Amarula gets hot bar brand rating

Amarula has just been voted one of the world’s top bar brands in an international industry poll.

The research, undertaken by authoritative global drinks publication Drinks International surveyed 700 bartenders, bar owners and mixologists across 60 countries. Respondents were drawn from popular bars in major world cities and were asked to identify the hottest brands on the lips of their patrons.

Made and managed by Distell, Amarula was listed sixth as a Top Ten Hot Liqueur brand. This is the first time the brand has been featured on the list.

The rating follows on Amarula’s ranking as one of the world’s fastest-growing spirit brands. The brand was also listed in the 2010 Impact Databank World’s Top 100 Premium Spirits Brands.

Selling in 103 countries, it continues to record year-on-year double-digit volume growth globally. The “Spirit of Africa” as it is widely known, has managed to comfortably face down the ongoing global recession. It’s profile was raised further from the association with the 2010 World Cup, and by a marketing campaign that highlights its versatility.

Says senior global spokesperson Siobhan Thompson: “That Amarula is now perceived by leading opinion formers to be one of the world’s hottest bar brands certainly indicates just how versatile it is to mixologists and their patrons.

“Last year, in the first year of the survey, Amarula was not even featured. We are really excited that there is such a growing recognition of its ability to play in the on-trade arena with appreciation for its nuanced and multi-layered flavours of coffee, vanilla, chocolate, toasted nuts and citrus.”

She added that Amarula’s long-term investment in key markets worldwide had seen brand loyalty climb, with its popularity as an at-home drink clearly impacting on on-consumption sales.

“We are showing consistently good growth worldwide, both in developed and developing economies. This holds true even in major markets where the brand is already well-entrenched.

“Some of the most spectacular volume increases have come from Latin America, historically a strong supporter of Amarula, and Europe, most notably Germany, which remains the single biggest off-shore market for the brand. Asia Pacific, North America, the duty-free channel and parts of the African continent have also delivered impressive increases.”

Behind Diageo’s Bailey’s, Amarula is the second biggest cream drink of its kind universally. Its inimitable taste that comes from the marula fruit, indigenous to southern Africa, blended with cream, has proved irresistible to consumers worldwide, along with its exotic connection to Africa, underscored by the brand’s support for African elephant research.