Malibu is a coconut flavored
liqueur, made with
Caribbean rum
Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Ph ...
, and possessing an alcohol content by volume of 21.0 % (42
proof). As of 2017 the ''Malibu'' brand is owned by
Pernod Ricard, who calls it a "flavored rum", where this designation is allowed by local laws.
History
The product was created by
Tom Jago
Thomas Edwin Jago (21 July 1925 – 12 October 2018) was a Cornish liquor executive and marketeer known as the creator of Baileys Irish Cream, Malibu (flavoured rum) and Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
During his semi-retirement, he co-foundeThe La ...
of
International Distillers & Vintners International Distillers & Vintners was a brewing and wine and spirits distribution company, formed from the 1962 merger of W&A Gilbey and United Wine Traders.
Founders
W&A Gilbey was founded in 1857 as a gin distillery by Walter Gilbey, Sir Walte ...
, and originally made from fruit spirits, flavored with rum and coconut flavoring in
Curaçao. Originally, the product was used to simplify the making of
piña colada
The piña colada (; es, piña , "pineapple", and , "strained") is a cocktail made with rum, cream of coconut or coconut milk, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice. It may be garnished with either a pineapple we ...
s by bartenders. When the product took off, the production was then moved to
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...
, where the rum is made by
West Indies Rum Distillery Ltd., and the quality of the ingredients used was improved.
The brand was sold by
Diageo to
Allied Domecq
Allied Domecq PLC was an international company, headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, that operated spirits, wine, and quick service restaurant businesses. It was once a FTSE 100 Index constituent but has been acquired by Pernod Ricard. Th ...
for £560m ($800m) in 2002. In 2005, French company
Pernod Ricard purchased Allied Domecq for $14 billion. The deal meant that Pernod Ricard acquired a number of
alcoholic beverage brands including Malibu rum.
Marketing
Past advertising campaigns labeled it "seriously easy going" and usually features people from the
Caribbean taking life seriously, in a parody of the stress associated with the Western urban lifestyle, with a voice over at the end saying "If people in the Caribbean took life as seriously as this, they would never have invented Malibu. It's seriously easy going." This Caribbean focus of Malibu's advertising stands in some contrast to the fact that
the town after which it is named is in California rather than the Caribbean region.
Since 2014, the advertising campaign has shifted toward the idea of Malibu encouraging people to have their "best summer ever" with a YouTube campaign and TV ads showing the difference between "summer you vs rest of the year you". In 2016 Malibu started an internet campaign with a commerce website and via the hashtag #Malibu.
Variations
The original version of Malibu rum is flavored with
coconut. There are many different versions of Malibu rum in the worldwide market, flavored with various tropical fruits such as
banana,
pineapple
The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...
,
passion fruit
''Passiflora edulis,'' commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to southern Brazil through Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy ...
, island melon and
mango. Additionally, there is a blend with
mint
MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaA ...
, known as Malibu Fresh, a version mixed with
tequila
Tequila (; ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands ('' Los Altos de Jalisco'') of the central western Mexican s ...
known as Malibu Red,
and a double-strength version known as Malibu Black, which is a 35% alcohol by volume (ABV) rum-based liqueur that combines dark rum and the original coconut-flavored liqueur.
See also
*
Piña colada
The piña colada (; es, piña , "pineapple", and , "strained") is a cocktail made with rum, cream of coconut or coconut milk, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice. It may be garnished with either a pineapple we ...
References
External links
*
{{Pernod Ricard
Barbadian brands
Drink companies of Barbados
Foods containing coconut
Pernod Ricard brands
Liqueurs