Rum is widely tipped as the next hot international category. Rum is undoubtedly substantial in terms of volume and breadth of markets, but has tended to lag behind other categories, such as Scotch, in terms of its international and premium development. For a long time Bacardi was the only true international brand.

This is largely attributable to the industry structure. For many years rum was little more than a cottage industry dominated by Caribbean, Central or South American producers. Most were content to supply the local market and few had the ambition or resources to expand internationally.

This is now changing due to the entry of the major spirits multinationals into the rum category. They are providing the much-needed investment, distribution and brand-building skills. With improved production methods, presentation and innovation, the qualitative gap between rum and other prestige categories, such as Scotch and Cognac, has closed. Certainly it has helped raise rum’s image in consumers’ eyes. Rum is now shedding its commodity image and being recognised for the high-quality product that it has the potential to be.

Havana Club managing director, Marc Beuve-Méry says: “If you look at the past ten years the growth of rum as a category was 50% above the market average for spirits, according to [The IWSR’s] numbers. Rum’s growth over that period was 3.8% and the global spirits market being 2.5%. So rum’s growth is roughly 50% above spirits’ average. That’s impressive. And there has been an acceleration between 2005 and 2007; that’s even better.”

This is the second edition of just-drinks' popular global market review of international rum. Now jointly published with The IWSR, this edition provides a much broader and deeper set of consumption volume and value data and company/brand market shares.

Chapter 1 Market overview
This chapter lays out the key drivers and scope of the market. It reviews the sector's structure, comments on premiumisation, with extensive interview quotes from all of the major brands. Growth drivers discussed include: tourism and provenance, cocktail popularity (such as the mojito), flavours, changing consumer demographics and the sector's inventory issues.

Bacardi senior global brand director John Philips says: “The outlook for premium international spirits is outstanding and for rum it is even better. The global rum category is attractive and growing and well-positioned for future premiumisation. It is growing at double-digit rates in value terms. Premium/super-premium products and segments are emerging and we expect this trend to continue as it has for many years across spirits.”

Chapter 2 The Americas
The US rum market has been one of the star performers in the US drinks market. In 2007, it rose 5.5% to 22.7m nine-litre cases. 89.8% of the market is sourced from locally produced rums, including rums from Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. This sector, at over 20.4m cases, rose 4.8%, but the imported sector showed much faster growth, soaring a further 12.1% in 2007 to just under 2.3m cases.

This chapter provides analysis of this key region by major market (United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean) and includes volume and value data for the brands and owners in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Chapter 3 Europe provides analysis of this key region by major market (Spain, Italy, Germany, UK, France, Greece and Russia) and includes volume and value data for the brands and owners in each of these markets.

Chapter 4 Other markets provides the same analysis as previous chapters, but for the remaining key markets, including: Australia, South Africa, travel retail, India, and other Asian markets

Chapter 5 Company profiles
This chapter analyses where the major multinational players are at present. Providing exclusive commentary from the companies, the chapter reviews key finanicial highlights, new product development, M&A and company/brand strategy. Companies featured include: Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Edrington/Brugal, Rémy Cointreau, CL Financial – Wray & Nephew and Angostura, and Bacardi.

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Read more about this report with just-drinks' research article here

Chapter 1 Market overview
Scope of the market
Industry structure
Premiumisation
Growth drivers
Role of tourism and provenance
Rum rides the cocktail wave
Flavour explosion
Generational shift
Inventory issues

Chapter 2 The Americas
United States
Canada
Mexico
Central America and the Caribbean
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Guatemala
Puerto Rico
Honduras
Nicaragua
Costa Rica

Chapter 3 Europe
Spain
Italy
Germany
United Kingdom
France
Greece
Russia

Chapter 4 Other markets
Australia
South Africa
Travel retail
India
Other Asian markets

Chapter 5 Company profiles
Bacardi
Diageo
Pernod Ricard
Edrington/Brugal
Rémy Cointreau
CL Financial – Wray & Nephew and Angostura

List of tables
Table 1: Top 20 rum markets, 2003-2012 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 2: Top 10 imported rum markets, 2003-2012 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 3: Total global rum market by category, 2003-2012 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 4: Top ten brands and total market, United States, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 5: Top five owners and total market, United States, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 6: Top ten brands and total market, Canada, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 7: Top five owners and total market, Canada, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 8: Top ten brands and total market, Mexico, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 9: Top five owners and total market, Mexico, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 10: Top ten brands and total market, Spain, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 11: Top five owners and total market, Spain, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 12: Top ten brands and total market, Italy, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 13: Top five owners and total market, Italy, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 14: Top ten brands and total market, Germany, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 15: Top five owners and total market, Germany, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 16: Top ten brands and total market, United Kingdom, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 17: Top five owners and total market, United Kingdom, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 18: Top ten brands and total market, France, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 19: Top five owners and total market, France, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 20: Top ten brands and total market, Greece, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 21: Top five owners and total market, Greece, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 22: Top ten brands and total market, Russia, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 23: Top five owners and total market, Russia, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 24: Top ten brands and total market, South Africa, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 25: Top five owners and total market, South Africa, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 26: Top ten brands and total market, travel retail, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 27: Top five owners and total market, travel retail, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 28: Top ten brands and total market, India, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 29: Top five owners and total market, India, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)
Table 30: Leading rum brand owners, global, 1998-2007 volume (000's nine-litre cases), 2003-2007 value (US$ ‘000s)