Lewis Hayes promotes British rum from DropWorks Rum Distillery

In the world of rum, few names embody passion and innovation quite like Lewis Hayes. A seasoned drinks consultant, acclaimed bar operator, and visionary founder of DropWorks Rum Distillery, Hayes has spent over two decades shaping and championing rum culture. From his award-winning London venues—Merchant House and Black Parrot, home to one of Europe’s largest rum collections—to his latest venture in Sherwood Forest, Hayes has consistently pushed boundaries, inviting guests to discover spirits in bold and unexpected ways.

With the launch of DropWorks in 2023, Europe’s largest rum distillery spanning 17,000 sq ft, Hayes set out to redefine the category. His mission: to craft authentic, characterful rums free from artificial additives, designed not just for sipping but for mixing—bringing quality rum cocktails within everyone’s reach. Guided by the belief that cocktails should be about discovery—of flavors, cultures, and experiences—Hayes has created a new genre of British rum that bridges the gap between exclusivity and accessibility.

In this exclusive interview with The Rum Lab, we explore the vision, journey, and uncompromising dedication of a true rum pioneer.

TRL: What was the biggest challenge you faced in launching your rum brand, and how did you overcome it?

The challenge was simple: prove that world-class, full-flavoured rum can be made in Britain without shortcuts, without artificial flavourings and without the marketing clichés of pirates and sea monsters. 

We overcame that by building a state-of-the-art distillery in Nottinghamshire with three different still types, using wild yeast fermentation and natural ingredients, and letting the flavour come from our craft – not from additives. It’s art, science, and our stubborn belief that Britain deserves better rum!

TRL: How do you see the rum market evolving in the next 5–10 years, and what trends will shape its future?

I believe consumers want honesty, provenance, craft and brands that are transparent. Over the next decade I think we will see:

• Growth in consumer knowledge and interest in production processes. 
• British rum becoming a recognised style in its own right; known for quality and craft rather than additives and flavourings.
• Cocktail culture swapping predictable big-box rums (distilled industrially) for bold British liquids that are small batch distilled. 
• A continuation of the premiumisation of rum and the emergence of and celebration of small batch distilled rums that are crafted with integrity and passion. 

Rum is going the way of whisky, and DropWorks intends to lead that movement.

TRL: Can you share a personal moment that significantly influenced your brand’s direction?

After our launch event in London just 2 years ago, I took the DropWorks team for a celebratory drink at one of my bars, Black Parrot. We had the space to ourselves and I said to the team, “get down any rum you like, the bar is yours.” I found myself looking at 800 sipping rums, and yet not one of them called out to me as a delicious bottle with no additives. Plenty of “interesting rums” and “unique rums” but there was something missing. 

That was a real moment for me, the passion was sparked, the course was set and we were on a journey to create delicious rums without additives, that people would genuinely cherish and enjoy.

TRL: How do you balance tradition with innovation in your approach to rum making or marketing?

We respect heritage, but we’re reinventing what rum means to people around the world, right here in Britain, right now.

Rum for too long has been an “ingredient”, something playful and fun that gets mixed with other big flavours that typically drown it out. 

Tradition gives us fermentation and distillation, but we are developing new approaches to everything we do. No one has ever made rum on this scale in the UK before. Our very own wild trinity yeast is unique to us and something we have cultivated ourselves, Spice Drop is a world first spiced rum (with no added spices that builds off the complexity of the natural flavours within the rum), cutting-edge energy efficiencies within our distillery, multiple stills to create different styles of rums, a world first in distillation to be heating our stills with steam jackets, playful branding and bold British cocktail serves. 

Rum doesn’t always need to be palm trees and treasure maps, it can be the result of our intricate process and passion for detail. It’s rum with personality. This is our art. 

TRL: What recent initiatives or products have been particularly impactful?

Our Core Drops have made serious noise already:

• Clear Drop: naturally full-flavoured yet super versatile, we have won multiple Gold medals for our un-aged rum straight off our stills. 
• Barrel Drop: This wins medals against considerably older liquid from much older distilleries and yet it’s only a 1-year-old liquid and is additive free. 
• Spice Drop: naturally spiced (no artificial flavouring), a world first!
• Dark Drop and Funk Drop: bold and unapologetic of their own styles

We also launched our first Distiller’s Drop, an English Chestnut blend this year, and it sold out within 48 hours of launch to much acclaim. 

TRL: How do you educate consumers about your rum, and what’s the most important lesson they should take away?

Distillery tours are a fantastic way to engage people firsthand: we let people see, smell, and taste their way through the experience. We draw back the curtain, so to speak, and welcome all levels of knowledge. 

Distillery tours, bartender training, masterclasses, and transparent communication help people understand what full-flavoured rum really is. The key lesson for me is that “flavour is subjective, but quality is not.” If you taste natural, crafted rum, you feel the difference immediately.

TRL: How do you manage quality and consistency as your brand grows?

We build it in. Quality isn’t an afterthought – it’s built into our entire distillery infrastructure and the team involved. 

We control fermentation with our own wild yeast, run liquid through multiple stills for layered flavour, and blend in-house. Because we produce everything in Britain, we are in control of every step of the process. If it’s a DropWorks rum, then it’s made by us at the DropWorks Rum Distillery.

TRL: Can you share an example of a collaboration or partnership that elevated your brand?

Our partnerships with some of the UK’s best hospitality venues are something we are super proud of. From Pig Hotels, Ottolenghi and Mildred’s to Soma, Nightjar and The Clove Club, these have been transformative as we cement our brand and all that we stand for.

These incredible venues all believed in our British rum story early on, and bartenders have become some of our most passionate advocates, creating bold, unexpected cocktails through a genuine movement that we call ‘Swap to Drop’.

TRL: What is your long-term vision, and how do you see your role in rum’s evolution?

Our vision is simple: make full-flavoured, natural rum the new norm. 

We want people to choose DropWorks not only because it tastes incredible, but because it represents a new standard of transparency, craft and sustainability in British spirits. I see my role as the person who convinces the world that rum can be serious liquid with serious flavour, but still approachable, affordable and most importantly enjoyable.

TRL: One piece of educational advice for rum lovers?

Taste without assumptions. Don’t judge rum by colour, country or label. Ask one question: “Where does the flavour come from?” If the answer isn’t process, still type, yeast, fermentation, cask, or ingredient, then something artificial is doing the heavy lifting. 

TRL: How can people learn more about you? Website? Social media page?

The best way to experience DropWorks is to visit us at the DropWorks Distillery on the wonderful Welbeck Estate. See the stills, meet the team, smell the wild yeast fermentations, and taste rum straight from the source. 

If you can’t visit us in person, you can still experience DropWorks at one of the awesome venues across the country that stock our products.

• Website: www.dropworks.co.uk
• Instagram: @dropworks.distillery
• Facebook: facebook.com/dropworks.distillery

Press/Press trip to the DropWorks distillery: 

• emily@edenpr.co.uk 
• emma@edenpr.co.uk
• 0115 958 8850www.edenpr.co.uk