Forget Old Monk! These 7 New Indian Rums Are A Worthy Addition To Your Bar

What is your first memory of alcohol? If you grew up in India anywhere between the 80s and the early aughts, it most likely involved a bottle of Old Monk. The cheapest available spirit in most places, drinking it with Coke was almost a rite of passage for most Gen X-ers and millennials. It probably wasn¡¯t a pleasant memory either. According to my informal survey, most friends and colleagues confessed to throwing up right after their inaugural Old Monk and Coke cocktail.

The ubiquity of Old Monk aside, in the past couple of years, the Indian rum scene has heated up ¨C though probably not at the same pace as Indian whisky and gin, both of which have truly proliferated. These newly launched spirits can be classified in brand new categories that are a far cry from your college cocktail, like spiced rums, caf¨¦ rums, and even barrel-aged rums.

Most of this has become possible because new producers are doing away with old-school methods of making rum that were considered dubious by purists. Indeed, for a time, molasses ¨C the main ingredient required to make rum ¨C were mixed with artificial flavours and colours that diluted the true beauty of the spirit. These added flavours were used to mask the sharp tang of molasses. And this is also why most people associate rum with terrible hangovers, which nearly sounded the death knell of the rum industry in India.

Courtesy: Mesma Barrel Aged Rum

Now, with so many new types of homegrown rums in the market, attempting to create world-class products using natural ingredients, it¡¯s only a matter of time before Indian rums take their rightful place in the world of spirits.

Here are seven indigenous Indian rums, not including Old Monk, to kickstart your journey.

1. Camikara

The very first rum on the list is probably the smoothest of them all. That¡¯s because Camikara, India¡¯s first pure cane juice rum (where others are made with molasses, or sugarcane waste), has been barrel-aged for an astonishing 12 years at parent company Piccadilly Distilleries¡¯ warehouse in North India. The limited edition rum can give any whisky a run for its money. As you sip this delicious expression, it leaves an excellent fruit and spice mix on the palate that gives way to sweet banana and caramel notes. Camikara became the first Indian rum to win a gold at the International Wines and Spirits Competition (IWSC) in April this year with a score of 95 points. Camikara has no added sugar, colour, caramel, or flavours, with all of its notes coming from the American oak barrels in which it has been resting for a dozen years. It remains one of the best rums I¡¯ve ever tasted. The spirit is sold out in India, but you can find it in some stores in Haryana.

Price: ?5,800 (Haryana)

2. Earth Spiced Rum

Earth Spiced Rum is produced in Goa, and luckily, does not taste too spicy. Which is a relief, considering the potential for a spicy rum to fail is high. Rum is a high-proof spirit, evidenced by the burning in your throat, especially when you sip it neat. That, combined with a prominent spice quotient could well have made the spirit unpalatable. Instead, Earth Spiced Rum, even with its generous addition of cloves, cinnamon and peppers, manages to elicit notes of chocolate and vanilla. The makers state that they wish to wean people away from the habit of drinking rum with Coke, to trying the spirit with different mixers such as sodas. Globally, Ashanti is one of the best-known spiced rums, but this Indian spirit could be a great addition to your experimental bar set-up.

Price: ?1,350 for 700ml (Goa)

3. Short Story Rum

Courtesy: Short Story Rum

Launched late last year by Third Eye Distillery, the same company that also makes Stranger & Sons Gin, Short Story Rum is part of the company¡¯s portfolio of white spirits that also has a gin and vodka under the same brand name. However, it¡¯s the rum that stands apart from the others, thanks to the blend of three different spirits from the Caribbean ¨C a Jamaican rum along with cask-aged Trinidadian and Dominican rums. I love Short Story¡¯s smoothness as much as I love the fact that it allows you to enjoy three different spirits in one. You can taste the sweetness of the molasses, but there¡¯s enough complexity from the other rums to keep things interesting on the palate. It is also great value for money.

Price: ?1,950 for 750ml (Mumbai)

4. Mesma Barrel Aged Rum

Mesma is a limited-edition rum by Stilldistilling Spirits, the same group that launched Maka Zai Rum. Launched early this year, Mesma has been barrel-aged in multiple casks for five years and is versatile enough to be a sipping rum with a splash of water, as well as a pouring rum if you¡¯re making dark daiquiris or a Dark and Stormy. The company has produced just 600 bottles of this special rum (since the barrel could only hold so much liquid). Mesma, meaning mesmerising, is a worthy addition to your home bar with its sweet, citrusy notes, and a coffee-vanilla finish that is a sheer delight to pour over an extended period of time. Mesma is my favourite rum of 2023 thus far.

Price: ?3,600 for 750ml (Goa)

5. Rock Paper Rum Coastal White

Courtesy: Rock Paper Rum Coastal White

A play on the classic game of rock, paper, scissors, this triple-distilled rum from Mumbai has some surprisingly oaky and woody notes for a white rum. Made with locally sourced sugarcane and botanicals, this small-batch rum is a must try for those who love white rum. It can be had neat but the rum really shines when it comes to making cocktails, be it a mojito or a daiquiri. A quality white rum at an affordable price point is an added bonus.

Price: ?1,350 for 750ml, ?340 for 180ml, ?175 for 90ml (Mumbai)

6. Segredo Aldeia Caf¨¦ Rum

Two of the best brown beverages in the world have to be rum and coffee but when you combine them, the results are truly spectacular as Segredo Aldeia Caf¨¦ Rum shows. Made by Goa-based Fullarton Distillery, the Caf¨¦ Rum variant is made with sugarcane and jaggery. It contains just enough hint of coffee to draw you in, while notes of tobacco, leather, and dark chocolate continue to linger. I have a particular fondness for this rum that is neither a sweet coffee liqueur nor a strong dark rum but the perfect balance between both.

Price: ?3,050 for 750ml (Mumbai)

7. Alejandro Rum

Courtesy: Alejandro Rum

Goa-based Adinco Distillery¡¯s latest rum pays homage to ¡°ukde tandel¡±, a heritage Goan rice varietal. With cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla notes, Alejandro has a slightly sweet finish backed by ukde tandel that gives it a distinct flavour profile, compared to any other rum in the market, Indian or otherwise. If you¡¯re bored of tasting the same sweet molasses spirit in rums, Alejandro will quickly change that perception with its strong-bodied yet mellow spirit.

Price: ?1,350 (Goa) and ?1,750 (Mumbai) for 750ml

With so many exciting Indian rums on offer, the only question is: Do you still want to keep drinking Old Monk?