One of the main goals of the Memphis Rum Club is to bring new and exciting rums to Memphis, and thanks to our retail and distribution partners, we have been seeing a lot of new releases hit Mid-South shelves in the last few months.

The Memphis Quarterly Market Report gives a snapshot of rum availability and rum-related news that has changed in the previous quarter of the calendar year.

We'll be highlighting new arrivals to the market, standout bottles on the shelves at our favorite retailers, call out single barrels that are available, and spotlight events at bars and restaurants.

News & Arrivals

Here we'll focus on exciting news and the arrival of rums/brands that previously were not available in our market.

Mary's B.O.T.E. Launched April 13

Although this would typically be in the On-Premise Spotlight section, I felt this was big enough news to share up front and center (even though it happened in Q2).

Mary's Bar of Tropical Escapism (or Mary's B.O.T.E. for short) is the Memphis bar for rum nerds, tropical drink enjoyers, people who like to have a good time, and well everyone and anyone in between. Co-owners Mary and Paul are industry veterans, who have been working hard getting all the details right for the opening of this new endeaver, while also keeping their other cocktail bar, Cameo, running smoothly.

After an initial announcement in September 2023, everybody was anticipating the opening date for the B.O.T.E., which finally came on April 13. I was out of town for the actual opening weekend, but I was invited to the friends & family preview the prior Saturday, and got to get a visit in before it opened.

Bar with a tropical motif, with bartenders making drinks
The bar team hard at work making cocktails
Bamboo-framed chalkboard reading 'Daiquiri of the Day'
Each day features a daiquiri with a different rum
Backbar with bottles and tropical themed mugs
The initial offering of rums features some tropical staples

I tried a Daiquiri and a Jet Pilot, as well as a flight of the Old Monk rums that Mary and Paul fought to get into the Memphis market. The menu will be familiar to those who frequented Cameo's Tropical Tuesdays, offering tiki and adjacent staples, with the team's unique twists. The rum selection started off with the basics, but grows literally weekly, bringing rums from all over the world to the back bar.

The decor is perfect– tropical, without being appropriating or kitsch, and features colored glass orbs, fisherman's netting, tropical plants all over the ceiling and walls. The bar itself was literally handcrafted by Paul himself, giving the personal touch and attention to detail that any authentic tropical bar needs.

I can't wait to keep coming back to see the menu and space evolve; this will certainly be the home of our Memphis Rum Club Nights meetups going forward, so keep an eye out for notifications on our Instagram or by becoming a member and receiving emails.

Store Selections

In lieu of listing every available bottle on Memphis shelves, this section highlights additions to different stores' rum selections throughout the past few months.

Joe's Wines & Liquor

  • Camazotz Oaxacan Rum

901 Wine & Spirits

  • Hampden Estate Great House 2023
  • Hampden Estate HLCF Classic
  • Hampden Estate Pagos
  • Camazotz Oaxacan Rum

Gaslight Wine & Spirits

  • Rolling Fork Lost Cask Barbados 17 year
  • Privateer Letter of Marque - Gaslight pick

Buster's Liquors & Wines

  • Gustoso Blanco
  • Gustoso Guarapo
  • Gustoso Aged
  • Bacardi 8 year Rye Cask Finish

Germantown Village Wine & Liquor

  • Bacardi 8 year Rye Cask Finish

Single Barrel Spotlight

We are currently lining up the next single barrel selection. In the meantime, there are still bottles from our previous single casks available; find the details below, including a link to the announcement post, and the retailer that carries each release: