For the seventh year running, Bacardi has topped the rum bestsellers list. As the house pour in 20% of bars polled, the Bermudan giant has proved its position as a powerhouse in hospitality.
Having been in competition for the second spot, Havana Club has affirmed its staying power as the second bestselling rum, ranking as such for another year running. The Pernod Ricard-owned spirit was the house pour in 15% of bars polled, and the top-three rum in 34%. It was this across-the-board performance that ultimately tipped it over in holding its position.
Following was Maison Ferrand’s Planteray as the third-bestselling rum, a top-three in 30% of bars polled. The brand further triumphed as the top trending rum for 2025, indicating the positive reception for its new identity.
Fourth-bestselling Appleton Estate moved up from its 2024 ranking, with 18% of bars declaring it a top-three pour. The Jamaican rum was followed by Brown-Forman’s Diplomático while LVMH’s Eminente made the list for 2025.
Geographically, the Caribbean remains the most popular destination for rums in the world’s top bars, with seven of the top-10 bestsellers being produced in the region.
How we did it
To collect the data we curate a 100-strong sample of bars from an even geographical split which have featured in recent editions of The Word’s 50 Best Bars (1-100) and Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards, plus regional awards such as North America and Asia’s 50 Best Bars and national awards such as the Class Bar Awards. To ensure the best global coverage, about 5% of the 100 were ‘editor’s picks’ – highly rated bars in regions less represented to assure a truly global data pool reflective of the current bar industry.
Of course, the panel rotates each year to not only ensure a fair and accurate set of results, but represent the current geography of the industry’s best bars year on year.
As part of the survey, we ask each bar owner or head bartender to revise their sales spreadsheets and rank the three bestselling products in each spirit, beer, wine and mixer category. A bestselling brand, even in the best bars in the world, earns its place on more than taste, so we also wanted to know the brands that are not necessarily doing huge volumes but are on trend. This is where the trending lists come in. Within these tables are the brands customers are increasingly asking for, perhaps because of word of mouth or even on bartenders’ recommendations. Often the brands that figure highly in the trending list move on to the bestselling list the following year, as curiosity and excitement transition to weight of sales.
To view the page-turner edition of the Brands Report click here.
The Brands Report will be serialised on drinksint.com throughout January.
