Once again the established rum brands have demonstrated their influence in the industry’s top bars. Bacardi, Havana Club and Planteray have retained their podium spots and were collectively the house pour in two thirds of the bars polled. However, while the order of the top three remains the same as 2025, the gap is narrowing with just a few bars separating the brands.
There’s a significant drop off to Diplomático in fourth, where competition heats up and just a couple of votes separate the Venezuelan rum and Brugal in 10th, suggesting competition for shelf space in top bars is fierce. This is likely a result of the explosion of premium rum brands over the past decade combined with a declining market, leaving the industry’s top bars a critical space. The only change in names for 2026 are Brugal of Dominican Republic and Takamaka of the Seychelles, both making their debut in the bestselling list.
Arguably the biggest anomaly is Clairin topping the trending list. The Haitian rum has a cult following among bartenders, but its high-ester style doesn’t lend itself to Daiquiris or Mojitos, making its inclusion a surprise. One possible explanation is the bartender community supporting Haiti in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, gang violence and political turmoil.
How we did it
The Brands Report has been released every January for the past 16 years and aims to provide data analytics into the buying habits of consumers in the world’s best bars.
To collect the data, we first curate a sample of industry-acclaimed bars from a combination of The World’s 50 Best Bars and its regional North America and Asia lists.
In order to ensure the best global coverage, about 5% of the poll were ‘editor’s picks’ – highly rated bars in regions less represented to assure a truly global data pool reflective of the current bar industry. Each year the panel rotates to ensure a fair and accurate set of results.
As part of the survey, we ask each bar owner or head bartender to dig out their sales spreadsheets and rank the three bestselling products in each spirits category, as well as beer, champagne and mixers. The bestselling list is based on hard data, while top trending is more subjective – the brand which isn’t necessarily shifting big volumes but is seen as in vogue by each bar. Often, the brands that figure highly in the trending list move on to the bestselling list the following year, as curiosity and excitement transition to weight of sales.
We also ask our poll to declare the house pour in some of the world’s bestselling classic cocktails. The drinks are chosen to specifically represent major spirits categories and are generally big hitters in the Cocktail Report’s list of the 50 bestselling classic cocktails, due to launch in spring.
To view the page-turner edition of the Brands Report click here.
The Brands Report will be serialised on drinksint.com throughout January.
