What do dandelions, a bee’s flight and the Northamptonshire countryside all have in common? That would be Warner’s Spiced Botanical Rum.
Yes, the distillery that brought you such classics as Rhubarb Gin, Raspberry Gin, and its own naturally sourced London Dry is now making Rum, but not as you might expect.
Of course, they are using white Caribbean Rum as the base, but it’s the nature of the botanicals that will genuinely have you buzzing.
Warner has always been known for the spirits innovation that comes via its farm-grown ingredients. With an ethos of making epic drinks in harmony with nature, it’s not surprising that the rum, like many of the brand’s products, evolved from a 2019 gin innovation project using only ingredients that could be found within a bee’s flight of the farm.
(And in case you’re curious, a honey bee can fly up to six miles and as fast as 15 miles per hour. The average worker bee produces about 1/12th teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. A hive of bees will fly 40,000 miles, more than once around the earth, to collect 1 pound of honey.)
While the bees have been flying, the rum category has increased 51% from 2019 to 2022, with recent figures in the UK taking the spirit past the £1bn sales mark, which has taken rum to 13% of the total spirits market, according to Nielsen IQ.
So the question became, ‘What in a six-mile radius could Warner’s use to create the spice for the gin?’ The standard botanicals that imbue the spice in a spiced Rum, such as Star Anise, Nutmeg and Cinnamon (to name a few), are plants that all need heat, and of all the things that Northamptonshire offers, a hot climate is not one of them.
But what can Northamptonshire grow? As it turns out, fields and fields of dandelions. Now, you might think of dandelions as merely a weed or perhaps as a means to carry your dreams on the wind when you blow on the puffballs, but many now are looking at Dandelions as an untapped resource.
The leaves provide more nutritional value than broccoli and spinach, a good supply of Vitamin A, B, C and D, and other critical minerals like potassium, zinc and iron. The flowers of the Dandelion can be made into a vegan honey alternative, and, most notably for Warner’s, the roots of the Dandelion, when roasted, impart a slightly nutty flavour profile with mild bitter notes. In fact, roasted Dandelion root was a well-known coffee alternative in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Providing a uniquely British spice, Warner’s has distilled the roasted dandelion root with the rum to create a spirit with a soft and creamy sweetness in the taste, amongst the many layers of flavours, followed by a toasty, earthy finish.
“Every now and again, manna falls from heaven and lands in a bottle, and we’re so excited to finally let this amazing liquid out of the bag!” says Co-Founder Tom Warner.
“In true Warner’s style, we’re crafting innovative flavours from nature while also creating the most amazing tasting spirit. We’re all very proud of where we’ve ended up with our first-born rum – uniquely spiced by the British countryside.”
Fellow co-founder Tina Warner points out that far from being just a weed, Dandelion supports multiple pollinators, and provides multiple uses.
“In the process of building this innovative liquid we’ve learned just how versatile and sustainable the humble dandelion is,” she said. “We’re excited to be the first to put it into a super-premium spirit.”
Warner’s Rum has launched exclusively with Greene King in more than 150 Chef & Brewer restaurants across the UK and is available for consumers to buy via Warner’s website and selected stores.
