This season, Indian rum enthusiasts should explore a diverse selection of premium options that highlight the country’s burgeoning rum industry. Start with those offering a sophisticated blend of spices and caramel, delivering a rich and smooth finish. Consider trying rums with refined sweetness complemented by vanilla and oak notes, which provide a luxurious drinking experience. For a unique twist, look for options infused with tropical fruit flavors and dark chocolate undertones, adding a complex layer of taste. Some rums feature a robust profile with a spicy kick, while others combine traditional methods with modern techniques to offer a balanced and versatile flavor. Finally, seek out those with a smooth texture and well-rounded character, ideal for enjoying neat or cocktails.
From Himalayan waters to sugarcanes from Western Ghats, we’ve got distillers and blenders experimenting generously to place Indian Rum expressions on the global map. With the alcohol industry growing bigger and better, here are 7 must-have Indian rum brands to pick this season!
Camikara Rum
Translating to ‘Liquid Gold’ in Sanskrit, Camikara boasts its place as the first Indian pure-cane juice rum. Camikara Rum is among India’s premium rum offerings from Piccadilly, which is the first distillery in India to make rum without molasses. Their aged expressions had recently become the only Indian brand to win gold awards at the Rum & Cachaça Masters 2024 competition.
Available approximately at Rs 6,200.
Eekh
Eekh Rum is the result of their founder Abijeet’s search for a sugarcane-based spirit and Simran’s dislike towards artificially sweetened rums. Together they crafted a product that is pure spirit with zero added sugars or flavorings to it. Speaking of their spirit, Simran had said that “We only use water to liquefy our spirit, ensuring it remains 100% pure cane spirit.”
Produced by Madhushala Beverages Private Limited, the luxury product is available for purchase in Goa at a pricing of Rs 3,650/-.
Idaaya
To create a premium rum that’s proudly Indian, Karishma Bedi distilled Idaaya in the small town of Samba in Jammu. Idaaya’s rum is aged in Panama for 12 years and blended with Indian molasses spirit in Jammu. The rum holds a double gold from the Sip Awards 2024 and is truly an artisanal experiment that you should have on your list of rum purchases.
From Rs 7,500. Idaaya is currently available at Duty-Frees in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.
Wise Monkey Indian Spiced Rum
The first-ever Indian rum to have won the gold award at London Spirits Competitions, Wise Monkey Rum is a find that you wish you had bought to your shelves sooner. Boasting the absence of artificial flavor additives, their Indian Spiced Rum is a molasses-based spirit with an all-natural infusion of Indian spices.
Starting from Rs 1,390, Wise Monkey Indian Spiced Rum is currently available at Delhi Duty-Free, with plans to soon launch across Hyderabad and Bangalore Duty Frees.
Maka Zai
Kasturi Banerjee had described Maka Zai as a representation of what Stilldistilling Spirits want for their consumers – “delicious, quality rum that’s worth their time and money”. Hence the name Maka Zai, which means ‘I want’ in Konkani. The completely homegrown brand, is blended and distilled in Goa and comes in two editions – The Bartender Edition White Rum and the Tribute Edition Gold Rum. Distilled with sugarcane grown around Maharashtra’s Panchganga river, the rum picks up the influence of the red soil and offers a taste familiar and cherished in India.
It’s available for purchase in Goa at a pricing between Rs 1,000 – 1,300.
Sitara
From the creators of Samsara Gin, comes the Sitara Botanical Spiced Rum. Blending in column and pot-distilled Indian Rums and matured with a range of botanicals, it offers a distinctly Indian flavor profile that is perfect to sip on. It also carries the essence of the sugarcanes specially sourced from the Deccan Plateau and Western Ghats terroir.
Produced by Spaceman Spirits Lab Private Limited, Sitara Rums are available at Rs 1,200 – 1,350.
Amrut Two Indies Rum
From India’s first distiller of single malt whiskey comes a uniquely blended rum – Amrut Two Indies. Produced in Bengaluru, Amrut is made with distillates from India and West Indies. The premium offering captures India’s flavors with its matured rum made from Indian jaggery. Crafted as a tribute to farmers from both Rum-producing cultures of the West and East Indies, Amrut boasts of being an all-natural Rum.
Available at Delhi Duty-Free starting from a price of Rs 1,790.
With a new generation of adventurous drinkers seeking newer experiences, we’ve got a range of homegrown brands that embrace the finer nuances of the sugarcane spirit. So, the next time you’re wondering which Rum to pick, we’ve got some must-haves right back at our home ground.
