Founded by good mates and top-shelf enthusiasts Luke Jones and Dave Lincoln, Honest is the result of an idea sparked during last year’s Lockdown.

While Dave was at home in Auckland and Luke stuck in London, the duo decided to create a unique spiced rum with spotless environmental credentials and a focus on design.

Dave says creating the brand was a way the pair could dream up their perfect tipple.

“Luke and I have always been partial to rum,” he says. “However, it’s arguably the most underrated and misunderstood spirit.

“Honest’s flavour profile is everything we want, earthy cloves and warming cinnamon, tonka beans adds the sweetness, and orange peel reminds you of its Caribbean origins.”

While so many classic cocktails rely on rum – piña colada, dark ‘n’ stormy, mai tai and mojito, Honest asks simply to be sipped from a tumbler to take in the aroma.

Reminiscent of cinnamon toast, that exquisite aroma from the locally-owned fine rum is influenced by the sophisticated flavour profile of six botanicals – tonka beans, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and orange peel.

Along with an exceptional taste, Honest stands out with its distinctive bottle design. Proudly 100 percent plastic-free, this elegantly designed rum is held in a Grecian-styled glass bottle. Wrapped in a pared-back parchment-like label that harnesses the undeniable power of good typeface, Honest is a proud addition to any top-shelf.

As their brand name suggests, Honest was founded on a commitment to being transparent, which includes environmental responsibility. By partnering with Ekos, the internationally recognised leaders in innovative environmental financing – Honest calculates and offsets all carbon emissions, which accredits them to be a certified carbon zero business. The brand is also proudly certified by A Plastic Planet as 100 percent plastic-free.

“Rum isn’t just an ingredient for nostalgic and slightly outdated cocktails, in fact, many of the techniques used are similar to whiskey,” says Dave.

“Ultimately, we believe the spirit deserves so much more than to be drowned in coke.”