Nicaraguan rum brand Flor de Caña is celebrating substantial growth of the brand in Australia as appreciation of the premium spirit grows.

Brand Ambassador for Australia, New Zealand & Japan Mitch Townsend said: “We are seeing a rise in the premium rum category globally, particularly in Australia, I believe people are much more conscious of what is in their glass, and we have the tenor and credentials to back ourselves!”

The brand recently held its Sustainable Cocktail Challenge, with the aim of growing its presence further in the on premise while also contributing to raising awareness of sustainability in bars.

Flor de Caña is a sustainably crafted premium rum that is Carbon Neutral & Fair Trade certified. Created an 1890 family estate, it’s distilled with 100% renewable energy and naturally aged at the base of an active volcano without sugar or artificial ingredients.

The brand is recognised as a global leader in sustainability, receiving distinctions such as “Green Distillery of the Year” (Caribbean), “Ethical Award” (UK) and “Green Award” (Hong Kong).

Townsend said APAC was the leading market for the Sustainable Cocktail Challenge, being responsible for over 50% of entries.

Andrea Marseglia from Teresa Cocktail Bar, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand was recently named ANZ’s Most Sustainable Bartender in this year’s challenge.

Hosted at Door Knock in Sydney by Townsend, the live finals featured a panel of expert judges including Natalie Ng, Evan Stroeve, and Priscilla Leong who tasted a line-up of sustainable drinks from regional winning bartenders.

The winning cocktail, L.O.C.A.L stands for Land of Change, Adapt & Learn, and celebrates Flor de Caña’s historic commitment to sustainability and inspires the industry to adapt to new habits.

To create the L.O.C.A.L cocktail, Marseglia sourced left-over food products from local charities and his community to upcycle their potential waste for good. With a base of Flor de Caña 12 Year Rum, Marseglia added cocoa husk and Single Vineyard Syrah verjuice made from grapes given to him from a local winemaker, foraged local dandelion and mallow root.

Once made, the cocktail was poured into beeswax cups made by Hohepa, a not-for-profit organisation supporting people with intellectual disabilities through vocational programmes and creative workshops.

His final touch was a QR code link that gave the opportunity to see the exact location of where the ingredients were sourced: https://www.localfdc.site/.

Marseglia said: “It’s crucial for our community to actively minimise waste and incorporate eco-friendly practices whenever feasible. Flor de Caña’s Sustainable Cocktail Challenge is such a fantastic initiative that spreads the word and encourages others to get creative when it comes to reducing food waste in bars.”

Marseglia will travel to Nicaragua in February 2024 to complete alongside some of the best global bartenders to win the title of World’s Most Sustainable Bartender.

Explosive growth fuels rum renaissance