After more than 320 years of rum-making, Mount Gay is making a bold move into one of the UK’s fastest-growing spirits segments with the launch of Bajan Spiced — and it’s aiming to do more than just join the party.
The Barbados-born distillery is stepping into a category that already dominates rum sales in the UK, driven by younger drinkers and a growing appetite for flavour-led serves. With Bajan Spiced, Mount Gay is blending its heritage with a sharper, more modern proposition designed to stand out in an increasingly crowded space.
The rollout is built for scale from the outset. Landing in Tesco from the second half of April, with further national listings to follow, the launch gives Mount Gay immediate reach across the grocery channel — and a strong platform to compete.
At £25 RRP, Bajan Spiced taps into the sweet spot of premiumisation without losing accessibility. It’s a deliberate play at a moment when consumers are trading up but still expect versatility, whether that’s for simple serves at home or more elevated cocktails in bars.
“With Bajan Spiced, we wanted to capture the vibrant spirit of Barbados in every bottle,” said Master Blender, Trudiann Branker. “Our focus was on creating a rich and unique blend of locally inspired ingredients, from the warmth of Barbadian ginger to the brightness of zesty grapefruit. The result is a smooth, approachable spiced rum-based spirit drink with a complexity and character you won’t find anywhere else.”
That flavour story leans heavily into authenticity, combining Mount Gay’s classic rum base with 100% natural ingredients including fresh orange peel, red grapefruit and locally sourced ginger. It’s designed to shine in signature serves like the Spiced ’N’ Stormy, giving consumers an easy entry point into the brand while reinforcing its cocktail credentials.
For Rémy Cointreau, which owns Mount Gay, the launch signals a bigger ambition than just range extension — it’s about raising the bar for the entire segment.
“This launch marks an exciting and significant step in evolving both the Mount Gay portfolio and wider spiced category,” said Nick Ganich, Marketing Director. “While the segment is large and has seen strong growth, we see a clear opportunity to elevate it further through Mount Gay’s craftsmanship, authenticity and unique Barbadian flavours. Building on Mount Gay’s success in non-spiced golden rum, Bajan Spiced now extends the refined, premium approach to the Spiced segment, and we’re confident it will help bring new drinkers into the category.”
To back the launch, Mount Gay is going all in on visibility, from retail and paid media to influencer partnerships, alongside a major experiential push at Taste of London, where it plans to bring a slice of Barbados to tens of thousands of consumers this summer.
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