S
ometimes, a spirit category can seem to be heading in many different directions at once. That seems to be the case with rum today: white rum has been losing a bit of its massive attraction, though it's still responsi- ble for more than half the rum business. Spiced rum sales are going through the roof, with new brands, line extensions and packaging signaling a lively interest among both consumers and suppliers. Flavored rums continue to be a source for innovation, and aged and superpremium rums are developing a fan base among the cocktail cognoscenti.
As with the different subcategories, the results among rum brands were mixed last year; according to numbers gathered by the Beverage Information Group for 2011; the category overall was up a modest 1.3%. Malibu showed the largest percentage and volume gain among the leading brands, while category leader Bacardi added 0.5% to hit 9.45 million cases. Cruzan grew by 11.9% to hit 725,000 cases, while Captain Morgan and
Bacardi added OakHeart Spiced Rum to its line- up last fall; the brand's recent flavored rums include Wolf Berry and Black Razz.
14 • Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • July/August 2012
