My shout: Katie Hewitt forecasts 'exciting times' for spirits of all hues

By Katie Hewitt

- Last updated on GMT

Exciting times lie ahead for spirits of all hues
Exciting times lie ahead for spirits of all hues
Crown Cellars' spirits category manager, Katie Hewitt, discusses the continued growth of on-trade spirits.

When thinking about spirits trends that are having an impact in the on-trade, there’s no getting away from the gin renaissance, or ‘ginaissance’, that we’ve been experiencing for the past few years.

With so many new gins appearing all the time, there has been speculation that we’ll soon hit the point of saturation, but this doesn’t look to be the case. With extensive innovation pushing the boundaries of botanicals, and bartenders well and truly on board, gin is constantly able to evolve and offer new twists and serves.

Consumers of drinks want to experience something authentic and original. They are also demanding more  for their money and are hungry for brands that they can connect with, that reflect something of themselves  and their values.

While the demand for new gins shows no sign of abating, the exploration for spirits and serves that cater to these demands isn’t exclusive to gin. Rum is in the middle of a reawakening and with so many variants on offer, the same consumer journey of exploration is there for the taking.

An essential behind any bar, regardless of cocktail ambitions, a white rum is a necessity for a classic rum and coke serve. It’s a staple but we’re now seeing the category pull consumers from the ‘safe’ ground of white rum into golden, spiced and dark variants too.

All about being more confident with your offering

Alongside this, consumers enjoy a plethora of versatile options and premium serves that rum provides. Not only a multifaceted spirit in terms of serve, but with four different sub-categories, with different country of origin to explore, there is also incredible wealth of style and flavour for consumers to investigate.  

Rum has been quietly growing over recent years as it neatly taps into the premium market. As the price tag on some aged spirits has increased, rum has become an accessible alternative for drinkers looking for adventurous and exotic flavour combinations.

More pubs and bars are stocking a much wider variety and it’s arguably no longer good enough to stock just a house or premium option. It’s all about going beyond the ‘standard’, and being stronger and more confident with your offering.

Consumers are comfortable exploring the gin category but may need more help with rum. At Crown Cellars we’ve created rum menus to allow licensees to talk up the category and share the story and flavour of each rum with their customers.

To help operators make the most of spirits and keep up-to-date with trends, Crown Cellars continually works with, and listens to, bartenders and works alongside pioneers in the bartending community, like the Thinking Drinkers, in order to create an accurate overview of the market.

The spirits market doesn’t stand still, so we’re excited to not only see what’s next for rum, but for spirits as a whole.

Related topics Spirits & Cocktails

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