Cherry Rum Spritz
The first sip delivers on this aromatic promise with confidence; a full-bodied wave of luscious, candied cherry floods the palate, its sweetness tasting both familiar and exotic.
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A Cherry Rum Spritz crafted with Old J Cherry Rum is a wonderfully rebellious and flavour-packed take on the traditional spritz, offering a journey that begins with sweet indulgence and ends with sparkling refreshment. On approach, its inviting ruby-tinged hue hints at the rich flavours within. The initial aroma is bold and unambiguous, a captivating bouquet of sweet maraschino cherry that leaps from the glass, underpinned by the warm and alluring scent of vanilla and a subtle whisper of cinnamon spice from the rum’s base.
The first sip delivers on this aromatic promise with confidence; a full-bodied wave of luscious, candied cherry floods the palate, its sweetness tasting both familiar and exotic. This is immediately followed by the complex spiced character of the Old J rum, where notes of vanilla bean and a faint, zesty lime create a flavour profile far richer and deeper than a typical aperitivo.
Just as this initial sweetness and spice settle, the cocktail reveals its spritz identity with a bright, effervescent flourish. A lively cascade of bubbles from the Prosecco and soda water surges across the tongue, bringing a vital, crisp acidity that masterfully cuts through the rum’s inherent richness. This sparkling element introduces a clean, dry character with faint notes of green apple and pear, preventing the drink from ever becoming cloying and transforming it into something surprisingly light on its feet.
The mouthfeel is a delightful contrast of textures—the rum’s smooth, almost syrupy quality is constantly lifted and cleansed by the persistent fizz. The finish is long and satisfying, with the sweet cherry flavour gracefully receding to leave a clean, sparkling crispness and a final, lingering hint of warm spice, making for a uniquely spirited and exceptionally sessionable cocktail well-suited for a festive British summer afternoon.
The history of the Cherry Rum Spritz is not found in dusty old cocktail books but is a thoroughly modern story, born from the collision of two powerful and very recent drinks trends. The first, and most crucial, element is the rise of contemporary flavoured rum.
The key ingredient, Old J Cherry Rum, is itself a recent British innovation. The parent brand, Old J, was created in 2012 in Lichfield, Staffordshire, inspired by the 18th-century naval tradition of adding spices and lime to rum rations. The “Cherry” variant is a direct product of the craft spirits boom of the 2010s and 2020s in the UK, a period that saw an explosion of consumer demand for new, accessible, and fruit-forward spirits, a trend that began with gin and quickly spread to rum.
The cocktail’s structure, meanwhile, is borrowed from a much older European tradition that has enjoyed a spectacular renaissance. The “Spritz” originated in 19th-century Veneto, Italy, when Austrian soldiers would lighten the local wine with a “spritz” (splash) of water. Over the next century, it evolved into the classic Italian aperitivo—wine, soda water, and a bitter liqueur like Aperol or Campari. For decades it remained a regional favourite, until a massive global marketing push in the 21st century turned the Aperol Spritz into a worldwide phenomenon, embedding the simple, refreshing 3-2-1 recipe (Prosecco, bitter, soda) into the minds of drinkers everywhere.
The creation of the Old J Cherry Rum Spritz is a direct consequence of these two trends converging within the last few years. As British drinkers embraced the Spritz as their go-to summer drink, a desire for new variations emerged. At the same time, innovative UK spirit brands like Old J needed a simple, popular, and refreshing way to serve their new flavoured rums.
The fusion was a perfect match. By simply swapping the traditional Italian bitter for a contemporary British flavoured rum, a new style of spritz was born—bolder, sweeter, and distinctly different. Its history is not one of slow evolution, but of rapid adoption on pub garden menus and social media feeds, a perfect snapshot of current British drinking culture.
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