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.

More Direct-to-Consumer Rum Options

While I want to primarily support our local brick-and-mortar stores in Memphis, sometimes they simply don't have a particular brand. Nationwide shipping of spirits directly to consumers is still hampered by a patchwork of state and federal laws, but a few brands have recently launched online stores that can sell direct-to-consumer (DTC).

Independent bottlers (IB) Rolling Fork and Holmes Cay join Grander Rum and Coconut Cartel in the growing list of brands I've found that not only offer DTC sales, but specifically sales to Tennessee addresses! Previously, Raising Glasses and Down Island Spirits were the two brands I knew of that shipped directly to consumers in TN.

That said, I know Rolling Fork, Holmes Cay, and Grander are all available in different stores in Memphis and the Mid-South, so I would first ask your favorite local store owner if they can place a special order for something you'd like.

Chairman's Reserve Coming to Memphis

In more exciting news, Memphis is about to welcome its first rum brand from St. Lucia! Chairman's Reserve was created in 1999 by the "Chairman" of St. Lucia Distillers (or "SLD"), Laurie Bernard. That same year, SLD was purchased by Group Bernard Hayot– a French conglomerate– and today is managed by their spirits subsidiary, Spiribam.

The brand offers a number of rum expressions, each a blend of rums produced using SLD's pot, hybrid, or Coffey column stills. Memphis will be getting the Original, Spiced, Legacy, and 1931 bottles at launch. Visit the Chairman's Reserve website to learn more about the brand and the rum.

I am super excited that Chairman's Reserve will be on shelves and backbars soon; it's been a goal of mine to work with Spiribam's Southeast rep on bringing Chairman's to Memphis. In fact, we are working to create a brand launch party in the coming months; so stay tuned for more info!

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

  • Hamilton 151
  • Hamilton Pot Still Black
  • Myer's Rum Single Barrel
  • Old Monk
  • Old Monk Supreme
  • Plantation Panama 2012 Single Barrel
  • Privateer Bottled in Bond
  • Privateer Queen's Share 4 year
  • SelvaRey White

901 Wine & Spirits

  • Angostura 7 year
  • Grander Port Cask 10 year
  • Koloa Dark Hawaiian Rum

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:

On-Premise Spotlight

This section is dedicated to events or themed nights at bars and restaurants that feature rum, rum cocktails, or rum education.

Come Celebrate National Rum Day at Mary's B.O.T.E. on August 16!

This Friday, August 16, is National Rum Day, and Mary's B.O.T.E. is the place to be in Memphis for the festivities. Liba Spirits will be in the house, and the folks behind the bar will have a special menu featuring their bottles, including Liba's Lafcadio Botanical Rum!

The Memphis Rum Club will be joining the party to celebrate, so plan to come out and have a drink with your fellow Mid-South rum enthusiasts. You can join the club to get email updates about events like these; otherwise, keep an eye on our events page and Mary's Instagram for more info!