The great and the good of the rum world are gearing up for World Rum Day, taking place this Saturday 10 July in order to spread word of rum, which was named by the WSTA as the most loved cocktail spirit during 2020’s first lockdown.
World Rum Day, which falls on the second Saturday in July each year, is once again opening up opportunities for producers and brokers to shout about the sugar-cane based spirit, which continues to grow in popularity in the UK.
Among those looking to celebrate is Hawksbill Caribbean Spiced Rum, which has created the “ultimate handbook for learning about the heritage of all-time favourite rum cocktails” aimed at consumers looking to recreate the classics at home.
Meanwhile Caskshare, a new “accessible spirits platform” that offers spirit lovers opportunities to reserve bottles by the cask, is also getting involved via a new competition partnership with North Point Highland rum.
In honour of World Rum Day, the competition will award the winner a cask of small batch North Point Pilot rum, the equivalent of approximately 72 bottles carrying an estimated value of £2,400.
Hawksbill’s handbook includes recipes for Dark and Stormy and Daiquiri cocktails, just two among a growing roster of popular rum cocktails favoured by the UK drinkers.
Last October, the WSTA crowned rum the “drink of lockdown” with the spirit enjoying the biggest growth across all spirits in the three months from April to June 2020.
During that time, 38% more rum was sold versus the same period in 2019, equating to an extra 1.3 million bottles flying off the shelves, with total rum sales worth £119m in the quarter.
North Point Highland rum distillery was founded last year and makes Caribbean-style rum aged using Scotch Whisky maturation techniques.
Hawksbill meanwhile works across Guyana and Trinidad. It recently launched a project to help protect the endangered Hawksbill Turtle, donating 10% of its profits to conservation projects.
Find out more about World Rum Day here.