Scottish spiced rum start-up eyes 'rumnaissance’ after cheering sales milestone

A spiced rum start-up is looking to emulate the gin success of recent years after selling its 1,000th bottle.

Already being courted by potential investors and acquirers, the trio behind Brass Neck – which is distilled in Scotland and not imported from the Caribbean – hope to play a defining role in establishing the country as a new centre of global rum production.

Hailing the milestone sale of the 1,000th bottle, company co-founder Freddy Drucquer said: “Scotland has an incredible distilling heritage thanks to whisky and in the past ten years Scotland has also come to make its mark on the gin scene. With those credentials, we believe it is likely to become a new centre for rum production, with huge economic potential.

“All the signs point to a ‘rumnaissance’ that could be even bigger than what we have seen with the resurgence of gin.

Sales have mainly come via the firm’s website, but the drink is also being sold by premium spirit distributor Huffmans of Perth.

“In less than a decade gin distilling has become a hugely successful, standalone, multi-million-pound industry for Scotland. That same potential – or even bigger – exists for rum.”

Sales have mainly come via the firm’s website, but the drink is also being sold by premium spirit distributor Huffmans of Perth.

Drucquer and his co-founders Dougie Jeffries and Chris Dowdall are in “advanced discussions” with an international distributor which would see their rum gain a presence in both the US and Europe. They are also said to have an Amazon Prime offering in the works.

After partnering with Strathearn Distillery in Perthshire, the three rum aficionados tested and developed the recipe until it was perfected. It includes exotic ingredients like tonka beans and cacao nibs as well as orange peel, tempered with “distinctively Scottish botanicals” including nettles and milk thistles.

Drucquer added: “There are now at least 25 serious rum brands in Scotland, which is another sign of how rum is mirroring the explosion we saw in gin production a few years ago. What’s great about all of these different brands is that they are a real community

“We’ve got to know most of them and they are really passionate about rum just as we are.”

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