What the Chufa is with RumChata?

RumChata: It's not milk, it's GOLD!

There has been an explosion of interest in RumChata over the past few months and we have been dumbfounded as to why this is happening. Typically when a new product hits the market, it is accompanied by a slew of advertisements in various media sources and often a lot of on-premise promotions. But RumChata isn’t backed by a multi-billion dollar portfolio holder like Diageo, and thus lacks almost all of these promotional features. It’s imported by a small company with a rather intimate portfolio, AHardy USA, which operates out of Des Plaines, IL, and is produced by Avage Loco, an even smaller company who’s headline product sounds like liquid fire. It seems like all of this is just some stroke of luck.

So why the hype? As Drinking In America points out, it could just be the stellar name, “Rhum-Chahtah.” It’s sexy. It’s fun to say. And before you finish saying it, the party has already begun.

RumChata does have an ad, though we haven’t seen in anywhere besides online. It’s funny, though it looks like it was made on the cheap. But as viral ads go, cheap is probably better. Take a look for yourself (don’t worry, it’s SFW):

Naked Larry – RumChata (YouTube)

And there are recipes, and an iPhone app (that only displays these recipes on your phone). But there is barely a whisper in terms of online buzzing. There’s only a chirp every now and then on Twitter, and there is absolutely no sign of RumChata on Google trends. Part of the reason for such a staggering lack of online activity, compared with it’s on premise success, may just be due to it’s lack of a solid nationwide distribution. Most comments are originating from either Wisconsin or Illinois.

Whatever the case may be for its success, RumChata is definitely getting solid word-of-mouth advertising and that is the best thing that could happen to any brand. So long as our customers keep clamoring for it, we’ll keep stocking it. Since the holidays are coming up, why not pick up a gift pack too? You get a 750ml bottle of your favorite liqueur, and a rock-solid coffee mug to drink it out of.

—————–

Can you tell us more about why you love RumChata? Let us know on Twitter! We’d like to hear what other people think about RumChata, and maybe crack the code to its success… or, just revel in all its milky glory.