The Beach House Mojito at Margaritaville Resort Orlando ’ s Salty Rim Bar & Grill , made with Bacardi rum , agave nectar , mint and fresh lime .
Katherine Foley , brand manager for Zaya Rum , agrees . “ Rums on the middle-top shelves are currently trending and driving overall sales , as people are trading up to elevate their at-home cocktail experience .”
VASO , a Spanish tapas-style restaurant based in Dublin , OH , offers cocktails for to-go sales , bottled as single servings and large format .
THE WHISKEY CONNECTION Many in the field , both bartenders and producers alike , believe that barrel-aged dark rums should have crossover appeal for whiskey drinkers . Some rums are aged in repurposed bourbon or other whiskey barrels to further cement that connection .
“ Rum has complexity that could appeal to bourbon drinkers ,” says Cesar Olivio , co-owner Reunion Ktchn Bar in Miami . To show off that complexity , Olivio makes an Old Fashioned substituting aged rum for whiskey , “ which might catch a bourbon lover ’ s eye .”
Similarly , Olivio offers an educational flight of three 1-oz . pours of Diplomatico Rums . Reunion Ktchn Bar stocks 10 different rums .
Much of the interest in aged rums is fuelled by non-rum drinkers beginning to explore quality rums , says Rigby . “ Drinkers of , for instance , bourbon are attracted by the vanilla and caramel notes of the sweeter rums . Maybe it is no coincidence that Don Papa Rum is aged in bourbon barrels .”
As part of its Master Blender Collection , which experiments with different cask finishes , Mount Gay released XO : The Peat Smoke Edition in 2018 , which appeals to Scotch fans .
Ron Abuelo is now launching XII Años Two Oaks to the U . S . market . “ This is an innovative aged rum that Luis J . Varela Jr . conceived as a bridge for those who enjoy whiskey , especially bourbon , and rum ,” says Fabrega .
FLAVOR , SPICE & EVERYTHING NICE Spiced and flavored rums are , of course , a major component of the category . Spiced rum is a perennial favorite and currently the “ it ” flavor seems to be coconut , with a strong showing by pineapple . One advantage of spiced and flavored rums is they make it simple for consumers to enjoy a cocktail experience at home , with just the addition of seltzer or soda as a mixer .
Of course , bartenders make good use of flavored and spiced rums as well . At VASO , Monday employs Plantation Pineapple Rum for mixing up popular mini-Daiquiris .
One of the best-selling rum drinks at Reunion Ktchn Bar is Coconut Pistachio Mai Tai , which is made using Big Five Coconut Rum , Clement rum , lime juice , house-made pistachio orgeat and pineapple , garnished with a grilled slice of pineapple and served in pineapple-shaped glass . “ We sell a lot of that cocktail ,” which is priced at $ 14 , says owner Olivio .
“ The rums we use the most often would definitely have to be Bacardi , Cruzan rum and
Cruzan aged dark rum ,” says Landen Thompson , food and beverage supervisor at Margaritaville
Resort Orlando . Especially flavored variations , such as Bacardi Coconut , Dragon Berry and Raspberry ; and Cruzan Limon Cruzan , Coconut , Mango and Hurricane Proof .
The resorts find these flavors “ add a diverse range of options when creating unique cocktails and transport guests to the tropical island vibes that we strive to create ,” Thompson says .
SPICING SALES “ Flavored and premium spiced rums continue to drive growth in the category ,” says Hannah Venhoff , group product director for Heaven Hill Brands . “ Admiral Nelson ’ s Rum and Blackheart Rum were growing pre-Covid and have seen momentum propelled forward by the pantry stocking and consumer choice during Covid .”
The brand is narrowing marketing focus to those flavors that work the hardest in the portfolio , which are Admiral Nelson ’ s Pineapple and Admiral Nelson ’ s Coconut , says Venhoff . Blackheart will expand the launch of Blackheart Toasted Coconut to more markets this year . Toasted Coconut is the brand ’ s first line extension , launched in spring 2020 ; the new expression is 93-proof spiced rum with the addition of fresh coconut and a warm toasted finished .
“ To support our flavors and spiced rum , we are bringing back a popular year-round off-premise display featuring a large-scale bobblehead of the Admiral ,” says Venhoff , and continuing a point-of-sale campaign tagged “ Make Life Taste Better .” Blackheart Rum will continue the “ up to something good ” campaign , reinforced by a national media campaign .
“ Koloa Kaua ’ i Cacao Rum expands our flavor expressions with a chocolate-flavored rum ,” says Bob Gunter , president / CEO of Hawaii ’ s Koloa Rum Co . “ It incorporates
42 • Summer 2021 www . cheersonline . com