It’s one of Caribbean Journal’s oldest traditions: we mark the Fourth of July with a celebration of the best rummaking in America. Because while you may not know it, rum was central to the American story of independence, and even George Washington himself marked his first inauguration with rum.

Happily, the American rum story continues to get better: more and more distilleries are popping up across the 50 states, and the quality of rum in American continues to improve, from Florida to the Pacific. And more people drinking rum is a good thing for Caribbean rum, too.

Here are our five favorite American-made rums for 2017 (excepting those in the US Caribbean territories, which we always feel should compete against their Caribbean brethren).

Here are our five favorite American rums right now.

Siesta Key Rum

This Sarasota, Fla. distillery (Drum Circle Distilling, to be exact) has long put out one of the best rums, not just in America, but anywhere, and distiller Troy Roberts’ loyalty to overwhelming quality continues, led by the flagship, simply spectacular Siesta Key Spiced Rum. Plainly, it’s just incredibly good rum.