This article was initially published in the March issue of Global Drinks Intel magazine. For details on how to subscribe – for 20% off in May – click here.
Aged rum is having its moment in the sun, thanks to both the rise of cocktail culture and the fact that it is now being taken seriously as a sipping spirit. Richard Woodard reports.
“The industry is buzzing with rum excitement… The era of a rumnaissance is definitely in sight… A big moment for rum is on the horizon… The time has now come when rum is rightly taking centre stage in the global premium and prestige spirits market…”
Given rum’s longstanding status as the spirits industry’s ‘next big thing’, such comments could have been made at any point in the last 20 years. In fact, they were all made over the past few weeks, by (respectively) Ron Colón Salvadoreño co-owner Pepijn Janssens; El Supremo founder & MD Filippo Maria Olivi di Briana; Campari Group global VP for dark spirits Mattia Carlozzo and Dictador associate creative director Ken Grier.
Why should we believe them now?
Beyond the anecdotal evidence of bartender enthusiasm and single malt connoisseurs over to sipping rums – and the recent high-profile deals involving Diageo [who acquired Don Papa in January] and Brown Forman [who bought Diplomático last year] – there are hard facts, such as the double-digit CAGR growth for super-premium-and-above rum being forecast by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.
No longer behind the premiumisation pace
“For a while, rum remained more under-premiumised than other spirits," says Anne Martin, global marketing director at Pernod Ricard’s Cuban rum joint venture, Havana Club International. "But, premiumisation now clearly translates into the figures. Having said that, the runway for future growth is still very large, and we look forward to meeting that demand with continued innovation.”
Despite the disadvantage of being absent from the US thanks to the Cuban trade embargo, Havana Club has a presence in more than 120 markets, with core destinations France, Germany, the UK, Spain and Italy. "Beyond this,” adds Martin, “we’re continuing to gain traction in emerging markets and have seen a great opportunity in China, alongside double-digit growth in accelerator markets, such as Mexico and Benelux, over the past year.”
Meanwhile, Campari Group’s rum activities span Jamaica (Appleton Estate) and Martinique (Trois Rivières, La Mauny), with key markets the US, UK, France, Canada, Germany, Jamaica and Australia.
“Other luxury markets like Singapore and Hong Kong are quickly catching up, driven by consumers’ strong interest in premium dark spirits, and will likely become major markets for our most premium, aged rum expressions over the coming years,” says Carlozzo. “We’re already seeing interest from these markets in some of our highly-collectable offerings, such as the Appleton Estate limited-edition Decades.
Mixology & sipping leading the way
Two trends in particular are helping to drive this growth: rum’s role in mixology and the fact that it is now being taken seriously as a sipping spirit alongside high-end whisky and Cognac.
“The rise and development of cocktail culture in recent years has had a very positive impact on premium rum’s growth internationally,” says Diplomático's global communications & PR manager, David Palacios. “The perception of industry professionals and consumers about rum is definitely evolving, particularly in Western Europe, where the rum premiumisation trend is most mature.”
Growing acceptance for sipping rums is spawning further high-end launches. “With a huge trend towards premiumisation, we see a potential in the dark rum segment,” says El Supremo’s Di Briana. “Therefore, products designed for sipping are set to boost dark rum consumption.” As a result, El Supremo is planning launches for 18- and 25-year-old expressions later this year.
Campari’s Carlozzo says: “We feel there’s a big opportunity with the broad base of knowledgeable consumers who already love premium dark spirits like single malt Scotch, Bourbon and Cognac. We know these consumers have an appreciation for top-quality liquids, complexity from ageing and provenance, all of which premium dark rums can deliver.” One example, he adds, is Appleton’s annual limited-edition Hearts Collection releases.
Few brands have embraced the world of luxury more enthusiastically than Dictador, with its NFT initiatives and collaborations with crystal maker Lalique, as well as with other wine/spirits makers via its 'Dictador 2 Masters' initiative. Grier also highlights the brand’s coastal Caribbean provenance, and its history spanning more than a century and five generations of the Parra family.
“We wish to produce the finest investment-grade rums in the world, but to do that from an arthouse perspective, uniquely combining our craft skills, artistic sensibilities and respect for leading-edge technologies that will see us stand apart from rums that fall back on mere location,” he says.
But not everyone wants to be taken seriously - or, at least, not quite in the same way. Ron Colón Salvadoreño has ventured into cold-brew coffee infusions and mash-ups with rye whiskey and mezcal. “We feel that it’s our main mission to create excitement around rum by innovating the category and breaking through boundaries,” says Janssens. “We even made a Red Banana Oleo Rum, just to show that a flavoured rum can be an all-natural and high-quality liquid.”
Highlighting diversity and local differences
Rum’s diversity has long been its greatest strength and, potentially, its biggest weakness, with the almost anarchic range of geographical origins and production methods running the risk of confusing the consumer. Palacios believes that education is key, but still sees strength in variation: “Each country has its own rum-making traditions, with raw material requirements, minimum ageing time, types of cask that should be used, etc,” he says. “Respecting those differences gives consumers the opportunity to try a wide range of rums.”
Spiribam’s Rhum Clément brand has just opened a dedicated area at its Habitation Clément base on Martinique expressly to inform its 200,000 annual visitors about the techniques used to make its rhums agricoles, and how best to appreciate them. “We haven’t changed our ageing process, but since we now have an audience of curious dark rum drinkers, we are more willing to provide more details about our ageing techniques,” says Spiribam marketing director Audrey Bruisson.
The ratification of local production rules is another way to communicate rum’s local distinctions. This can be informal - such as El Supremo’s status as a column-distilled, agricole-style rum from Paraguay - or more legalistic.
Campari’s Trois Rivières and Maison La Mauny are certified through Martinique’s PDO (Protected Destination of Origin), while Appleton is helping lead the certification of the Jamaican rum GI. In a similar fashion, Spiribam is working to obtain a GI for St Lucia via St Lucia Distillers, while Pernod’s Havana Club benefits from Cuba’s existing PDO.
Such moves will be welcome as brand owners endeavour to have dark rum taken seriously, but freedom as a concept will remain vital to its identity. “We think that the freedom within the rum category is really a positive,” says Sophie Lawrence, marketing & communications director for Europe, Asia & Africa at Sovereign Brands, in which Pernod Ricard holds a minority stake.
The company’s Bumbu brand was only launched in 2016 with Bumbu Original, followed by Bumbu XO in 2019 and Bumbu Cream in 2021. “Drinks trends have never defined what we do,” says Lawrence. “We look to redefine the categories we’re in.
"It’s fantastic that there’s a more recent spotlight on premium rum, but whether the industry is talking about it or not, a superior product will always succeed, no matter the timing.”
This article was initially published in the March issue of Global Drinks Intel magazine. For details on how to subscribe - for 20% off in May - click here.
