Nusa Caña Rum

BALI, SURF, BEATS, AND SUNDOWNERS

CREATED BY FOUR FRIENDS WHO SHARE A PASSION FOR INDONESIA AND BALI’S ISLAND LIFE, FOR GREAT BARS AND OUTSTANDING DRINKS, SURF AND TRAVEL. THE HEART OF NUSA CAÑA IS A RICH SUGAR CANE SPIRIT THAT AIMS TO TAKE ON THE WORLD, ONE BEACH AT A TIME.

DRINKS TRADE SAT DOWN WITH MARC RODRIGUES, MANAGING DIRECTOR, TO HEAR ALL ABOUT THE FORGOTTEN STORY OF INDONESIAN RUM AND HOW THE NEW NARRATIVE IS BEING RECEIVED BY MARKETS ACROSS THE GLOBE, INCLUDING A RECENT RANGING HERE IN AUSTRALIA.

Who is involved with the business, and what roles do they play? Who is the face of Nusa Caña in Australia?

The founders of the business are all industry veterans: Joe Milner, Andy Gaunt, and myself, all who worked in the Australian market and globally for many years across several companies and eventually meeting through Diageo. The fourth founder is Sam Jeveons, our liquid specialist who, for 11 years, has been a renowned bar specialist and spirit advocate for major international brands across the Asia Pacific. As MD, I lead the team in Australia that, in addition to the founders, includes the high energy and brand-aligned unit at Artisan Handcrafted. We talk about our extended team and customers as the Nusa Caña Tribe, all who share our vision for bringing back Indonesian Rum to the world. We will be shortly launching a bartender and lifestyle lead community based on this that will bring together both the bar and beach community.

Can you give us a quick rundown on the story behind Nusa Caña and how you dreamt up an Indonesian rum?

Once we heard of the forgotten story of Indonesian Rum, we felt compelled to bring it back. The story is quite simple; for centuries, travelers, traders, and explorers have been drawn to the Indonesian islands. For millennia, sugar cane has been cultivated there. And, forgotten by history, some of the very first cane spirits served in the punch houses and bordellos, the salons and coffee houses, of 17th-century Europe, were Indonesian. Inspired by Indonesia’s ancient days and modern nights, Nusa Caña is a new rum that’s bringing back the forgotten spirit of those very first adventurers and the rum they discovered.

Nusa Caña, it’s fair to say the branding is ‘uber-cool’, and fits beautifully with the Indonesia culture and Balinese story. How does that branding bring recognition back to the Australian (or international) consumer, and how are you activating that here?

We identified where the consumer and category opportunity existed and felt there was an opportunity to identify with 18 to 35-year-olds. We also determined those consumers don’t want to buy just a product, but also wanted to buy into a lifestyle aligned with their values. Our iconic mask signifies the spirit of adventure and the lifestyle that exists in Bali, attracting over one million Australians per year.

Nusa Caña takes a focused and straightforward approach to acquire new customers by aligning with venues that share the brand’s spirit. Highlighting the brand’s strong connection with the Bali lifestyle and surf culture and participating in events that share Nusa Caña’s main passions: beats, boards and Bali, such as The Big Pineapple Music Festival, Queensland Surf Masters Series, Deus 9ft & Single, and the upcoming Picnik Electronik series of events across summer in Melbourne. Besides, we will be partnering with brands that share the same target to reach new consumers and consolidate a community.

What has the strategy been behind the growth of Nusa Caña? What markets are you in now?

We launched in 2016 in Bali across all the major image leading venues focussing on beach clubs, surf spots, and Influencer bars of Canggu. Since then, our strategy has been to grow in our home region and have expanded across Southeast Asia and up to Japan. Australia and Southern California are our key growth markets. We have also had some fun-thus far in the UK and some of Europe’s surfs spots ahead of a push in 2020 focussing on France, Spain and Portugal.

Clearly you love the beaches. How are consumers drinking Nusa Caña, and what are the occasions and opportunities for the brand?

We are finding from the Australian onpremise, from Cairns to Margaret River, that Nusa Caña is bringing energy and flavour back to classic white rum cocktails. The additional flavour that comes from Nusa Caña’s Indonesian heart adds flavour and body. Nusa mojitos and Nusa daiquiris are being added to menus and in many cases replacing standard mojitos and daiquiris. In Queensland, we have just started a cocktail tap program supporting our pineapple mojito program, most recently taking over taps in Byron Bay, our brand’s home away from home in Australia.

Where can consumers find Nusa Caña?

In Australia, we are very much a discovery brand, whether that being from a trip to Bali or Thailand or a trip to a beach bar up and down the Queensland coast. Our initial focus since launch has been in those areas that directly fit our brand passion: beats, boards, Bali. Hence our focus has been the Queensland coast down to Byron, Sydney beach suburbs of Bondi and Manly, and the Margaret River in the West. Most recently, though, we have taken the brand with great success in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne CBD via rooftop bars and latenight music venues.

We also have an active festival program as we see rum, and our brand disrupting the mundane drinks vibe that currently exists at music events.

Growth opportunities in Australia - where to from here?

We have recently received full national ranging across all GHPL banners, thus giving us national off-premise availability. We hope to build on this into 2020 as we develop our sunset drinks at home program, bringing a Bali sunset drinking tradition to Australian homes.

Can you tell us about the RTD and how that is working for you?

Late last summer, we trialed a ready to drink offering to a select few events. Based off this we have developed a range of ready to drink that will launch early in 2020. Our focussed drinks will be a Nusa Spritz flavoured by pink grapefruit and lychee and a Nusa Kola with a spiced cola.

What other innovation is in the pipeline?

The Spice Islands are the source of nutmeg, mace, and clove. The islands of Indonesia gave spice to the world. Our second chapter in the Indonesian rum story will be Nusa Caña Spice Island Rum. Spiced will be launched in January and will give bartenders and consumers alike something authentic and tasty to make classic rum cocktails or make the classic rum and coke a Nusa Kola.