Rum or Rhum is capturing the imagination of millions around the world. A category which was for a long time, associated with a popular brand or seemed to have origin only from the Caribbean has gathered a lot of sunshine over the last few years. Besides the drink itself, it has also been catapulted into fame by leading mixologists across the world.
Though in India, international rum Brands are only now making an impression. Rum was mostly associated with a few Indian brands & selectively appreciated for many years. Then in the last few years many global brands started adoring Home Bars in India, these were being brought by Indian traveling abroad. People gathered the bar started discussing Rum and tasting it before starting their whisky trails. Now Rum is coming on its own & over the next few years, we are likely to see a lot more Rum brands in India.
Lets evaluate Global Rum trends as they will emerge in 2022.
Going for Gold: Golden rum is set to be the next big thing according to some reports. Sales for golden rum rose by almost 30% during 2021 and are predicted to continue this upward trend through 2022 as well. Professionals believe that by 2025 they will outpace and overtake sales of more commonplace spirits like gin and tequila. Looking at this brands like Bacardi, which are known for their white and dark rums have launched golden varieties in order to capitalize on this up and coming trend.
Flavour and spice innovations: spiced rum has long been the go to for rum enthusiasts, one factor leading to this is the complexity of the flavours and spices make it so that everyone can enjoy the cocktail experience at home without much effort. Big, bold flavours like coconut, lemon, raspberry and pineapple are huge hits with customers wanting to experiment with this spirit and it having white, golden and dark varieties makes it so there is always something for everyone to enjoy. Another huge motivator for people enjoying rum is the fact that it is very often associated with vacations, beaches and holidays, making it one of the go to spirits for customers as they were confined to their homes and towns during the lockdown.
Everyones a mixologist: due to the pandemic we have seen a huge amount of growth in the at home drinking phenomenon, so much so that customers started to experiment with spirits and cocktails at home and one of the biggest spirits in this movement was rum. Due to its numerous varieties and flavours it has become an everyday drink for those still stuck at home but willing to make the best of it. These customers are now armed with the knowledge and the thirst for more as they seek out bigger and better brands, experiment with ages and spices as well as cocktails when they step out for the bar experience.
Pour over from whisky: professionals in the industry believe that due to the nature of dark rum being aged in barrels and having similar notes and feel to whisky there is a true bond between these spirits and connoisseurs of whisky might find an interesting appeal in dark rums. These spirits are not only meant for cocktails but are in fact great for sipping and sniffing. They are complex spirits and invoke many of the same sensations as good whisky or bourbon and with the boom in the premium market for rums, especially the darker variety we can expect a lot of whisky drinkers to begin to appreciate and consume rum as well.
Enjoy Responsibly !
