{"id":7704,"date":"2026-05-19T06:37:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T04:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stocks-future.com\/?guid=6b9dfe229905246cc94ace209a3ab766"},"modified":"2026-05-19T06:37:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T04:37:00","slug":"the-additive-free-rum-movement-has-a-leader-and-the-market-is-responding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/?p=7704","title":{"rendered":"The Additive-Free Rum Movement Has a Leader \u2014 and the Market Is Responding"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nKuleana Rum Works Partners with Craft & Art Wine and Spirits to Bring Additive-Free Hawaiian Rum to the Nation<\/i><\/p><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>

KOHALA, Hawai\u02bbi--(BUSINESS WIRE)--While the broader spirits market contracts, Kuleana Rum Works, the award-winning, Hawai\u02bbi-based distillery leading the additive-free rum movement, is growing at a pace that demands national infrastructure. The Company today announced a strategic partnership with Craft & Art Wine and Spirits, naming the firm as its sales and route-to-market partner for U.S. mainland expansion.<\/p>

\nThe momentum behind Kuleana Rum Works is not a trend story \u2014 it is a proof point. Nielsen data shows a 93.1% surge in 52-week dollar sales and 100% year-to-date growth, with shelf velocity that outpaces category trends at the Super Premium and Ultra tiers. Consumers are voting with their wallets for transparency and natural flavor, and Kuleana Rum Works is the brand they are finding.<\/p>

\nKuleana Rum Works\u2019 additive-free philosophy begins at the source \u2014 fresh k\u014d, heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane grown on its regenerative Kohala farm. Where most of the industry relies on additives to achieve flavor and consistency, Kuleana Rum Works takes a radically different approach: distilling natural character directly from an exceptionally rare material. It is not the easy path, but it produces something the industry cannot replicate with a formula.<\/p>

\n\u201cWe\u2019ve been leading what we call \u2018Rum Revolution 2.0,\u2019 proving that consumers are hungry for transparency and exceptional, natural flavor,\u201d said Steve Jefferson, Founder and CEO of Kuleana Rum Works. \u201cOur portfolio is built to power an entire cocktail program, limited only by your imagination. Partnering with Craft & Art gives us the national sales infrastructure to meet a demand that is already here.\u201d<\/p>

\n\u201cKuleana Rum Works isn\u2019t just making rum \u2014 they are redefining the category with their commitment to fresh heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane juice and an uncompromising additive-free philosophy,\u201d said Kevin Fennessey, CEO of Craft & Art Wine and Spirits. \u201cRum is at an inflection point, and Kuleana Rum Works is on the right side of it. We don\u2019t take on brands \u2014 we take on stories we believe in. The consumer pull we are already seeing behind this portfolio made the decision easy. Our job now is to make sure every customer and consumer in the country has access to it.\u201d<\/p>

\n\u201cThe numbers tell you something is working. This partnership tells you we are serious about scaling it,\u201d added Matt Mitchell-Hardt, Chief Sales Officer at Kuleana Rum Works. \u201cCraft & Art gives us the ground game to convert momentum into market presence \u2014 account by account, market by market.\u201d<\/p>

\nThat portfolio spans the full range of what additive-free rum can do: Huihui\u00ae, built for cocktails, earned 94 points and Wine Enthusiast\u2019s Best Buy designation in 2025; Nanea\u00ae, a 95-point Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Spirit of 2025, brings depth and versatility to any back bar; Hawaiian Rum Agricole\u00ae, the brand\u2019s flagship estate expression made from fresh k\u014d, is among the rarest rums in the world; and H\u014dk\u016blei\u00ae, a blend of seven rums aged up to 18 years, rivals the world\u2019s finest sipping spirits. Our breadth is by design: a comprehensive, additive-free collection built to anchor any professional cocktail program or elevated home bar.<\/p>

\nAbout Kuleana Rum Works<\/b><\/p>

\nFounded on the island of Hawai\u02bbi in 2013, Kuleana Rum Works crafts award-winning, additive-free rums from fresh k\u014d (heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane) grown on its regenerative Kohala farm. Committed to the highest standards of quality, the brand distills its signature Hawaiian Rum Agricole\u00ae without the use of added sweeteners, colors, or flavors. Now available in 19 states and Japan, Kuleana Rum Works champions excellence, transparency and community stewardship in its mission to elevate rum as a world-class spirit. Visit kuleanarum.com<\/a> to learn more.<\/p>

\nAbout Craft & Art Wine and Spirits<\/b><\/p>

\nCraft & Art Wine and Spirits is a premier sales and operations company founded to help emerging and high-growth beverage brands achieve national scale. Led by CEO Kevin Fennessey, the company provides its partners with a seasoned commercial team, operational support, trade marketing, and a robust distribution network across the United States. Craft & Art brings professional execution to complex, regulated markets, turning standout beverage brands into national names. For more information, visit craftandartws.com<\/a>.<\/p> Contacts<\/b>

\nMedia Contact:<\/b>Steve Jefferson\nFounder and CEO, Kuleana Rum Works\nsteve@kuleanarum.com<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kuleana Rum Works Partners with Craft & Art Wine and Spirits to Bring Additive-Free Hawaiian Rum to the NationKOHALA, Hawai\u02bbi–(BUSINESS WIRE)–While the broader spirits market contracts, Kuleana Rum Works, the award-winning, Hawai\u02bbi-based distill…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-infos-businesswire"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7704"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7704\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7705,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7704\/revisions\/7705"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}