Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/36361
Brugal, from Remy Cointreau, has created new packaging this year for all three expressions, Añejo, Extra Viejo and its new Blanco Especial. sample its products. “The big thing is getting it into consumers’ mouths,” said Levine. “We have to let them taste it.” The brand has been working hard to get retailers to put up its big displays fea- turing a lifeguard stand with a tiki umbrella. Promotions this summer fea- ture co-packs of Coruba Coconut with Alizé Gold or Red Passion. Upper Echelon and authenticity in spirits with more high- end expressions and a greater focus on educa- tion. Like single malt Scotch, small batch bourbon and tequila, consumers are discover- ing these upper echelon rum brands and sales are soaring. P “Three years ago, no one could name a super-premium rum brand,” said JoAnn Craner, senior brand manager for Appleton Estate, “but the mixology community has really grown and is much more aware of upper end rum.” New confabs like Rum Renaissance have doubled their attendance each year for the past few years, and the number of rum aficionados are growing. “We look at brown spirits like single barrel bour- bon, single malt Scotch and cognac as where we play,” Craner said. “Consumers who like that flavor profile like Appleton Estate.” The brand is focused on educating bartenders, wait- staff and retailers about its Reserve and 12-Year-Old rums. Value-added packs, like its Reidel glass co-pack last year, will be offered during the holidays this fall. Brugal, from Remy Cointreau, has created new packaging this year for all three expressions, Añejo, Extra Viejo and its new Blanco Especial. The brand is supporting the new product and packaging change with a full 360 campaign from radio to social media. Depaz, a rhum agricole from Martinique, is contin- uing its big education and sampling program started last year, mostly in the on-premise market but spilling over into off-premise. A “hybrid between a single malt and a 100-percent agave tequila,” according to Kobrand’s Levine, Depaz will again offer a co-pack roducers also have taken advantage of consumer interest in both variety with a bottle of cane syrup and a mojito recipe to off- premise accounts. 10 Cane Rum, a rhum agricole style product from Trinidad, has changed its formula and packaging this year to make it more approachable. Instead of rum from 100% cane juice, the brand now blends 90% cane juice rum with old Trinidadian rum from other distilleries. The result is a golden rum with a more balanced flavor, making it more mixable. The new package makes it more bartender- and envi- ronmentally-friendly. The product is getting POS sup- port in the form of case cards, 12-bottle bins, beach board and paddle boards among other materials. “We think con- sumers are rediscov- ering rum,” said Guillaume Grillon, senior business manager for the 10 Cane, a style product from Trinidad, has changed its formula and packaging. brand. “The more they educate themselves, the more they discover in the category. For its part, Pyrat Rum, which is owned by Patrón Spirits International, saw an impressive 11% worldwide growth rate last year, according to Phil Gervasi, Patrón Spirits’ executive VP of sales. He explained that the high-end Caribbean rum brand continues to draw con- sumers who are willing to spend a few extra dollars to trade up the quality of their cocktails. Another upscale rum, Botran, from Guatemala, was reintroduced into select U.S. markets last year, with Botran Reserva and Botran Solera 1893. The rums are made from sugar cane that is pressed into “virgin sugar cane honey,” the company says, then fermented, distilled and aged in a combination of several differ- ent barrels. Even newer to the market is the recently released Banks 5-Island Rum, which is a blend of more than 20 rums of various ages, from Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados and Indonesia. When it comes to rum, there’s a flavor for every taste, from light-bod- ied, highly mixable white rums to full- flavored aged sipping rums. Be sure to let your customers know about the wide variety of offerings, especially during these summer months. s Blackbeard Premium Spiced Rum successfully debuted into the U.S. market in the latter half of last year. Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • July/August 2011 • 21 rhum agricole