Rum has been gradually growing in popularity over the past few years and its time has come, with it set to finally come into its own in 2024. We’re predicting that 2024is going to be a fantastic year for rum as it gracefully morphs into a premium product, reaching a wider market.  

There are a multitude of reasons as to why we’re experiencing a real rum renaissance, keep scrolling to find out more about how brands can help consumers navigate this market.  

In the UK, rum sales have now reached an astronomical £1 billion a year, surpassing whiskey, holding 11.3% of the spirits category. The UK specifically is the third largest market for rum in the world and is also said to be seeing the quickest levels of growth. This increase in popularity is not set to slow down any time soon, with the market expected to grow annually by 5.81% between 2023 and 2027 

The rise in popularity of rum has come hand-in-hand with the premiumisation of the spirit and a huge increase in sales of spiced rums.   

Over the past two years, spiced rum has been seen to be the key growth driver of the category in the UK. Figures found that spiced rum in particular has grown by 9% when compared to 2021.  

Spiced rum has always been widely popular outside of traditionalist rum drinkers. Its slight sweetness and spice appeal to those who may find regular rum a little too much for their standard tipple.  

A great example when it comes to spiced rum is our customer, Red Leg Rum. Red Leg is one of the original emerging Rum brands we worked with here at Verallia. Their beautiful bottle is made in standard flint, which we ensured we lightweight to give the added benefit of a more sustainable glass bottle. The propriety shape of the bottle perfectly feeds into the distilleries need to deliver a strong brand identity. 

No longer tied down to the spirit and mixer category (we’re looking at you, rum and coke fans), rum is now increasingly being drunk neat or over ice. Rum is also now making strong, regular appearances on menus at prestigious cocktail bars across the UK, with it being reported that five of the top 20 on-trade and three of the top ten at-home cocktails contain rum.  

There is a whole world of potential when it comes to rum cocktails, stretching far beyond a standard mojito (although we can’t say we don’t love a timeless mojito) some of our personal favourites are a Por Mi Amante or a classic Mai Thai.  

Whilst all of the above have contributed to rum really coming into its own, the undeniable fact is that we have seen such a growth in the popularity of rum due to the premiumisation of the spirit. Provenance has been at the heart of premium rum producers’ strategy to raise rum up from the depths of high-volume sales to this new premium feel. The uniqueness and diversity of rums have been a big USP in sales.  

Nothing screams premium quite like the perfect glass packaging. The design, shape and quality allows you to present your brand with a sophisticated edge that consumers will be drawn to. Your packaging is your brands story. 

Two Drifters Rum is an excellent example rum distillery looking to the future more sustainably, which is something increasingly seen in emerging Rum brands. Two Drifters work on the idea that they tax themselves on carbon. The company looks to create as little carbon as possible, but, where carbon cannot be avoided through processes such as, shipping molasses from sugar cane refineries, they work with carbon removal company Climeworks.  

After spending some time utilising off the shelf bottles manufactured in Europe, Two Drifters realised that this did not reflect their sustainable ambitions. Two Drifters came to Verallia looking for a bottle which would appear modern, vibrant and appeal to a young market. For a beautiful and versatile bottle, our Blackwell premium standard design was the obvious choice for Two Drifters. Additionally, the bottle is a huge 30% lighter than the one previously used by the distillery.  

Their standout, colourful labelling and tamper seals are created with sugarcane fibre to utilise waste from the refining process. Which are also printed in the next county along. They developed their bottle stop from natural cork and maple wood pulp. 

Another distillery leading the way in sustainable Rum is Discarded. For Discarded, we crafted a glass bottle with a high recycled glass content level to perfectly match the brands ethos built on crafting rum from a base spirit gleaned from rum which would otherwise have been wasted. 

Discarded rescue food waste such as banana peel and grape skins and create beautifully balanced Rums, our personal favourite being the banana bread flavour of the banana peel Rum.  

Hy phoenix specialises in bringing premium brands to life. We work with brands to develop distinctive designs that reflect your message and give a competitive edge in the market. We aim to elevate your brand image with prestigious, striking glass. 

If you would be interested in working with us on bringing your brand to life, do not hesitate to contact us.