Edinburgh-based Ruma – home to the largest collection of rum across the whole of Scotland – is adapting to an ever-changing cocktail scene with a brand-new low-waste menu including non-alcoholic & non-rum options, launching an online shop, plus a host of new tasting experiences.
Ruma (Scots Gaelic for Rum) host to over 170 bottles of the spirit – more than any bar ever in Scotland – is celebrating one year in business. The rum experts are adjusting positively to a rapidly-evolving cocktail scene with a brand-new cocktail menu including a host of non-rum and non-alcoholic options, as well as launching an online shop in time for summer 2025.
Ruma’s brand-new menu is split into five sections based on each drink’s flavour profile: Fresh, Fruity, Short, Smoke & Savoury, and Classics – the idea is to make it as easy as possible for guests to navigate, learn & discover new cocktails – alcoholic as well as non-alcoholic.
Reducing waste throughout, the menu strives to use each ingredient to its fullest. Ruma’s most popular drink, the Spiced Pear Mule – which uses a poached pear syrup from fresh pears – is utilised to the maximum.
Any wasted fruit from the Spiced Pear Mule is then blended with spent wine, to create a new drink – the Mrs Kenmore – which is carbonated alongside a gentian liqueur and Brugal 1888 Rum, to create a fresh, fizzy cocktail reminiscent of sparkling wine.
A new online bottle shop will launch at the beginning of May containing all 170 of the Ruma’s rums available for rum-lovers to enjoy 30ml sample bottles at home. Ruma is also launching a range of canned cocktails for the new menu, handing them out to local businesses and bars to create comradery among independent business owners.
Ruma now offers ‘Rum Experiences’ – bookable each week on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday. A tasting flight of three rums, with different categories available such as ‘Taste of the Caribbean’ or ‘Intro to Scottish Rum’. The bar also hosts ‘Passport Sessions’, a world tour of rum tastings specialising in a different country each month and sampling six hard to find or rare bottlings, taking guests to the likes of Guyana, Haiti, Barbados, and Martinique.
Ruma Co-Owner, Jamie Shields, said: “We opened Ruma one year ago to welcome the largest collection of Rum to Scotland. The response from our loyal guests has been amazing. A thirst for knowledge and interest in where each rum comes from and tastes like is what our staff love talking about.
“In our first year we have seen a demand for cocktails and drinks of all types. At our heart we will always be a rum bar, but we also thought ‘why can’t we offer a range of other drinks too?’ Non-alcoholic options are now key in hospitality. Rather than relegating these to a section at the back of the menu, we believe that guests who are not drinking alcohol should have the same menu experience as those who are, as each has been crafted with as much care as the drinks with alcohol.
“We love championing local. That’s why we serve local beer from Campervan Brewery, and we also have a great wine list by the glass too. Ruma’s goal is to serve the widest range of rum in the country through unforgettable experiences, but also offer deliciously alternative drinks to ensure guests leave with a satisfied smile on their face, and always come back for more”.
Ruma is based at 39-41 Broughton Street in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town serving Scotland’s largest collection of rum.
For more information, visit: ruma.bar
