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Nick Gillett: Why sugar and spice don’t always add up to nice

It’s ‘the next big thing’, the next category that’s going to experience a ‘boom’. Well, so we’ve been saying for the last 25 years. Whilst we’ve definitely been talking about the rum boom for decades now, it does feel like this time it’s actually happening. After years of waiting, this beautiful category is going to get the rich exposure it thoroughly deserves. What a nice way to kick this piece off. But, as any of you who have read my previous rants will know – I have a few things to say on the matter; some observations, if you will.

Ultimately, I am a lover of rum. I think it’s a spectacular category, full of real creativity, and a staple spirit that lends itself to be enjoyed in so many different ways. That said, I want any success this category sees to stand the test of time, and to avoid a ‘boom and bust’ situation – there’s a few things we need to sort out.

A blurry definition – what is rum?

If you Google it, you’ll find a pretty succinct definition of the spirit: ‘Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice.’ But sadly, this isn’t what’s inside every bottle with the word ‘rum’ scrawled across the front of it.

As a category, we’re seeing something similar to what happened with the gin boom – sweet, sugary products flooding in that are full of flavourings and additives, lack essential quality of spirit, that, quite frankly, might be rum flavoured at very best.

Now, I have no issue with consumer tastes – if there’s demand for it, then make it. My issue is that as people experiment with rum, their first sample could be one of these sub-standard products, and, put off by sugary sweet fake rums, they ditch the category altogether.

So, as we move into brave new, rum-loving world, can we have some enforcement around what we’re labelling as rum? If we can make this some sort of global accreditation so we’re all on the same page, even better. The same way we protect the standards of whisky, tequila, or other spirits – let’s call a spade a spade and defend the quality of a beautiful and complex product.

A blurrier definition – British rum

One of the most wonderful things about rum is the diversity of places in which its distilled, blended, and bottled around the world. But there’s definitely an exercise to be done here around how we geographically label a product. Let’s use British rum as a prime example.

What is a British rum? Is it made from British sugar cane (there’s very little of that – it’s too bloody cold). Is it distilled here in the UK, from imported raw materials? Or is the hard spirit imported from elsewhere, then blended, aged, and bottled here in the UK? Well, as it stands, all of the above can be called British rum. Kudos goes out to Two Drifters and Dark Matter – award-winning British rums that actually go as far as to distil the spirit in the UK (and who have both created some exceptional products).

Here’s the necessary caveat of the piece – I think there’s as much skill in the blending and aging of rum as there is in the distilling, so yes, I think the latter on the list above still reserves the right to be labelled British rum. That said, I still reckon if you’re drinking a spirit, you should be able to see on the bottle exactly where it came from.

An issue of age

Given the sunnier climes that rum is often produced in, I’d argue that it doesn’t take as long as whisky to mature, reaching its best in fewer years than its dark, grainy cousin. But there is another significant difference between the two, when it comes to the age on the bottle.

As it stands, consumers are paying a premium for ‘15-year-old’ rums, and what they’re paying for, they’re not necessarily getting. Unlike whisky where the word on the bottle ensures a minimum level of age (and the rules dictate an age statement), rum has been slightly more creative with its aging and labelling. It might be time for this to stop, with a bit more transparency about the ages of spirit that are actually in the bottle.

Regulate or liberate

You might have noticed that thus far I’ve talked a lot about regulating, and some may argue that too many regulations will stifle the creativity that’s at the heart of why rum is such a spectacular category. To those people, I say nonsense.

Countries like Venezuela and Barbados have put in their own types of standard agreement which defines what can be called a Barbadian or Venezuelan Rum and still we’re seeing a deliciously diverse spread on the products coming out of these regions. What this does is guarantee a minimum experience to the user; with certain criteria being met, we know that a guaranteed base line quality is coming out of the territories where these standard agreements exist.

As for creativity, I applaud what a number of producers are doing with rums these days, particularly around different casks for aging. But as for companies who are taking shortcuts in the aging process by stuffing their product full of flavourings and additives, that’s not creativity. That, in my view, is cheating and sadly we’re seeing a lot of that happening with spiced rums right now.

The environmental equation

It wouldn’t be a rant of mine without including a word or two on category sustainability. Rum has had, historically, a bad rep from a sustainability perspective, but less from an environmental perspective and more from a civil one. Sugarcane is notoriously difficult (and dangerous) to harvest, and treatment of workers has been diabolically poor in the past. From an environmental perspective, rum producers face the same challenges as most spirits companies – energy-use, plant pollution, distribution, and packaging all need to be adapted to be more sustainable long term.

Don Q, as a rum producer, is going above and beyond to build sustainable practices, civilly and environmentally, into the heart of its business (for transparency, this is an eco-focused brand carried by Mangrove). In a world of an increasingly conscious consumer, I think this will be beneficial to business. Contrastingly, some of the biggest brands are not doing the same and leave a lot to be desired when it comes to helping the planet.

With all the above said, I think there are good things in store for rum in the future, especially if we can protect the quality of the category appropriately. I’d especially like to see more of an appreciation in the UK for Rhum Agricole, a product that is to rum, what mezcal is to tequila. Popular in France and the US, it’s full of character and something that, if I had buying power for on- or off-trade, would be ensuring was included on any shelf to bring some variety and vibrance to the selection. Take away from this article what you will – and if nothing else, I hope I’ve made you thirsty.

The one-day event, complete with a host of essential masterclasses on the category, will take place at The Trampery, Old Street, on 8 November and you can register to attend here.

• Rum
• Mangrove UK
• Nick Gillett