A great debate has opened on the reputation and valuation of rum. Experts Nate Brown and Sly Agustin discussed the subject. Via Imbibe.
Imbibe magazine organized a discussion with experts Sly Agustin (Trailer Happiness) and Nate Brown (Merchant House) about rum and its reputation. It all started with Nate Brown’s opinion column Will the real rum spirit please stand up?. In it Brown believes that the rum boom brings with it confusion about its true reputation and that in part, the Tiki tendency is to blame, among other factors, which do not allow a proper promotion of premium rum.
Sly Agustin was happy to debate these comments, rejecting above all Brown’s opinion about the influence of the Tiki trend and how it devalues rum. Brown, for his part, replies that “the leaders of rum and the most important brands continue to focus on escapism and wellness factors, which (perhaps inadvertently) lower perceptions and do not do enough to promote a market for premium rum.
Finally, the debate focused on rum prices, and that on the one hand, both parties agree that a bottle should not cost prices of 30 000 or 300 000 pounds. But if a premium rum has a history and a legacy, paying more for a cocktail or a bottle is the right thing to do.
In short, rum is undervalued due to low it is priced. The debate therefore remains open to find a solution to this problem and at what price rum should be set, but at what cost does this come?
Don’t drink and drive. Enjoy responsibly.