Tanduay, the world’s number one rum according to Drinks International, continues its aggressive international expansion. Most recently, the 165-year-old Filipino brand partnered with one of Guam’s leading spirits distributor, TITAN Imports, for its distribution in the U.S. territory.

“We believe that the brand will grow in the state of Guam having a lot of Filipinos residing in that state who’re familiar with the brand, and the locals of Guam themselves who’re looking for quality products,” said Paul Lim, Tanduay Senior Vice President for Marketing, in his opening speech during the launch held at Sharaton Laguna Guam Resort.

The event included a brand education seminar conducted by Tanduay Business Development Manager and TITAN managing director John Antenorcruz.

A bartending competition followed, where contestants where challenged to create drinks using Tanduay Dark Rum, Tanduay Asian Rum Gold, and Guam’s freshest ingredients.

A cocktail event was also held in another venue, The Atrio, to celebrate the distribution deal with F&B directors, restaurant managers, hotel owners, and business decision makers in attendance. They were provided with entertainment along with specialty drinks and exciting prizes from Tanduay.

For the past three years, Tanduay has been aggressive in opening new markets for its quality rums in countries outside of the Philippines. In 2018, its volume in the US grew by 114% year-on-year, from the first half of 2018 versus the first half of 2017.

Its overall product sales grew by 3% in 2018 from 2017, making it the world’s best-selling rum for two years running. According to Drinks International, Tanduay 20.1 million 9-liter cases in 2018. It is the only rum brand to reach the 20 million mark for that year.

Most recently, Tanduay was declared Brand of the Year by the World Branding Forum, a global non-profit organization dedicated to advancing branding standards. This is the fifth year that the company won the prestigious award.