Today sees the launch of a new spirit from Puerto Rico: Sonrisa rum. The brand offers three styles of rum: the aged Reserva, the gold Oro Especial, and the silver Platino, which are currently available in restaurants, bars, and retail stores in Florida, Nevada, and New York. It’s also available in 32 states via a new e-commerce platform that enables online ordering and delivery to your doorstep.
The rums have already been recognized with awards at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, including a gold medal for the Reserva with its notes of cacao and clove, and a silver medal each for the Oro Especial — with notes of caramel and marshmallow — and Platino with notes of cane and vanilla.
The brand’s founders say they want to raise the profile of rum to meet other high-end liquors like tequila and whiskey: “I love rum, but great rum is hard to find at most bars, restaurants and retail… Sonrisa aims to change that. We haven’t seen the ‘premiumization’ of rum as we have in other spirits categories. Sonrisa will do for rum what Patron and ultimately Casamigos did for tequila, and single malts did for Scotch Whisky,” said Jae Goodman, co-founder of Sonrisa.
The project is envisioned as a partnership with Puerto Rico as a whole; Puerto Rican musicians Fat Joe and Yandel, and baseball catcher Martín Maldonado co-own the brand. Sonrisa has created a foundation to donate $1 from the sales of each bottle to support small businesses in Puerto Rico.
“It’s not just about selling a super-premium world-class rum, it’s about giving back to the island of Puerto Rico — particularly Puerto Rican small businesses — with every bottle sold,” said Orlando Baeza, Sonrisa’s Chief Marketing Officer.
The rums are distilled in Puerto Rico using a sustainable process, including water reclamation, and are designed for both sipping and use in cocktails.
