In this article, we are going to discuss the 15 best-selling rum brands in the world. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global rum market, the new rum RTD in the market, and sustainability in the rum industry, and go directly to the 5 Best-Selling Rum Brands in the World.
Many of the best rums in the world are made in the Caribbean. Sugarcane was introduced to that part of the globe in the late 1400s by Europeans, and it quickly took root. Colonialists started sugar plantations that used forced labor by enslaved people from Africa, and from these plantations came rum. The spirit’s popularity quickly spread to Colonial North America, and it is estimated that prior to the American Revolutionary War, the men and women of the American colonies were guzzling an average of three imperial gallons of rum each year.
Global Rum Market:
As we mentioned in our article – 12 Countries that Produce the Best Rum in the World – the global rum market was estimated at $17.4 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $24.5 billion by 2033, with a CAGR of 3.5% during the forecast period.
Rum is building momentum and getting more popular in U.S.A. Today, the category is one of the most steadily growing and continues to benefit from several intersecting popularity shifts. In recent years, distillers have experimented with flavored rums, making the category much more versatile in offerings, and so today, flavored and spiced offerings account for over 57% of all rums sold.
This highly mixable spirit also provides a key function in cocktail culture. While rum is a staple of on-premise tiki bars, it is also one of the only spirits for which it’s common to blend multiple varieties in the same cocktail. According to Bacardi’s 2022 Cocktail Trends Report, four of the top-10 best-selling cocktails are rum drinks, making the spirit a must-have for all on-premise programs.
New Rum RTD in the Market:
Ready-to-drink beverages continue to make headlines as the fastest-growing alcohol beverage category. RTD cocktails grew 325% between 2011 and 2021, with 68 new drinks hitting the market only in 2021.
A new RTD offering that popped up in the market this February is Captain Morgan Sliced, a line of canned malt-based cocktails with 5.8% alcohol by volume. Owned by Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO), the spiced rum brand is seeking a greater presence in the growing canned spirits space. Available in four flavors, Captain Morgan Sliced cans are now available nationwide in a 12-count variety pack priced at $19.99. Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) also launched another product of the rum brand earlier this year – Captain Morgan Sliced Up. Available in 23.5oz and 16oz can offerings of Long Island Iced Tea and Tropical Hurricane, these 8% ABV cocktails are available in local convenience stores and wherever you can find Captain Morgan.
Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) sits among the Best Brewery and Distillery Stocks to Buy Now.
Sustainability in the Rum Industry:
The modern consumer has become increasingly aware of the climate emergency we unfortunately find ourselves in, and actively seeks out sustainable brands, even if it means paying extra. So, as rum manufacturers find themselves in an increasingly competitive market, committing psychologically and economically to reducing their impact on the planet may also be the only means to make their businesses sustainable in the long run.
In October 2023, Bacardi Limited, the Largest Privately Held Spirits Company in the World, announced the opening of a new Combined Heat & Power (CHP) system at its rum distillery in Puerto Rico that will cut the greenhouse emissions of its Bacardí rum brand in half. The new system will produce 100% of the energy to run the distillery, as well as its surrounding facilities, by replacing the heavy fuel oil with propane gas.
The move is part of the Bermuda-based company’s broader Good Spirited global sustainability program, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. As part of the program, Bacardi aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at its production sites by 50%, water consumption by 25%, and using 100% recyclable product packaging and 40% recycled content of product packaging materials. In addition, the spirits company is also aiming for zero waste to landfill at all of its production sites across the world.
With a portfolio of more than 200 brands and labels under its belt, Bacardi Limited is one of the Largest Alcohol Companies in the World.
With that said, here are the Most Popular Rum Brands in the World.
Elizaveta Galitckaia/Shutterstock.com
Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we have referred to The Brand Champions 2023 magazine by The Spirits Business, looking for the Top-Selling Rum Brands in the World. We found information for only the top 10 best-selling rum brands in the magazine and so we ranked them by the sales volumes of their 9-liter cases in 2022. Due to the absence of reliable sales figures for the rest of the five brands, we resorted to using popularity as a proxy for sales. Therefore, we picked rums that appeared multiple times on websites like VinePair, Liquor, Men’s Journal etc., assigned them a score of 1 each time they were recommended on these sources, and then summed up the scores and ranked our list accordingly.
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15. Don Q
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Don Q, a multigenerational family rum brand, prides itself on its Puerto Rican roots. The label, produced by Destilería Serrallés since 1865, is popular as the oldest operating distillery in Puerto Rico, as well as the island’s best-selling rum. The premium rum brand has been available in the U.S. market since 2009.
The Ponce-based distillery has been awarded the ‘Green Award’ from The Drinks Business, which honors leaders in environmental practices within the beverage industry.
14. The Kraken
Insider Monkey Score: 4
Created by Proximo Spirits in 2010, The Kraken is a blend of Caribbean rums that should certainly suit any fans of rich, navy-style rum. Named after the Caribbean sea beast of myth and legend, the spirit is distilled in Trinidad and Tobago where it is blended with 13 secret spices to create a strong, rich, black, and smooth rum.
With over 500,000 9-liter cases sold in the American market in 2021, The Kraken is counted among the Most Popular Rum Brands in the U.S.
13. Sailor Jerry
Insider Monkey Score: 5
Fully owned by William Grant & Sons since 2008, Sailor Jerry is blended with the finest rums from the Caribbean and a recipe of natural spices.
Owner of some of the Most Popular Scotch Whisky Brands in USA, William Grant & Sons boasts distilling and bottling operations in Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, India, the US, and Mexico, with a team of over 2,600 employees at 48 global locations.
12. Old Monk
Insider Monkey Score: 6
Despite not being exactly world famous for its rum, India is the country that drinks the most rum in the world, both in terms of consumption per capita and in terms of most rum drunk each year. Old Monk has been the most popular rum brand in the South Asian nation for decades. This inexpensive, best-selling dark rum has come to define what rum should taste like for generations of Indians.
11. Malibu
Insider Monkey Score: 7
Although it is technically a liqueur, Malibu is called a ‘flavored rum’ by its owner Pernod Ricard, which is permissible by local laws. This original coconut-flavored rum is a staple in iconic cocktails such as piña coladas and daiquiris.
Pernod Ricard became the owner of Malibu when it acquired Allied Domecq in 2005, in a deal worth $14 billion.
10. Appleton Estate
9-Liter Cases Sold in 2022: 1.1 million
Appleton Estate is the oldest and most famous of all of Jamaica’s sugar-cane estates. It makes some of the Highest Quality Rums in the World with characteristic Christmas cake and butterscotch flavors and is known for its long-aged editions.
Appleton, along with the Wray & Nephew and Coruba Rum brands, was acquired by Gruppo Campari in December 2012, as part of the Italian giant’s purchase of the Jamaican company Lascelles deMercado & Co for $409 million.
The superbly balanced Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks is placed among the Best Rums to Drink Straight.
9. Božkov
9-Liter Cases Sold in 2022: 1.3 million
Smooth and easy-to-drink, Božkov Original is a classic Czech rum with subtle hints of caramel and spices. Although it still counts among the Top 10 Most Popular Rum Brands, Božkov witnessed a decrease of 9.9% in sales in 2022 when compared to the previous year.
8. Contessa
9-Liter Cases Sold in 2022: 1.3 million
Owned by Radico Khaitan, this Indian rum is matured in wood to make it warm and mellow. The Contessa rums have won several international awards and are especially popular among the Indian military.
Radico Khaitan is among the Largest Liquor Companies in India, boasting a revenue of around $383.9 million in 2022.
7. Old Port Rum
9-Liter Cases Sold in 2022: 1.5 million
Old Port is distilled and aged at Amrut’s distillery in Bangalore, India, using 100% native Indian sugarcane. The brand witnessed a staggering 40.6% surge in sales in 2022 as compared to the year before, when it sold 1.1 million cases. As a result, it is included among the Fastest-Growing Spirit Brands in the World.
6. Ron Barceló
9-Liter Cases Sold in 2022: 2.7 million
Ron Barceló is the best Dominican rum and the most exported dark rum in the world, made from 100% sugar cane juice from the distillery’s own cane fields. Mostly owned by the Spanish spirits company Grupo Varma, Ron Barceló is a carbon neutral brand, certified in 2019 by the SGS Group for both the life cycle of their products and the organization.
Ron Barceló ranks 6th in our list of the World’s Most Popular Rum Brands.
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Disclosure: None. 15 Best-Selling Rum Brands in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.