Spirit.Ed: Check Out Our National Rum Day 2026 Roundup - Page 9

National Rum Day is Sunday (August 16), and all month long, bars and rum fans alike have been celebrating National Rum Month. For this year’s National Rum Day, we’re sharing some of our favorite rum brands, rum-related offerings, and more.

I’ve said it before, and it rings true today, that rum is a category I’m still learning about. I’ve since moved past my early days of slamming Cuba Libre cocktails before getting into premium sipping rums, which are my favorites to indulge in for the rest of the month and beyond.

Instead of trying to come up with something elaborate, I’m going to share an excerpt from a previous National Rum Day post I’ve done because time is of the essence and I have some rums to taste.

From 2024:

Without getting geeky about it, some rums tout the fact they don’t use any additives such as sugar or caramel coloring, and very few companies are transparent about that. The unaged and aged rums of Barbados and Jamaica don’t use any additives, leaning on the well-earned craft of blending and aging where appropriate to coax out the complex flavors of their products. Other countries and producers also avoid additives as well.

There are some “dosed” or rums with added sugars that have such a nominal amount that it doesn’t truly adulterate the flavor. That said, rum purists out there steer far away from those generally speaking. Then there are overproof rums, a category I’m most familiar with as a person who enjoys tiki drinks and rum punch. These are akin to full-proof or barrel-proof whiskies due to their high ABV count.

As I said back then, the origins of National Rum Day are hard to nail down, but Days of the Year says the holiday first got its start in the U.S. Virgin Islands back in 1999.

Also, just for the pure heck of it, I decided to make a rum-based cocktail, and I want to be very clear in saying that I just made this up. I never had anything like it, so if your bar menu has this item or cocktail setup, I didn’t bite your style.

Rhum Louisiane Old Fashioned

Ingredients:
2oz Oxbow Estate Rum Rhum Louisiane Single Barrel
1/4 or bar spoon of rich simple demerara simple syrup (regular simple syrup will do)
1 dash Peychaud’s Bitters
1 dash Regans’ Orange Bitters

Directions:
Build the drink in a Rocks or Old Fashioned glass over a large cube. Stir liberally for 30 seconds. Express citrus peel atop the drink, placing the peel inside the glass. Enjoy.

Now, I know rhum agricole is, for some, an acquired taste, but I actually sip this particular brand neat (more on that below). I shared this with a neighbor, and they approved, even though they’re not big aged rum fans. As I said above, I don’t claim to have coined this recipe; however, I’m going to be making this one quite a bit.

Okay, with that out of the way, let’s check out some of my favorite rums and rum-influenced offerings. If I missed your brands or a cocktail you think we should include, you have until the end of this month to inform me by emailing me at dchandler@bhmdigitial.com. Otherwise, let’s raise a glass virtually and cheers to you all.

As always, sip safely and sip surely.

—

Photo: Getty

Appleton Estate

Appleton Estate, Jamaica’s oldest continuously run rum distillery, is an award-winning producer of the spirit. Currently under the watchful guidance of the legendary Master Blender, Joy Spence, Appleton Estate’s core rums range from its Signature expression, best for mixing, to its 21 Year Old, a bold sipper that exemplifies the beauty of aged Jamaican rum. The brand also has limited edition expressions as well.

Mai Tai

Ingredients:
2 parts, Appleton Estate® Signature
0.5 Parts, Fresh lime juice
0.5 Parts, Orange Curacao®
0.5 parts, Orgeat (almond) syrup

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice (crushed and cubes). Shake until chilled and pour into a double old fashioned glass. Garnish with one lime shell and fresh mint sprig.

Learn more here.

BACARDÍ

Those of us of a certain age are familiar with BACARDÍ, a longstanding, award-winning brand that was founded in Cuba. From flavored rums to RTDs and excellent sipping rums such as their Reserva Ocho, BACARDÍ covers quite a bit of ground for the category.

Daiquiri

Ingredients:
2 oz BACARDÍ Superior Rum
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
2 tsp Caster Sugar
Cubed & Crushed Ice

Recipe:
Add fresh lime juice and sugar to a cocktail shaker, then stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Pour in BACARDÍ Superior Rum, then fill the shaker with half-crushed, half-cubed ice. Shake vigorously until the shaker becomes cold to the touch. Strain through a fine strainer into a chilled cocktail glass.

Learn more here.

Brugal

Founded in the Dominican Republic in 1888, Brugal’s craftsmanship is inspired by Cuba’s rum-making techniques. The brand’s founder, Andrés Brugal, migrated from his native Spain to Cuba, where he discovered “ron” and adapted what he learned over the years in founding Brugal, hence the name of the brand’s flagship rum. Aged first in ex-bourbon casks and finished in ex-sherry casks, the rich flavor is imparted into the final product. It also makes for a great sipper or cocktail base.

Learn more here.

Bumbu

Bumbu is a brand featured heavily in some of our past roundups and has made its mark in the industry, especially its XO expression bottled in Panama. The brand’s original expression is a blend of Bajan rum with added spices, making it a solid base for tropical drinks. For those who enjoy rum cream, Bumbu has that on lock as well.

Learn more here.

Captain Morgan

To be frank, we only have experience with Captain Morgan’s original spiced rum and the sweet chili lime bottles, although we’re well aware that the company has expanded its portfolio over the years. Nothing is wrong with a classic Captain and Cola, but there are some other ways to enjoy the spirit on deck, including the featured Hurricane cocktail below.

Hurricane

Calls For:
0.75 fl oz of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
0.75 fl oz of Captain Morgan White Rum
2 fl oz of Passionfruit Juice
1 fl oz of Orange Juice
0.5 fl oz of Fresh Lime Juice
1 tsp of Simple Syrup
1 tsp of Grenadine
1 Cherry
1 Orange Slice
1 Glassful of Cubed Ice

Preparation:
Add Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, and Captain Morgan White Rum, passion fruit juice, orange juice, lime juice, simple syrup and grenadine in a shaker with the ice. Shake! Strain into a large hurricane glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a slice of orange, a cherry and enjoy.

Learn more here.

Chicken Cock Island Rooster

With roots dating back to 1856, Chicken Cock, out of Paris, Kentucky, has enjoyed a massive revival over the past 15 years to the tune of accolades from industry leaders and awards. Whiskies finished in barrels that previously held rum are a common practice in the industry, and Chicken Cock’s limited edition Island Rooster adds to this portion of the category. While we await our first sip of this expression, we can fairly say Chicken Cock’s whiskey is stellar on its own, and we imagine the rum barrel finish would only enhance the liquid.

Learn more here.

Crossfire Hurricane

Fans of the Rolling Stones might recognize the name of this growing rum distillery from the band’s “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” track. Crossfire Hurricane, co-founded by internationally renowned rum expert Ian Burrell, has a signature complex blend of four famed Jamaican rum distilleries: Worthy Park Estate, Hampden Estate, Clarendon Distillery, and Long Pond. Stay tuned to these pages for our upcoming review. We did have a small taste at this year’s Tales of the Cocktail, and it’s worth checking out if you like
Jamaican rum.

Learn more here.

Don Q

Don Q wins over rum fans by adhering to Puerto Rico’s laws that require products to be unadulterated with coloring or sugar. From mixable lighter rums from the Traditional Collection to bolder aged rums for sipping from the Serralles Premium Collection, along with flavored options, the Don Q lineup is steadily racking up awards for its commitment to quality.

Learn more here.

El Dorado

El Dorado hails from Guyana, producing a range of core expressions and single-still rarities that skew on the direr side of rum. That said, El Dorado’s 12, 15, and 21 year bottlings are among the finest sipping rums in the world is derived from molasses made of sugar cane near the Demerara River in the nation.

Learn more here.

Foursquare Distillery

Frankly speaking, Foursquare Distillery produces a wide variety of rums that highlight the craftsmanship of the blenders of this fantastic Bajan rum. We’re big fans of the sunsetting Exceptional Cask Series, but there are other rums the distillery makes, such as Doorly’s 14, R.L. Seale 10 and 12, and the “One-Eye-Man,” Old Brigand. Foursquare keeps their juice additive-free, and rum purists praise them for the practice.

Learn more here.

Mount Gay

Mount Gay’s position in the rum world is solidified by way of its solid core collection of rums that range from lighter mixers to bold sippers, and bigger flavor angles by way of the cask strength and new exceptionally aged collection, which we’ll review soon. We should also mention the brand’s limited edition single estate series is also worth seeking out.

Learn more here.

Oxbow

The United States doesn’t come up much in the rum discussion, although it is produced stateside. Oxbow is a newer discovery for us on these pages, and we’re glad to share more with our readers. Having tasted some of the range recently at this year’s Tales of the Cocktail, Oxbow deserves a spot on one’s bar cart.

Learn more here.

Zacapa

Zacapa is a rum we’re still getting to know as a brand, having only tried their flagship, the versatile No. 23. Using a Sistema Solera method blending rums aged between 6 and 23 years, Zacapa is gaining fans curious about rum from Guatemala.

Learn more here.