Overview: The rum category is undergoing a significant transformation as mixologists across the United States move beyond traditional caricature-style tiki drinks toward sophisticated, less-sweet flavor pairings. Venues in New Orleans, Brooklyn, Miami, and Atlanta are leading this charge by highlighting terroir and production styles that emphasize the spirit’s nuances over simple sugar delivery systems.
The Full Story
Mixologists are ready for rum-based cocktails to have their moment at the bar, with a distinct shift in consumer perception driving the trend. Christopher Lowder, beverage director at The Shelborne By Proper hotel in Miami, notes that for a long time, rum cocktails were viewed as sugar delivery systems where the spirit itself did not matter. That dynamic has completely changed, with guests now paying attention to the spirit rather than just the fruit and juice surrounding it. This evolution mirrors the rise of Tequila, which trained people to appreciate complexity in clear spirits, and the curiosity is following them to other categories.
Tom Roughton, owner of Casanara in Brooklyn, New York, has been trying to get people to drink rum for over a decade now. He believes the trick was opening a Caribbean-inspired bar with over 40 rums on the shelf and four to five rum drinks on the menu. At Salon Salon at the Maison Métier hotel in New Orleans, the Green Thumb cocktail features Oxbow Small Batch White rum mixed with green melon and corn liqueurs, lime juice, house-made pineapple syrup, and fresh cilantro. Meanwhile, Gabe Bowen, co-owner and beverage director at El Malo in Atlanta, views rum as an underdog that is pushing for its time to shine.
The Shelborne By Proper hotel in Miami showcases contemporary tiki-inspired drinks like the Ginger Yuzu Swizzle. At El Malo, the Daiquiri Con Coco uses Oxbow Rhum Louisiane unaged agricole, Rhum Clément Mahina Coco coconut liqueur, lime juice, rich simple syrup, and saline, served in a glass rimmed with house-made toasted coconut and sugar powder. Christopher Lowder adds that rum is especially popular in Miami but he’s seeing greater interest in the spirit everywhere. He notes it is approachable, has incredible diversity, and overdelivers for the price—you can find world-class rum at a fraction of the cost of comparable whisk(e)y or Tequila.
Gabe Bowen shares the belief that the hard work of bartenders across the country and across the world has had a hand in changing rum’s reputation. He notes that when he and his business partner Omar Ferrer opened El Malo, they wanted to create a modern rum bar that highlights the spirit beyond the expected tiki cocktails. At Baleia in Boston, bartender Colin Delaney’s Djarum Daiquiri blends Ten To One Caribbean White rum, Xicaru mezcal, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, a house-made Lemon Hart 151 rum-based ginger and clove cordial, lime juice, and Fee Brothers Turkish Tobacco bitters. At Sugar Monk in New York City, head bartender Yordi Coyotecatl’s Lemongrass Daiquiri comprises equal parts Ten To One Caribbean White rum, Atheras Spirits Hierba Luisa lemongrass liqueur, and lime juice, plus demerara syrup.
At Casanara, Roughton’s Brown-Eyed Bombshell is tiki-inspired but still modern, featuring Holmes Cay Réunion Island Rum Traditionnel, Faccia Brutto Plantia fernet, John D. Taylor’s velvet falernum, Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 Formula orgeat, and lime juice, topped with DIFEBOfresh grated nutmeg. At the Shelborne by Proper, several of Lowder’s rum-based cocktails are similarly influenced by tiki culture through a contemporary lens. At the hotel’s The Bar, his Ginger Yuzu Swizzle comprises Bacardi Reserva Ocho rum; yuzu, lime, and orange juices; Liquid Alchemist Ginger syrup; and Angostura bitters, topped with fresh mint.
El Malo in Atlanta is focused on making sure rum gets its time in the spotlight. The bar’s Daiquiri Con Coco is a high-end take on the classic tiki drink, while the Yuzu Highball showcases the versatility of aged rum. At Salon Salon, the Green Thumb is a unique mix of Oxbow Small Batch White rum, Gabriel Boudier Crème de Melon Vert green melon liqueur, Nixta Licor de Elote corn liqueur, lime juice, house-made pineapple syrup, and fresh cilantro, while the Banana Negroni is a rum-based take on the spirit-forward classic featuring equal parts Hamilton 86 rum, Pairidaēza Crèmede Banane banana liqueur, and Campari aperitif.
Rum works beautifully with citrus, tropical fruit, spice, and herbal flavors like mint, but it also holds up in more spirit-forward formats. At The Shelborne By Proper’s Pauline restaurant, Lowder’s Lowtide Tonic blends Rhum J.M Agricole Blanc, Lustau Fino Sherry, Liquid Alchemist Falernum syrup, grapefruit and limes juices, fresh mint, and Fever-Tree tonic water, topped with fresh mint and grapefruit. His Young Lassi comprises Santa Teresa 1796 rum, Lustau Brandy de Jerez, Giffard Apricot liqueur, lime juice, house-made lime leaf honey syrup, kefir, and coconut cream, topped with fresh mint, an edible flower, grated nutmeg, and bee pollen.
Production & Profile
Oxbow Small Batch White rum and Oxbow Rhum Louisiane unaged agricole are central to the modern movement in Louisiana. The product is still accessible from a price standpoint, yet it features consistent, high-quality, flavorful rum produced by a full sugar mill. This allows distilleries to work with both fresh cane juice and Grade A molasses sourced locally. There are only a handful of distilleries globally that can do that, especially while also aging in Louisiana heat using charred new American oak.
The spirit is produced all over the world, in completely different ways, yet it all comes from sugarcane, whether that is juice, syrup, or molasses. Bartenders are exploring the fruity, funky esters of Jamaica or the intensity of wild fermentations in Haitian clairin. At Baleia, Colin Delaney notes that rum can be clean and light, great for a classic Daiquiri on a patio, while others bring intensity and body and can easily replace whisk(e)y in an Old Fashioned or Manhattan. The Madeira de Deus focuses on one specific rum, Worthy Park 10-year-old Madeira Cask, and the influence of the Portuguese fortified wine Madeira.
Brand & Industry History
Tiki culture has had an undeniable impact on rum cocktails. Today, many bartenders are looking at tiki through a contemporary lens, such as with the Ginger Yuzu Swizzle at the Shelborne by Proper hotel in Miami. Rum has often been pigeonholed into a caricature of its true potential. It is arguably the most diverse spirit in the world, yet it is still commonly associated with overly fruity cocktails. What is being seen now—both here and at other bars globally—is a shift toward less sweet flavor pairings, with a stronger focus on showcasing the nuances of different production styles and regions.
The industry is moving from viewing rum as a sugar delivery system to a complex spirit where terroir and production styles are the primary focus. This growth in rum interest is being driven by consumer curiosity similar to the rise of Tequila and Mezcal, with bartenders highlighting rum’s diversity and value compared to whiskey. Tom Roughton notes that people have become aware of this in Tequila and mezcal and think the curiosity is following them to other categories. The hard work of bartenders across the country and across the world has had a hand in changing rum’s reputation for the better.
What This Means
The category is evolving toward sophisticated, less-sweet flavor pairings that emphasize the spirit’s nuances and production diversity over traditional, caricature-style tiki drinks. Looking ahead, bartenders are hopeful about rum’s future at the bar. Rensel Cabrera believes people will drink fewer sweet rum cocktails and really treat rum as a premium base spirit, enjoying it in cocktails that highlight the spirit itself. Gabe Bowen believes that knowledge of rum’s versatility in cocktails will continue to spread.
Once more people catch on, it is only a matter of time before modern rum cocktails become standard on every menu. Mark Bystrom notes that here in New Orleans, the Northernmost Caribbean city, they have learned that rum goes with everything: sours, spirit-forward drinks, and more. It is expected to continue gaining ground as people travel more and explore different cultures. It is a category with deep history and a lot of personality, and that resonates with modern drinkers.
Consumer Takeaway
This bottle or news offers the drinker access to a spirit that holds so much character—some are clean and light, great for a classic Daiquiri on a patio, while others bring intensity and body. With the right rum shelf, consumers can use rum to add all kinds of flavors to their drinks, including earthy, funky, grassy, aromatic, woody, and yes, even sweet and spiced. The world is the oyster with rum, offering everything from light and crisp to rich and complex depending on the brand being used.
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