It's been a long road getting QUBA off the ground, with many ups and downs, but it has all been worth it!

 

To celebrate our launch, we wanted to share our story, how we created the first dedicated rum mixer in the UK, with you.

 

We've always loved rum. The Cuba Libre, or rum and coke, was always the stand out rum mixer (for us and most other people), either when out in the UK or when we were lucky enough to visit Cuba, Jamaica and other Caribbean islands; the birthplace of rum. But, there was so much more on offer on these islands – a huge variety of delicious ingredients that weren't readily available back home, unless concocted at an expensive cocktail bar.

 

Having worked at a number of bars during our university years, we knew this was the case and were shocked by the lack of choice our customers had when wanting to drink rum. The rum mixer experience was limited.
We wanted to bring a better experience back to the UK and share a slice of island life. QUBA was born... in our minds, but it would be years until we acted on it. 

 

Like many, we saw the lockdown in 2020 as an opportunity to shake things up. We got to work on QUBA – a name that we hope inspires memories of sunny shores, while evoking thoughts of revolution!

Lots of rum, but not a rum mixer in sight

 

To our delight, but not surprise, rum was the UK's spirit of choice during lockdown. Creeping in behind the gin boom of five years ago, it was clear rum, and the explosion of amazing premium craft rum brands and bars, was finally growing in popularity in the UK. We were confident we could help further spark this rum revolution.

 

We set about working with Robin Honhold, a renowned liquid developer, to create our three mixers – based on our favourite ingredients that we know complement and enhance the flavour of rum, while retaining their own unique flavour profiles. After a lot of trial and error (cans exploding, photo shoot locations flooding, a very small yield on our trial run and much more), we finally perfected our recipes.

 

The three rum mixers we've developed – Grapefruit & Red Sorrel, Ginger, Chilli & Pimento Berry and Lime, Apple & Lemongrass – are reinventions on classic flavour pairings with rum. They all have there own unique stories:

 

1. Grapefruit & Red Sorrel or The Forbidden Fruit

In 1750 Reverend Griffith Hughes referred to grapefruit as The Forbidden Fruit in The Natural History of Barbados. Putting a modern spin on this citrus delight, we’ve added red sorrel and guava for our take on a refreshing punch. 

 

2. Ginger, Chilli & Pimento Berry or Dark N' Spicy

Our riff on the infamous flavour of a Dark N’ Stormy. Instead of lime and bitters, we've paired Scotch Bonnet chilli and pimento berry with ginger for a spicy twist. 

 

3. Lime, Apple & Lemongrass or Island Hopping

A convergence of Caribbean and UK flavour. We've brought together lime, British apple and lemongrass to evoke memories of Daiquiri cocktails and beachside retreats.

 

A huge thank you to the rum rebels for sharing the beginning of the journey for us. There is a lot more to come!

 

Just add rum.