Rum: growing, growing, growing
Rum is not next. Rum is now.
Little wonder why RUM FOR ALL has been the most popular new advocacy initiative for spirits in the U.S., attracting
standing-room-only audiences from New York to San Francisco. The results of spirits sales by category in 2012 are in. According to the
Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), rum sales rose again last year by a solid 1.5 percent. In fact, rum remains the
second largest spirits category in the U.S. after vodka, accounting for a whopping 25.5 million cases annually.
Rum is recognized across the spirits industry as one of the most dynamic categories. No less than 63 new rums were introduced into the
American market in 2012. Twenty-two of them were flavored. Interestingly, the area of largest sales expansion was in the super-premium range
of rum, which exploded by 8.1 percent as drinkers are searching for greater complexity.
This substantial growth bodes well for consumers and for the hospitality sector as new premium and super-premium rums increase in number and
style, thereby cementing rum’s reputation as the world’s most versatile world-class distillate. Spirits, or potable liquids that have been
both fermented and distilled, displayed remarkable growth for the twelfth year in a row. In 2012, 34 out of every 100 bottles of beverage
alcohol (beer, wine, spirits) sold was a distilled spirit.
The Age of Rum, as evidenced by the success of RUM FOR ALL, is upon us.