The Future of Spiced Rums in the Global Market

Spiced rums in the global market have always had broad appeal. Their smooth sweetness and subtle spice make them appealing to both novice rum drinkers and those connoisseurs who enjoy a little more intrigue in their drink.

Spiced or flavored rum is made by adding different flavors and spices to rum to make it taste different. Cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom, and cloves are the most common spices. Still, some versions also use anise, ginger, nutmeg, or pepper. Many brands also add some caramel for extra sweetness.

Spiced spirits are sometimes fruity, infused with lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, or almonds, coconut, dried raisins, plums, cherries, and herbs such as mint, tea, or even flowers. Still, the spices must always dominate; otherwise, we fall into the domain of rhums arrangés (rum made from cane juice macerated with fruit and spices), which are usually fruity first and, only sometimes, a little spicy. There is no legal definition of this, but it is common practice.

Initially, spiced rum was created to cater to medical needs. Now, it is gaining prestige due to its distinctive style and the constant demand from shoppers for brand-new, exciting flavors of liquor. In general, spiced rums are proof of a certain ease in the world of rum: they respond to complementary types of consumption, such as long drinks and cocktails, although some can also be enjoyed on their own.

The rising demand for flavored alcoholic drinks among young people is one of the most important things driving the market. Today, the market trends have more to do with organic manufacturing of rums, clean label manufacturing, and premium packaging techniques.

Today, Captain Morgan alone has the biggest amount of market share in regard to spiced rum sales, but other brands are entering the market. AMA Research’s latest report, “Spiced Rum Market to 2028,” lists the major and new players in the spiced rum market as follows:

• Diageo plc. (United Kingdom)
• Bacardi Limited (Bermuda)
• Tanduay Distillers, Inc. (LT Group, Inc.) (Philippines)
• United Spirits Limited (India)
• Pernod Ricard SA (France)
• Maine Craft Distilling, LLC (United Kingdom)
• Altitude Spirits, Inc. (United States)
• Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. (United States)
• Suntory Holdings Limited (Japan)
• Destilería Serralles Inc. (Puerto Rico)
• Sazerac Company (United States)

Other significant groups have reacted and developed original recipes to get a slice of this enormous pie, starting with rum sales leader Bacardi. The brand first launched Bacardi Oakheart, a creamy spiced rum that smells like toasted bread and smoke. The expression was discontinued, and a new rum called Bacardi Caribbean Spiced has recently been released. 

Malibu has also taken advantage of the situation, as has Kraken. This dark spiced rum evokes a very niche mythical maritime universe. However, its particular flavor, brand, and bottle design have given it a good place in the market.

Other brands look more favorably on cocktails than mixed ones because they are more artisanal or because their ingredients are more expensive. For instance, Foursquare Spiced from Barbados, whose recipe is one of the oldest, woody, and dry ones. It features subtle vanilla and is balanced with the rest of the local spices.

The recipes are often original to give the cocktails more personality and provide them with new flavors. Globally, almost all traditional British countries like Jamaica have spiced rums: New Grove, Green Island, and Pink Pigeon from Mauritius; Chairman’s Reserve Spiced from Santa Lucia; Clarke’s Court from Grenada; El Dorado from Guyana; Pusser’s in Navy rum; and O’Hara’s Spiced Rum in Great Britain.

Although there are some challenges to overcome, the brands that produce spiced rum in the global market can see excellent opportunities in the rising innovation in alcoholic drinks like cocktails and mixes and the increasing popularity of alcohol availability at different music festivals and meetups.

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