol products. The programme is built around blind tasting, independent judging and structured evaluation criteria, designed to deliver credible, commercially relevant recognition for producers.
“We’re pleased to be working with WIRSPA to ensure the Global Rum Awards are built with the input and perspective the category deserves,” said Global Drinks Intel’s chief commercial officer, James Houlder. “This is about creating a platform that reflects the realities of the global rum market and delivers credible recognition that producers can genuinely use.”
WIRSPA CEO Vaughn Renwick added: “As the representative body for Caribbean rum producers, we welcome the opportunity to contribute to an awards programme that reflects the diversity and quality of the category.
“This partnership supports the continued growth and recognition of Caribbean rum internationally.”
Entries are now open for the Global Rum Awards 2027, with producers invited to submit products for assessment by an international panel of industry professionals. The awards aim not only to recognise excellence, but also to provide producers with exposure to buyers, distributors and decision-makers across the global drinks trade.
