New findings show how consumers discover, evaluate, and choose rum through AI-powered platforms.
DENVER, Colo. (July 22, 2026) – As the spirits industry prepares to celebrate National Rum Day on August 16, Go Social and Morpheus Brand Consulting today unveiled the inaugural Rum Signals Audit, a first-of-its-kind category analysis revealing how rum brands are represented across AI-powered consumer discovery.
As more consumers turn to AI for purchase and cocktail recommendations, the audit examines the questions consumers ask about rum, the brands most frequently associated with those questions, and the sources influencing how AI platforms understand and recommend the category.
The audit analyzed AI responses to consumer rum questions across leading generative AI platforms, evaluating brand visibility, recommendation patterns, and the sources shaping AI-generated answers.
“Consumers aren’t simply asking AI for the most popular rum,” said Courtney Sandora, founder of Go Social. “They’re asking which rum belongs in a Mai Tai, what bottle a beginner should buy, and what rum a bourbon drinker should try next. Each of those questions creates a different opportunity for brands to be discovered.”
The analysis found that AI organizes the rum category around distinct consumer needs and occasions rather than traditional brand awareness alone, creating new opportunities and challenges for brands seeking visibility.
Among the audit’s key findings:
Cocktails remain rum’s primary entry point for discovery. Brands including Appleton Estate, Bacardí, Mount Gay, El Dorado, and Don Q appeared frequently in cocktail-related AI recommendations.
Brand awareness does not guarantee AI visibility. Some globally recognized brands, including Captain Morgan, performed strongly within specific use cases but were less visible across the broader range of rum-related questions.
Appleton Estate demonstrated category versatility. The brand was one of the category’s strongest performers, appearing across conversations about cocktails, Jamaican rum, aging, premium sipping, and whiskey crossover.
Whiskey crossover presents a growth opportunity. Consumers are increasingly asking which aged rums deliver the complexity, barrel character, and sipping experience they already appreciate in bourbon or Scotch.
“Rum has an incredible depth of history, production methods, and regional identity, but that complexity can make the category difficult for consumers to navigate,” said Jeremy Murrell, founder of Morpheus Brand Consulting. “The opportunity is to create a clear, memorable brand narrative and then get third-party sources to repeat it, whether that’s an editorial mention, a creator review, or a conversation on Reddit.”
The Rum Signals Audit is part of a broader Spirits Signals initiative, which helps beverage alcohol companies understand how their brands are represented within AI-powered discovery environments.
The full Rum Signals Audit is available at rumsignals.com.
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About Go Social
Go Social is a marketing agency focused on the food and beverage category, with decades of beverage alcohol experience. Through its Spirits Signals work, Go Social helps brands understand, improve, and measure their AI visibility by seeding the right narrative in ongoing PR and creator campaigns. For more information, visit thegosocial.com.
About Morpheus Brand Consulting
Morpheus Brand Consulting helps beverage alcohol brands uncover opportunities, sharpen positioning, and build strategies grounded in consumer behavior and category dynamics. For more information, visit morpheusbc.com.
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