WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Our 2023 Spirits Awards showed that rum is no longer seen as a value spirit, consumers are increasingly willing to pay more for high-quality rums. The IWSC has seen increasing numbers of premium and super-premium rum enter its awards. The range of styles of rums we are seeing is developing too, with distilleries experimenting with new flavours, production methods, and ageing techniques.
The 2023 was a year of rum at the IWSC Awards. We kickstarted the year announcing Richard Seale, CEO and master distiller of Foursquare Rum, as our 2023 industry champion, reinforcing the message of the ongoing rum renaissance. Working closely with Richard, we launched our Barbados Rum bursary – sponsoring a talented spirits communicator to attend Barbados Rum Experience. Moreover, our 2024 Spirits Communicator trophy has been awarded to Ian Burrell, an internationally recognised Rum Ambassador and our Head Judge for the Rum category.
Sponsored by Franklin & Sons - pioneers of top quality drinks and mixers since 1886, we created our Mixer Awards to crown the world's best spirits and mixer pairings.
If you are submitting rum to our judging, you can also enter your bottles into our Mixer Awards. The judges will be selecting the best rum & tonic and, new to 2024, the best rum & cola.