Caribbean rum to step up to marque

The West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers' Association (WIRSPA) has unveiled a new initiative to support and promote Authentic Caribbean Rum (ACR) brands.

A new marque on bottles will not only be used to promote the development of ACR but will also incorporate a three-tier classification system based on maturation and premium positioning.

The three classes of Caribbean rum will be: Authentic Caribbean Rum, 'Matured' Authentic Caribbean Rum and 'Deluxe' Authentic Caribbean Rum.

They have been designed to highlight the distinctive processes of distillation, aging and blending that take place during production. Neil Morris, head of marketing at WIRSPA said: "The Caribbean is the recognised 'home' of rum and offers a hugely diverse range of brands.

With the popularity of rum increasing year on year, there is no doubt that consumers are not only looking to explore brands, but are also seeking some help in the selection process. 

"The new ACR marque will, we believe, help meet both these objectives, while also helping to give further weight to the development of a distinct Authentic Caribbean Rum sector within the rum category," he added.

The new marque will be supported with a major marketing campaign including trade and consumer press advertising, training for all levels of bartenders, trade and consumer show attendance plus significant PR support.

Brands that come under the WIRSPA umbrella include Angostura 1919, Appleton Estate VX, Banks 10 Year Old XM Royal Gold, Barbancourt Réserve, Cockspur Fine Rum, Doorly's XO, English Harbour 5 Year Old, El Dorado 15 Year Old and Mount Gay Eclipse.