Spiced rum is one of the fastest growing spirits on the market today, attracting people who like their light and dark rums (and occasionally pirate ships) but who may be looking for something a little more, well, spicy. Whether it’s an iconic brand or a brand new name, spiced rum is taking bar shelves by storm.
Whether it’s daydreams of the warm Caribbean breeze and a fruity cocktail, or pirates and spices and ships (oh my), there are certainly some thoughts and fantasies that come to mind when considering rum, especially spiced rum. And while several of the staples in the spiced rum category still embody the notion that this spicy spirit will always relate to the pirate life, new brands are showing that spiced rum is one of the most popular spirits available on the market (eye patch and peg leg not necessarily required).
Bacardi, as a leader in the rum industry, has always been very proud of their clear rum, one of the most popular spirits in the world. However, as people’s tastes change and trends take hold, Bacardi, just like other liquor brands, decided it was best to take a step back and see what else they could do to ramp up their game and keep appealing to their mass audience. Brian Shaifer, Senior Brand Director for Bacardi, along with other inventive brains at the Bacardi brand, noticed the influx of interest in spiced rum, and thus, Bacardi OakHeart was born.
“We are the leaders of unflavored and flavored rums, but the one area where we don’t have a leadership position is in spiced rum,” says Shaifer. “We know spiced rum is growing at about 6.3% in terms of volume, and it’s one of those categories that we feel, as leaders in rum, we will continue to innovate, sowe want to make sure we’re maintaining our leadership position in that segment as well.”
The process of producing Bacardi OakHeart started with looking at their core audience—drinkers between the ages of 21 and 24—as well as bartenders and retailers. However, one of the more arduous decisions in the process was coming up with the name itself, remarks Shaifer. They wanted something that could emphasize the “togetherness” that is Bacardi, while also showing off the flare of their new—and only—spiced rum.
“Convenience-wise for bar owners and bartenders, when they see a very busy night, where they might be ten or 20 deep at the bar, they still want to move quickly,” says Herman. “So something like our Woodstock Bourbon & Cola makes it like handing out bottled beer instead of mixing drinks. And a lot of bars in those situations need that kind of convenience to be able to get a lot of drinks into people’s hands quickly.”
