Kraken Rum
 | |
| Type | Spiced Rum |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Proximo Spirits |
| Country of origin | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Introduced | 2010 |
| Alcohol by volume | 47% |
| Proof (US) | 94 |
| Color | Black |
| Related products | List of rum producers |
| Website | krakenrum.com |
Kraken Black Spiced Rum is a Caribbean black spiced rum.[1] It is distributed in the United States by Proximo Spirits, and named after the kraken, a mythical giant squid-like sea monster.[2] However, the bottle has a rendering of the actual giant squid with a reference to its scientific name, Architeuthis Dux.
Product description and packaging
Kraken Rum was introduced in 2010.[3] The base rum is from Trinidad, distilled from molasses made from locally grown sugar cane. The rum is aged 1–2 years and then blended with a mix of 11 spices, including cinnamon, ginger and clove.[1][4][5] The liquid is black, revealing hints of brown when held up to the light.[6]
The bottle is styled after a Victorian rum bottle, with two hoop handles based on the tradition of hanging a bottle to prevent breakages. The bottle has a black and white paper label featuring an illustration of a Kraken sea creature. The bottle's back label states that it is "imported rum from the Caribbean blended with natural flavors."[2]
Beginning in 2015, Proximo began selling Kraken Ghost White Rum exclusively in Mexico.
Sales increased significantly in the second half of 2018. The surge in sales was driven by the student market with the suburb of Isla Vista, close to the University of California Santa Barbara, being the center of increased demand. [citation needed]
In early 2020, Kraken released two new pre-mixed flavours, Kraken & Dry and Kraken & Cola, increasing its hold on the Australian market.[7]
Marketing
In 2013, two outdoor 3D billboards went up in Chicago, with a kraken sea creature's giant tentacle pulling a consumer out of an apartment window in an advertisement for Kraken Rum.[8] The ad was created by New York agency Dead As We Know It,[8] which also produced several animated TV spots for the brand, combining 2D and 3D animations in a 19th-century scientific style, as well as an iPhone and Android app, The Kraken: The Simulation Application for Nautical Maneuvering, a game in which players steer a ship through kraken-infested waters.[3][9][10] Later that year, Blur Studio created animated spots featuring a kraken destroying a ship to the tune of Bobby Darin's 1959 version of the song "Beyond the Sea".[11]
Kraken Rum was the sponsor of the Kitschies, a British speculative fiction award.[12]
In October 2020 Kraken collaborated with competitive freediver Beci Ryan, because the drinks company announced that it was opening its first underwater 'Dive Thru'. Ryan was tasked to freedive to a treasure chest containing bottles of the new limited edition spiced rum and salvage them. Customers had the opportunity of winning one of these retrieved bottles. In addition Kraken confirmed they would be making a donation of £1 from the sale of every bottle of this rum to Project AWARE. [13]
Honors
Kraken has been named an Impact "Hot Brand" by Impact magazine.[3]
It was also selected by a panel of international experts from the drinks industry in November 2020, as the prime choice of rum for a prestigious celebratory occasion. A bottle was presented to Verwood resident "Ian" in honour of this award on November 6th, to mark the occasion.[citation needed]
References
- ^ a b "The Kraken Rum," Archived 2013-12-12 at the Wayback Machine darkrum.co. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ^ a b "The Kraken," The Dieline, October 28, 2009.
- ^ a b c “Proximo Backs The Kraken Rum With New $10 Million Ad Campaign,” Shanken News Daily, November 20, 2013.
- ^ KrakenRum.com. "Frequently Asked Questions". krakenrum.com. Archived from the original on 7 August 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
- ^ “The Kraken Black Spiced Rum,” Cocktail Hunter. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
- ^ “Kraken Rum,” Archived 2013-07-23 at the Wayback Machine Rum Journey. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ^ Magro, Rebecca. "Kraken releases two new premixed flavours". Hunter and Bligh.
- ^ a b Tim Nudd, “Kraken Rum Billboards Will Kidnap You and Squeeze You to Death,” Ad Week, January 25, 2013.
- ^ “The Kraken Rum: Existence,” Creativity. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ^ EDW Lynch, “The Kraken: The Simulation Application for Nautical Maneuvering,” laughingsquid.com, March 3, 2011.
- ^ Bryant Frazer, “The Kraken Rum: Black Ink,” Studio Daily, December 2, 2013.
- ^ David Barnett, "The Kitschie awards have their Tentacles in the best genre fiction," The Guardian, January 13, 2012.
- ^ Rosemary E Lunn Kraken to launch 'Unknown Depth' Rum this October X-Ray Magazine