Rum market's trend today

After a seemingly unstoppable growth, the consumption of rum has in the last year slackened a bit. "Although the number of rum consumers is still increasing, there are less occasions for drinking it especially in bars; plus, as drinking alcohol and cocktails has become a largely spread habit, rum consumption is someway depending on fashion: people choose drinks according to what is 'cool' in that moment" - says Mrs Federica Clerico, group brand manager of Pampero. Despite that, the general trend is still quite positive, and for this year we can expect a recovery. We can say that rum market has come to maturity after a long period of strong growth, and now it is stable. According to the opinion of some analysts, last year's light shrinkage was an occasion to "clean up" a market flooded with actually low-price but also low-quality products.

Drinking rum means also to assume a particular expression, so people keep on looking for newer flavors and products. Federica Clerico: "Our data show us an ever growing consumers' interest in novelties. Rum has always represented for the consumers an open door to an exotic charming experience, a whole new world. Today the consumer is willing to know more, test new products from various origins, taste new flavors and, most of all, try different ways to consume". As for the different types of rum, the most appreciated are still the dark, gold and amber ones, but there is a growing interest in the white rums as well. These are rums best used for mixing cocktails and making punch (the flavor tends to be on the neutral side, the aroma is usually fresh and sweet).

As everyone knows, rum is mostly consumed in mixed drinks. There are two age-classes of rum consumers: the younger 18-25, the elder 25-35. The first class consumes especially mixed drinks, the second one both mixed and neat rum, and can appreciate the big aged rons. Rum holds nonetheless the supremacy among the alcoholic drinks as the most versatile and the most demanded in any bar: in the last ACNielsen survey, Rum & Cola was the most demanded cocktail with 70% of preferences and Mojito the fifth with 52%.

Beside the classics, other kinds of mixed drinks claim now a particular attention.
Federica Clerico: "Now the rituals are drinks well liked by everybody, that is rum with other ingredients (juices, honey etc.): the flavors'mix has a great appeal and, above all, makes more approachable a spirit that, when served neat, reaches 40% alcohol (ABV). One of the most popular mix is rum with pear juice, highly consumed by young people, the best drink for this target after the Rum & Cola". There is also an increasing market of ready to drink products based on rum. In Italy Bacardi Breeezer is a very popular drink in this sector and the first to have been launched, by Martini & Rossi, (2001): the Bacardi name gave it an enormous competition advantage. It comes in a 275 bottle, in lime, orange, ruby grapefruit, pineapple and peach flavor and has a 5% grade of alcohol.

Nonetheless, also the consume of neat rum or shooters is significant, especially for dark and aged rums.
Lucrezia Fanti, Havana Club's brand manager: "During the last International Havana Club Cocktail Gran Prix (Feb. 2006), new cocktails based on the products of Havana Club brand were shown by the best barmen, winners of the national competitions that took place last year all over the world".

After all, we can say that rum consumers still show a trend started some time ago: both mixed drinks and neat rum, especially for dark and premium rums.