O'Hara's Spiced Rum targets young adults in premium on-trade

By Tara Craig

Published: 14 August, 2013

New to the UK market following a soft launch in South Yorkshire, O'Hara's Spiced Rum is a mixture of unaged, three and five-year-old Guyana rums and a five-year-old Trinidad and Tobago rum.

It is blended in Amsterdam before arriving in the UK for spicing, flavouring and distribution. Flavourings include vanilla, lime, cinnamon, cloves and a further, secret, mix of spices.

The new rum is aimed at 18-29 year olds, but Sheffield-based owners Andy O'Hara and Adrian Keogh have reported "'excellent feedback across all ranges". It will retail at £22-£25 per bottle and has been designed as an on-trade product, working well both as a straight drink and as a component in cocktails such as Espresso Martinis and iced tea.

"It goes fantastically well in cocktails, bringing a distinctive and complex taste, however a good percentage of volume is being consumed straight as a shot or over ice," said Keogh.

O'Hara's Spiced Rum was 18 months in development, with O'Hara and Keogh calling on flavour consultants from Sheffield Hallam University for help.

The rum's routes to market are numerous and varied, said Keogh.

"We are working in a few different manners - with promotions companies, pub companies, hotel chains, distributors and wholesalers," he said, adding that the rum will be introduced to "to bars such as Novus Leisure and various other popular spots around central London".

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