Spirited Union Rum

What Spirited Union Rum does

Spirited Union Rum Co. & Distillery is a privately-held, Amsterdam-based producer founded in 2017 by Ruben Maduro, positioned as the world's first botanical rum company. It sources single-origin rums (e.g., Panama, Barbados, Caribbean) and reworks them with natural botanicals via three proprietary processes: passive maceration (up to 6 months), active botanical distillation in copper pot stills, and a pending-patented botanical cask finish (6-12 weeks of cask pre-conditioning). The portfolio spans four core botanical rums (Pineapple, Pink Grapefruit, Coconut, Spiced), a premium Reserve X.O. Collection (Panama, Colombia, Jamaica), rum liqueurs including Honey Rum, and a recently launched RTD canned cocktail line that the company describes as the world's first botanical rum RTDs.

The company makes money through three streams: (1) wholesale and direct e-commerce of bottled products across 22 countries and 24 markets, with anchor retail at Whole Foods Market in California (US), Gall & Gall nationwide (Netherlands), and HEMA (Belux); (2) on-trade sales to bars, restaurants, and cocktail programs (the original 2017 channel); and (3) paid distillery experiences at the 300m2 solar-powered Amsterdam micro-distillery — distilling workshops at €69.95/pp, cocktail workshops at €39.95/pp, group/corporate events, mobile cocktail bars (from €4.50/cocktail), and gift vouchers. Customer segments span on-trade mixologists, off-trade premium consumers, corporate/private event organizers, and a global distributor network.

Operationally, the company is small (1-10 employees) but has built a defensible sustainability stack (Bonsucro certification, 1% for the Planet, Amazon Watch and Bijenstichting support) and brand credentials (Gold Medal, 95 points, Bartender Spirits Awards 2023). The headquarters at Helicopterstraat 32, Amsterdam, functions as both production facility and public-facing visitor center, and the company operates as Spirited Union Holding Co. B.V.

Name

Spirited Union Rum

Legal name

Spirited Union Holding Co. B.V.

Website

https://spirited-union.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Spirited Union Rum is an Amsterdam-based craft distillery, founded in 2017, that produces botanical rums from single-origin rums and natural botanicals for on-trade and off-trade consumers in 22 countries, with anchor retail at Whole Foods (US), Gall & Gall (NL), and HEMA (Belux).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Botanical Rum

NAICS

Distilleries (31214), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG), Cocktail Experiences (Mixology Classes, Cocktail Tours) (THAJAGAG), Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF), Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ)

Keywords

• Botanical rum
• Craft spirits
• Premium rum
• Distilled beverages
• Cocktail ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Botanical Rum Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer and wholesale sales of botanical rum products including core range (Pineapple, Pink Grapefruit, Coconut, Spiced), Reserve X.O. Collection, and Limited Edition seasonal releases. Revenue generated through own e-commerce, retail partners, and distributor networks across 22 countries.
2. Distillery Experiences: Revenue from paid experiences at the Amsterdam distillery including distilling workshops (€69.95/pp), cocktail workshops (€39.95/pp), group bookings, corporate events, and mobile cocktail bar services. Also generates revenue through gift vouchers sold online.
3. Wholesale/Distribution: Sales to distributors and retail partners including Whole Foods Market US, Gall & Gall Netherlands, HEMA Belux, and international distributors across 24 markets. Products also available via online store locator partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Spirited Union Rum is a Dutch-based distillery that produces botanical-flavored rums in Amsterdam. The company crafts premium rum using botanical infusions and offers its spirits through direct-to-consumer e-commerce, retail and hospitality channels (bars, restaurants, specialty stores), and via corporate experiences such as rum tastings, workshops, and group events.

Product overview

Spirited Union Rum Co. is the world's first botanical rum company, offering a portfolio of rum products and experiential services. The core product line includes four botanical rums (Pineapple, Pink Grapefruit, Coconut, and Spiced) designed for cocktails. The premium Reserve X.O. Collection features three double-casked rums finished in botanical casks (Panama, Colombia, Jamaica) for sipping. The ready-to-drink line includes canned cocktails (Lemon & Leaf, Sweet Orange, Aruba Ariba, Good Spiced, Freedom Spice), while the Rum Liqueurs collection includes Honey Rum. Additionally, the company operates its Amsterdam distillery offering experiential services including Distilling Workshops (€69.95), Cocktail Workshops (€39.95), Group Bookings, Gift Vouchers, Events hosting, and Mobile Cocktailbar services. The company sells across 22+ countries and launched in Whole Foods Market US in 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Reserve Collection: Exclusive X.O. rum collection with botanical cask finish including XO Panama, XO Colombia, and XO Jamaica
• Rum Liqueurs
• Limited Edition & Seasonal
• Ready-to-Drink Cocktails

Products and services

• Botanical Rum (signature range)

Quantifiable outcome

• 95 points and Gold Medal at Bartender Spirits Awards 2023 for Queen Pineapple Rum
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MHW (Manhattan Beer Worldwide)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2023US importer partner that helped navigate the complex US regulatory requirements including TTB certification, COLA waivers, and setting up distribution networks from importer to local distributors. Essential for landing Whole Foods Market listing.
• Whole Foods MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2023First major US retail listing - Spirited Union Botanical Rum now available across all California Whole Foods stores, with Ready-to-drink cocktails as core placement per October. Target consumer fit based on ethos towards natural, high-quality, responsibly-sourced ingredients.
• BonsucrocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Active member of Bonsucro, the leading global sustainability platform and standard for sugarcane. Organization promotes responsible sugarcane production through education and local impact projects, bringing together over 280 members from more than 50 countries.
• Amazon WatchminorOthers · 1 January 2023Non-profit organization founded in 1996 to protect the rainforest and advance indigenous rights in the Amazon Basin. Spirited Union donated to Amazon Watch in 2023 as part of 1% for the Planet commitment to support local projects protecting ecosystems where botanicals are sourced.
• 1% for the PlanetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Membership organization founded in 2002 by Patagonia's Yvon Chouinard and Craig Mathews. Spirited Union pledges 1% of revenue to support environmental causes and local impact projects.
• Bijenstichting (Bee Foundation)minorOthers · 1 January 2023Dutch bee conservation organization. Spirited Union supports bee protection initiatives in 2023, aligned with Honey Rum liqueur product that contributes to wild bee conservation.
• GroundedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for sourcing botanicals from Tanzania and Uganda that are responsibly cultivated, demonstrating commitment to sustainable and ethical ingredient sourcing.
• Gall & GallcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Dutch liquor retailer with nationwide listing of Spirited Union Honey Rum across all stores in the Netherlands.
• HEMAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBelux region retail partner listing Spirited Union products, expanding presence in the Benelux market alongside Gall & Gall.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Edinburgh Gin: Scottish craft distillery producing botanical and flavored gins with on-site distillery experiences. Comparable to Spirited Union in its botanical-led flavor approach, flavored variant portfolio, and use of distillery tours/workshops as a brand-building channel.
• Empirical Spirits: Innovative Copenhagen/NY craft distillery focused on botanical and experimental flavor spirits. Comparable to Spirited Union as a fellow small distillery pushing botanical and unconventional flavor approaches into the craft and bar trade.

Broad incumbents

• Bacardi Limited: World's largest rum producer with a broad portfolio (Bacardi Superior, Gold, Spiced, flavored variants). Comparable as the dominant incumbent whose mass-market flavored offerings compete for the same shelf space and cocktail menu placements as Spirited Union.
• Malibu (Pernod Ricard): Global coconut/flavored rum brand owned by Pernod Ricard. Comparable to Spirited Union because it competes in the flavored rum category that Spirited Union's botanical range (Pineapple, Coconut, Pink Grapefruit) targets, but at vastly greater scale and distribution breadth.
• Captain Morgan (Diageo): Diageo-owned spiced rum leader and one of the defining brands in the spiced rum category. Comparable as a category-defining incumbent whose flavor-forward rum directly overlaps with Spirited Union's botanical/spiced positioning, especially in the US and UK markets.

Direct peers

• Kraken Black Spiced Rum: Spiced and black rum brand with strong US presence. Comparable as a directly competing spiced/flavored rum proposition, overlapping with Spirited Union's Spiced and botanical spiced variants in the same retail and on-trade channels.
• Sipsmith Gin: London-based craft distillery known for botanical gin with on-site tasting room and tours. Comparable to Spirited Union as a craft distiller combining a botanical production philosophy, an experiential visitor business (tours/workshops), and on-trade cocktail positioning.
• Chairman's Reserve (St. Lucia Distillers): Premium rum brand from St. Lucia with a Reserve/sipping tier and award pedigree. Comparable to Spirited Union as a premium sipping-rum peer targeting connoisseurs and the on-trade, overlapping with the Reserve X.O. Collection positioning.
• Copalli Rum: Belize-based organic, sustainable, single-estate rum brand. Comparable to Spirited Union as a small, sustainability-credentialed craft rum producer targeting the same premium natural-ingredients consumer and competing for similar Whole Foods-type retail placements.
• Cut Rum: Independent UK craft rum brand focused on premium, additive-free rums. Comparable to Spirited Union as a similarly sized craft/independent rum challenger positioning around natural ingredients and quality, competing for the same premium on-trade and retail customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/spirited_union_rum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@spiriteduniondistillery36
• Facebookfacebook.com/spiriteduniondistillery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/union-55-rum-co.
• Instagraminstagram.com/spirited_union_rum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spirited Union Rum