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.
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Dark Rum www.beveragedynamics.com July/August 2016 • Beverage Dynamics 27 Dark Secrets Aging in barrels is a mysterious process that adds sweetness and fl avors of caramel, cocoa, vanilla and spice to spirits, as well as knocking off any rough edges. Unlike other fi ne spirits like Bourbon or tequila, there is no comprehensive set of regulations governing the production and quality standards of rum, and what few rules there are vary from country to country. This can be confusing for consumers. There needs to be more education from producers on their specifi c practices. And (of course) in-store sampling. Three issues are critical in the maturation of premium aged rums: time, wood and climate. Rare Blend 12 year old), on-premise plays a larger role as bartenders are increasingly interested in premium rums," Moll says. "Our growth is strongest on-premise," says Foster about Cruzan. "The past several years have seen signif- icant growth for the brand, as well as share gains within the category." SPLIT MARKETING Since dark and light rums are virtually different catego- ries, often aimed at different consumer demographics, some brands target marketing accordingly. "There are differences in the [consumption] occa- sion, so our activation is targeted depending on what offerings we are advertising," says Bermudez at Bacardi. "We focus on communicating more of the product in- trinsics when we market our darker rums; while we focus product communication around mixability when we market our light portfolio." Cruzan also splits the difference, according to Fos- ter. The light and fl avored end of its rum portfolio of- fers recipes via social media to emphasize mixability. "Versus showcasing our premium aged sipping rums in a rocks glass with a large ice cube," he adds The future for dark rums is bright, say industry play- ers, anticipating growth in what is yet still a niche. "While the base is still very small, we see increased interest and double-digit sales increases in high-end aged rums," Terlato says, "especially at the super-pre- mium level." BD THOMAS HENRY STRENK is a Brooklyn-based free- lance writer with over 20 years experience covering the beverage and restaurant industries. In his small apart- ment-turned-alchemist-den, he homebrews beer kom- bucha, and concocts his own bitters and infusions. MORE ONLINE For more on how time, wood and climate affect the rum aging process, visit www.beveragedynamics.com.