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.
Papa’s Pilar Rum
This wonderful rum, part owned by the Hemingway estate, recently launched its first full-fledged rummaking operations at a new distillery in Key West, though much of the rum will remain sourced from Florida, the Caribbean and Central America. But the aging and finishing of the rum is itself a work of art, and makes it one of the best rums in America.
Richland Rum
This American product is notable in that it’s America’s only single-estate rum, meaning every step of the rummaking process happens here, from cane to glass. And the result is a world-class rum, something you expect to find in Martinique, not in Georgia.
Koloa Rum
Long a Rum Journal favorite, Koloa Rum is distilled in a vintage copper-pot still using local sugar cane from Kauai, making for a wonderful range of both traditional and flavored rums. The latter are really the stars, though, led by the decadent coffee expression.
Thomas Tew Rum
This brash pot-still rum is produced by the Newport Distilling Company in Newport, RI, led by its wonderful single barrel expression (though the overproof is wild, too).
What’s your favorite American rum? Tell us in the comments below.