Tanduay, a popular Filipino rum, has held the top spot in rum sales for almost four consecutive years. The brand, however, is essentially unknown in Europe . Indeed, that will change soon, as Tanduay also wants to put this award-winning rum on the map and has chosen the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg ) as the first countries for its European expansion. It is for this reason that they collaborate with the largest independent distributor of wines and spirits in the Benelux, namely Alcobrands.

Kyle Tan , Executive Vice President of Tanduay and responsible for its international expansion, said now is the right time to launch the brand in Europe , with Benelux being the ideal initial market and Alcobrands its first European partner.

Mr. Tan states that “The new generation of spirits lovers are open to discovering new spirits from different countries, and we love to make them taste like the Philippines through Tanduay.”

According to the director of the Alcobrands brand, Nicolas Steelant , Tanduay rum stands out from other rums thanks to its particular production process. These are the quality ingredients that make the rum the tastiest possible. For example, we use the tropical Philippine sugar cane “Heirloom”, a traditional variety known to come from the cane that Christopher Columbus introduced to the Caribbean. Tanduay sources sugar cane from the Bacolod and Panay regions of the Philippines , known for growing the highest quality cane sugar.

The company started producing rum in 1854; it is also renowned for its distinct distillation and blending process, under the supervision of a cellar master, the custodian of Tanduay rum formulas, who controls the quality of the rums before they are bottled and distributed.

The final step in the production process is their advanced aging process. This unique process is carried out in barrels used for aging bourbon, giving it an elegant and silky taste. The maturing of Tanduay Asian Rum Silver lasts five years and that of Tanduay Asian Rum Gold even seven years. The Tanduay Asian Rum Gold line will represent our flagship product in the premium rum category and the Tanduay Double Rum line in the very premium segment, ”said Mr. Steelant. The latter is a blend of a 16 year old rum and a 5 year old rum, aged together for two more years in an old bourbon cask.

He also adds that Tanduay will seduce the market as a quality rum flavored perfect for making cocktails like Manila libre and Mojito. “The category of rums continues to grow in the Benelux, especially the brown variants, which are on the rise. Sales were primarily driven by cocktails such as Dark ‘n Stormy, popular with the younger generation. Also attractive to Benelux consumers is the high quality and premium packaging of Tanduay rum ”.

Alcobrands goal is to be the most personal distributor of premium local and international spirits, wines and mixers in the Benelux and to continue to innovate as a player in the spirits market. The Belgian importer achieved a real first by becoming the first European distributor of the best-selling rum in the world.

“Our successes in recent years are due to our crucial international partnership. We hope, thanks to our partnership with Alcobrands, to continue to develop our brand in Europe ”, declared Lucio Tan III , President and CEO of Tanduay.

Tanduay has been chosen as the number one rum in the world by Drinks International magazine four years in a row and is known by many as Asia’s “best kept secret”. Rum is now available not only in Antwerp , Brussels , Ghent and Liège, but also in Rotterdam , Amsterdam , Utrecht and The Hague.