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

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.

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.

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Photo: Getty