Caribbean Rum Rules (GIs) - A Quick Reference Guide

Geographical Indications for rum have been a hot topic in recent years. For those unfamiliar with geographical indications, aka “GIs,” they are a tool that producers in a country or region can use to protect their product’s reputation from fake rums not made in the region. For example, Jamaican rum has a particularly high reputation worldwide. Jamaica’s GIs help tamp down on producers outside Jamaica who deceive buyers by labeling their rum as Jamaican. At their core, a GI defines a specific phrase like “Demerara Rum” or “Ron de Cuba,” which can only appear on a label if all a GI’s requirements are met. Naturally, the topic of GIs is far more complicated than described above. To go deeper, see Geographical Indication Fast Facts.

While most of the recent public discourse regarding GIs has focused on Jamaica and Barbados, numerous other countries also have rum GIs. When someone proclaims that rum has no rules, I point them to the many rum GIs they’re unaware of. I contend that rum has more GIs (“rules”) than any other spirit meta-category, i.e., whiskey, brandy, and agave spirits.

At the end of this post, you’ll find a synopsis of the rules in effect for each Caribbean rum-making country/region. But before getting to that, here’s some additional context to help better understand the data presented.

The enforceability of a GI’s requirements is initially limited to the country creating the GI. However, that country may arrange for other countries to also enforce the GI’s terms within their borders. For example, the US recognizes the UK’s GI for Scotch whisky, so a spirit that doesn’t comply with the UK’s Scotch whisky GI also can’t be sold in the US as Scotch whisky. Unfortunately, when it comes to rum, the US doesn’t recognize any of the Caribbean region’s rum GIs, which is why you can find Hawaiian cane juice rums labeled as rhum agricole in the US.

While the US is lackluster at recognizing rum GIs, the European Union (EU) isn’t. A country with a GI can request that EU member countries also recognize the GI’s terms. For example, Guyana’s rum GI is recognized in the EU, so all EU countries abide by Guyana’s rules regarding what can be labeled Demerara rum.

While GIs are “the rules” people think of most often when it comes to rum, there are additional rules known as rum standards. These rules define the requirements to be called rum in a particular country, regardless of where it comes from. For example, Australia’s definition of “rum” requires aging for at least two years, so overproof Jamaican rums like Wray & Nephew White Overproof can’t be sold as rum in Australia. However, they can be labeled as “cane spirit” or similar.

To recap, a GI defines the requirement to be labeled as a rum from a specific region, while a rum standard defines the baseline requirements to be sold as rum, regardless of where it was made. The EU has a rum standard (EU 2019/787), which all member countries abide by. Likewise, all Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries share a common rum standard, CRS 25:2008. (Additional commentary on the CARICOM rum standard can be found here.) I have noted whether the country adheres to the CARICOM rum standard for each country entry below.

A few final notes before we get to the data:

• The countries/regions below are divided into three sections – GIs with EU recognition, GIs without EU recognition, and no GI currently.

• The specific phrase allowed to be used for GI compliant rums is noted as the Protected wording in each country’s section.

• The earliest rum GI in the Caribbean basin region dates to just 1996. All other GIs were created within the last twenty years. It’s a healthy part of rum achieving premium status.

• Martinique’s GI process started in 1970 and took 26 years to complete. The Dominican Republic GI took seven years to agree upon and ratify. Food for thought.

• There are currently six Caribbean basin countries/regions with GIs that the EU recognizes. Another (Venezuela) is in the process of applying for EU recognition of their GI.

• Three additional Caribbean basin countries have a GI but have not yet applied for EU recognition.

• If a country has only a single rum producer of significance, there is presumably less impetus to create a GI. The notable exception is Guyana, which has a GI for Demerara Rum and EU recognition for that GI.

• Should you wish to go even deeper into rum regulations, Chapter 17 of Modern Caribbean Rum provides an extremely comprehensive examination of the subject.

Countries/Regions with an EU Registered Geographical Indication (GI)

Cuba

Protected wording: Ron de Cuba

Established: 2013 with subsequent revisions

CARICOM Rum Standard: No

Notes: Cuba’s GI currently is in published status with the EU but is undergoing final review before it reaches the final registered status. The GI’s requirements are summarized on page 236 of Modern Caribbean Rum.

French Guiana (Guyane)

Protected wording: Rhum de la Guyane

Established: 2015

CARICOM Rum Standard: No

Guadeloupe

Protected wording: Rhum de Guadeloupe

Established: 2015

CARICOM Rum Standard: No

Notes: Marie Galante is administratively part of Guadeloupe, and rums made there may supplement their protected wording with Marie-Galante. The GI’s requirements are summarized on page 230 of Modern Caribbean Rum.

Guatemala

Protected wording: Ron de Guatemala

Established: 2009

CARICOM Rum Standard: No

Notes: The GI’s requirements are summarized on page 244 of Modern Caribbean Rum.

Guyana

Protected wording: Demerara Rum

Established: 2017

CARICOM Rum Standard: Yes

Notes: The GI’s requirements are summarized on page 234 of Modern Caribbean Rum.

Martinique

Protected wording: Rhum de la Martinique

Established: 1996, with subsequent revisions in 2005, 2014, and 2020.

CARICOM Rum Standard: No

Notes: The GI’s requirements are summarized on page 226 of Modern Caribbean Rum. Martinique also has a second GI for Rhum Baie du Galion, which is grand arôme-style rum made at the Le Galion distillery.

Countries/Regions with a Geographical Indication (GI) Without EU Recognition

Dominican Republic

Protected wording: Ron Dominicano

Established: 2021

CARICOM Rum Standard: No, but the country has its own rum standard, NORDOM 477.

Notes: The GI’s requirements are summarized on page 238 of Modern Caribbean Rum.

Haiti

Protected wording: HaïRum

Established: 2021

CARICOM Rum Standard: Yes

Notes: The GI’s requirements are summarized on page 232 of Modern Caribbean Rum.

Jamaica

Protected wording: Jamaica Rum

Established: 2016

CARICOM Rum Standard: Yes

Notes: The GI’s requirements are summarized on page 233 of Modern Caribbean Rum.

Venezuela

Protected wording: Ron de Venezuela

Established: 2003 with subsequent revisions

CARICOM Rum Standard: No

Notes: Venezuela has applied for EU recognition of its GI.

Countries/Regions Without a Geographical Indication (GI)

Antigua and Barbuda

CARICOM Rum Standard: Yes

Barbados

CARICOM Rum Standard: Yes

Notes: Producer discussions regarding a Barbados GI have been underway since at least 2016. However, the island’s three smallest distilleries by annual distillation volume (Mount Gay, Foursquare, and St. Nicholas Abbey) are at odds with the West Indies Rum Distillery over the terms of the GI.

Belize

CARICOM Rum Standard: Yes

Costa Rica

CARICOM Rum Standard: No

Dominica

CARICOM Rum Standard: Yes

Grenada

CARICOM Rum Standard: Yes

Nicaragua

CARICOM Rum Standard: No

Panama

CARICOM Rum Standard: No

Puerto Rico

CARICOM Rum Standard: No

Notes: Puerto Rico restricts what can be called Puerto Rican rum, but the regulations are not a formal GI.

St. Croix

CARICOM Rum Standard: No

St. Lucia

CARICOM Rum Standard: Yes

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

CARICOM Rum Standard: Yes

Suriname

CARICOM Rum Standard: Yes

Trinidad

CARICOM Rum Standard: Yes