Angostura gets spicy! Launches new rum & cola blend, non-alcoholic bitters on the horizon

As Carnival 2026 revs into high gear, Angostura has added a new flavour to the season with the launch of Angostura Cubata – Spiced Rum and Cola.

The product was unveiled at a media launch on January 20 where acting chief executive officer Ian Forbes said the premium rum-based beverage is a take on the classic rum and cola cocktail using aimed at younger, lifestyle-driven consumers

Forbes said Cubata was developed as a “signature serve” – a recognised cocktail or combination of spirit and mixer – packaged in a convenient ready-to-drink (RTD) format.

He explained that while Cubata is based on the traditional rum-and-cola combination, it differs in formulation.

While white rum and cola is known as a Cuba Libre, he said Cubata uses coloured rum, specifically Angostura Tamboo Spiced Rum, blended with cola.

He added the use of the Tamboo Spiced Rum and an alcohol content of seven per cent – which he described as being on the higher end of the RTD category – sets Cubata apart from similar alcoholic beverages.

“What we have created here is the first iteration of spiced rum and cola,” Forbes said.

Forbes said the product was developed in response to the continued growth of the RTD alcohol market, driven by convenience, experimentation and lifestyle-based consumption.

He noted that rum-based RTDs were emerging as a high-potential segment, particularly among younger consumers.

The target market, he said, includes 21 to 35-year-old urban professionals, creatives and hospitality workers, with the product also designed for quick service in bar environments.

Angostura chairman Gary Hunt, speaking at the launch, described Cubata as the company’s latest RTD innovation and said it was crafted to excite the local market, with plans for wider regional and international distribution.

Hunt said Cubata represents the company’s signature take on one of the world’s most popular cocktails, rum and cola, “reimagined for today’s on-the-go consumer.”

He said the product is being introduced ahead of Carnival and aligns with shifting consumer preferences toward convenience, flavour and brand identity.

“Today’s consumers want great taste, they want convenience and a brand that reflects who they are.”

Angostura to rebrand outlets

Hunt added Cubata would be available at Angostura retail outlets nationwide and at Angostura’s Solera Wines and Spirits locations, which he revealed will soon be rebranded as House of Angostura Wines and Spirits.

Speaking with reporters after the launch, he explained the move is strategic, as it will better align the company’s outlet stores with the Angostura name.

“It's very hard to connect Solera with Angostura. A lot of thinking has to go into it. In the branding world, you want to keep things simple. Apple is Apple, Microsoft is Microsoft. Nike is Nike. Adidas is Adidas.

“It's very easy to connect House of Angostura with Angostura.”

He disclosed the rebranding proposal has already gone before the board and is expected to be rolled out soon, as part of a broader effort to harmonise Angostura’s corporate and product branding for stronger international appeal.

Hunt revealed the eventual goal is to open House of Angostura outlets in foreign cities with a large TT diaspora such as Brooklyn and Toronto to match the company’s international ambitions.

“Wherever we have diaspora, they are all yearning for Trinidad and Tobago, and Angostura represents a very strong cultural connection to our diaspora.

“Trinis abroad, they yearn for anything. If they have to travel 100 miles to get doubles, they will do it. So we're going to make (buying Angostura products) easy for them.”

Non-alcoholic bitters coming

Hunt said his overarching goal as chairman is to position the company for long-term growth under a strategy he described as “Angostura 2.0 x3,” with targets to double revenue and triple profits by 2028.

As a result, the company is also looking ahead to longer-term trends, including the growth of non-alcoholic beverages, and confirmed that Angostura is actively considering non-alcoholic products, including non-alcoholic bitters.

“You cannot ignore the trends,” said Hunt as he noted the company always has its eyes on the ball.

“The Gen Z's and the millennials are the ones that set the trend. And companies can go irrelevant if they don't adapt to the change and the changing sentiments and tastes and preferences of the new generation.”

He said while the growth trend in the alcohol-imitation beverage sector may not be popular in TT as yet, ignoring it will be unwise.

“It's very early. But whatever happens up north always happens here, guaranteed. So we have to keep our eyes on that.”

He added the company’s executives are “very much in tune” with what's happening in the beverage industry globally.

“They have brought it to the board's attention, and we are actively considering it. We are the trendsetter locally and in the region. So we will be at the front of it.”

As Carnival 2026 revs into high gear, Angostura has added a new flavour to the season with the launch of Angostura Cubata – Spiced Rum and Cola.