Rum Trends For 2020

Found on your typical drinks menu and on every off-license shelf, rum is becoming exceedingly well-loved in the UK. In fact, it’s becoming so popular that it now ranks alongside whisky and gin as one of the UK’s favourite spirits! Annual rum sales in Britain topped £1 billion for the first time in 2018, with over 1 billion litres consumed. But what are the predictions for the rum market in 2020?

Quality Over Quantity

A key market trend in the drinks industry sees consumers “drinking less, but drinking better quality” and there are no signs of this stopping. As consumers are becoming more interested in age and origin, luxury rum is expected to increase in sales by almost $230 million between 2015 - 2020. With this in mind, and the knowledge that consumers are starting to care more about content over cost, big brands are turning their focuses to launching premium rum.

Innovative Flavours 

The UK has experienced a big increase in competition and new product launches thanks to consumers wanting to explore a variety of new flavours. In 2006 there were 50 rum brands in the UK, there are now nearly 200, with that number only looking to escalate in the future. Consumers are always on the hunt for new, innovative flavours, which is why this is predicted to be a big trend in 2020. Coconut rum is already particularly popular, along with coffee rum like RumJava. According to reports, the flavoured sector will be bigger than white rum in off-trade by 2020. 

Rum Cocktails

Daiquiri, Mojito, Piña Colada, it’s hard not to think of cocktails when you’re talking about rum! The UK’s cocktail culture is booming, and as rum cocktails grow in popularity, bars are looking for new and innovative recipes to captivate their customers. 

The ‘Dirty Banana’ is a new must-try if you’re searching for a boozy rum based beverage. Described as an ‘icy creamy shake spiked with rum, Kahlua and banana liqueur’ it’s the adult’s answer to a slushie. 

Image credit - Whitney Blake

Golden Rum

Golden Rum is set to be the next big trend in the spirits category, with sales predicted to rise by 33% by 2020. With this particular rum looking to thrive, professionals believe that it will even outpace gin by next year. Because of this, brands well-known for their white rum (such as Bacardi) have launched golden varieties to target this up-and-coming market.

Want to discover more about the future of rum? Restaurant & Bar Tech Live will be welcoming a variety of great rum brands, rum enthusiasts and experts from the industry - so grab your FREE tickets and join us in November! 

Next Read: Pembrokeshire Gin Co. Launches Brand New Flavours