Diageo has announced it has reached an agreement to acquire Don Papa Rum for an initial €260 million.

Since Devon-based husband-and-wife team Russ and Gemma Wakeham launched the carbon-negative Two Drifters rum in 2019, the brand has gone from strength to strength – despite not necessarily doing things the easy way.

Trois Frères Distillery, the makers of Takamaka Rum in the Seychelles, has announced that it is launching into Taiwan through boutique importer and distributor Bring The Rocks.

UK-based rum brand Two Drifters has announced its partnership with British Airways, where its Signature Rum is available to pre-purchase on all short and long-haul flights through the High Life Shop.

Big brand Bacardi tops the bestsellers for the fifth year in a row – and manages second on the trending list too.

As rum grows, diversification is inevitable. Clinton Cawood reports on the innovations in style.

Duppy Share Rum has announced it has secured £2m in investment as the UK-based brand turns its sights to the US. Drinks International caught up with founder George Frost.

After a week in Sugarlandia with Don Papa, Eleanor Yates explores the history and production of Filipino rum.

In the summer of 2020, after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin sparked protests and conversations about racism, Maison Ferrand announced it would be renaming Plantation rum, two years on and the name persists, Drinks International caught up with Alexandre Gabriel for the update.

Innovation in the category is aimed at attracting younger consumers, especially through cocktails.

Dominican rum producer Brugal has unveiled its newest and most exclusive expression to date, Andrés Brugal.

Over the last few years, Kuala Lumpur has emerged as a cocktail city to watch. Drinks International caught up with Divyesh Chauhan, co-founder and director of JungleBird, one of the bars putting Malaysia’s capital on the bartending map.

White rum has long been a star ingredient of cocktails and with consumers now demanding better quality drinks, it is ripe for premiumisation. 

On 1 July The Balvenie launched the latest in its Stories range, a 27-year-old single malt finished in Caroni rum casks, Drinks International caught up with brand ambassador Alwynne Gwilt to talk about the distillery's unique relationship with rum.

The West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers' Association (WIRSPA), a grouping of Caribbean rum producers, welcomed several new members at its annual general meeting (AGM).

Plantation Rum has announced the launch of a limited-edition bottling with all proceeds going to BudmoUA, a charity that delivers meals to those in need in Ukraine run by members of the country’s hospitality industry.

From the bartenders’ handshake cocktail to being sold in cans in supermarkets and restaurants, the negroni continues to dominate menus across the globe. Millie Milliken takes a closer look at the evolution of the Italian classic.

When it comes to the production of rhum agricole, terroir is key to quality. Oli dodd meets those at the forefront of this lesser-known spirits category.

The House of Angostura has launched its limited edition Angostura Zenith rum, joining its Private Cask Collection of mature rums.

Mount Gay has announced its Mount Gay Silver blend is the first rum to be Bonsucro certified in Barbados.

St. Lucia Distillers has launched its ‘spiritourism project’ the Saint Lucia Rum Experience, a continuation of development for the single rum distillery on the island.

Gǒng at Shangri-La The Shard, London, has partnered with Diplomático Rum and Canaïma Gin this summer, two sustainable, smallbatch Latin American spirits brands.

To celebrate Earth Month, Flor de Caña, a carbon neutral and Fair Trade certified rum, is launching a year-long, global reforestation campaign that aims to ensure a greener future for generations to come.

Puerto Rican rum producer, Distillería Serrallés has launched its portfolio of aged Don Q Rums in the UK and European markets.

Cuban rum brand Ron Santiago de Cuba has announced the appointment of Antonio Naranjo as new global brand ambassador.

Bacardi has announced that it will be extending the availability of its bottled cocktails range, Tails, to the off-trade.

Last year’s launch of Panther M*lk, a vegan oat milk RTD made with gin, rum, brandy and overproof spiced rum, shows just how quickly the pre-mixed cocktail industry has evolved since the days of mediocre Gin & Tonics.

Panther M*lk, the world’s first ready to drink alcohol cocktail made from oat milk, spirits and liqueurs, has launched in the UK in two flavours.

The usual crowd have populated this year’s bestselling rum list. In fact, nine of the 10 brands remain a constant, with the first seven in the ranking identical to the previous year. 

Tidal Rum aims to raise at least £150,000 after launching an equity crowdfunding campaign on the Seedrs platform.

RumFest will return in person with a real life event for 2021 taking place between 15-17th October in London.

Diageo Australia has announced the nationwide launch of Reeftip Drinks Co., a spiced rum RTD brand that will donate 10 per cent of profits towards regenerating the Great Barrier Reef.

Foursquare Distillery icon Richard Seale talks about his career and recent achiements with Oli Dodd.

Geographical Indicators (GIs) are a hot topic in the global spirits industry, particularly in the Caribbean. Shay Waterworth investigates.

Black Tot Rum has announced the launched of its second annual limited edition expression Master Blender’s Reserve which will be available from Black Tot Day, 31 July.

Foursquare Distillery in Barbados has won the coveted International Spirits Challenge 2021 Supreme Champion award for its Redoubtable 14 Year Old rum.

Edrington has reported that pre-tax profit decreased 21% year-on-year to £178.4 million for the year ending 31 March 2021.

Havana Club has unveiled the sixth instalment in its prestigious Tributo series of limited-edition rums.

Shay Waterworth talks to brothers Bernard and Richard d’Offay about their Takamaka rum brand as it hits the ripe age of 20.

Flor de Caña has pledged to plant more than one million trees by 2025 through its own annual reforestation program called ‘Together for a Greener Future’.

Equiano Rum founder Ian Burrell believes the recent launch of Equiano Light will further open up the brand to the global on-trade.

Rhum Barbancourt, a family-owned distillery established in 1862, has entered a new distribution deal with MONARQ Group for Latin American and the Caribbean as well as duty free in the US.

Jura single malt whisky has launched a new rum cask finish as the latest member of the Jura Cask Editions.

Havana Club has launched a Cuban Spiced variant in a bid to bring more millennial and Generation Z consumers into the rum category.

Spanish company Beveland Distillers has launched a new range of cuban rums called Doble 9 which consists of a blanco, añejo, gran reserva ad 15-year-old.

Caribbean rum producers have joined forces with French group CIRT-DOM, to help get the best deal for their exports into major markets including the European Union.

Moët Hennessy has launched Cuban rum brand Eminente in the UK, France, Germany and the Czech Republic.

The US spirits industry has applauded the UK’s decision to suspend retaliatory tariffs on American rum, brandy and vodka once it leaves the EU on January 1.

Appleton Estate has launched its Hearts Collection, a limited-release of three pot-still rums aged between 21-26 years.

UK-based cigar and whisky merchant C.Gars has become the exclusive importer and distributor for Key West First Legal Rum for the UK and EU.