A new marketing drive for OVD, the best-selling dark rum in Scotland, will see it highlighted for the first time as a cocktail ingredient.
Distributor First Drinks has launched the Discover the Dark Side of Rum competition challenging bartenders in Scotland to create a new OVD cocktail.
The contest, which is now accepting entries, will feature regional heats in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Ayrshire and Dufftown in May and June, followed by a grand final on June 18. The winner will receive a prize of £1,000 of travel or high street vouchers.
The competition is supported by a cocktail-themed marketing campaign that includes radio promotions, press competitions, PR and sampling activity.
A new OVD website www.ovdrum.co.uk has been created to accompany the campaign and will feature cocktails created by the competition entrants. It includes information on how to enter.
OVD brand manager Paul Curry said: “OVD has been Scotland’s favourite dark rum for decades and is known for its great taste. This campaign is all about getting more people to discover how good it is and also showcase its versatility as a fantastic cocktail ingredient.
“White, golden and spiced rum are regularly used in cocktails but dark rum is sometimes left on the shelf. We hope this initiative will help to push OVD to the front of bartenders’ minds, challenge their ingenuity and encourage them to introduce their customers to OVD via cocktails.”
OVD – which stands for Old Vatted Demerara – was first imported into Scotland in 1838 and is a blend of Demerara rums made from sugar cane grown in Guyana. With an ABV of 40 per cent, it is matured in oak casks for up to seven years, giving it smoothness, flavour and character. It is now owned by William Grant & Sons.
