The 13 Best Rum Brands to Buy Now in 2026, From Appleton to Zacapa
What is rum?
Rum is a distilled spirits made from molasses or sugarcane juice that is either aged in barrels or bottled un-aged. Like whiskey, the base ingredient is mashed and then fermented with yeast before distillation either on a pot or column still. If it’s an aged rum, it can be matured in any type of barrel, but bourbon barrels are most commonly used. There are different regulations about how rum is produced depending on its country of origin, and some like Jamaica are GI (geographical indication) protected.
How should you drink rum?
The short answer is however you like it—there is no wrong or right way to enjoy rum. That being said, it’s a good idea to at least taste it neat to really discover the spirit’s character. From there, drink it however you like—over ice or in any cocktail you can think of, including classics like an old fashioned, mai tai, rum punch, or daiquiri.
How did we choose the rum on this list?
We considered different factors when picking these rums, with the emphasis on taste. Because after all, despite a bottle’s availability or the hype surrounding it, that is the most important thing. Tasting rum involves a combination of sensations, including the nose, palate, mouthfeel and finish. And each category has different characteristics, so part of the process is to consider how an individual pick fits into its style overall. The bottles on this list represent the best rums based on all of these options, providing a good overview of selections you can easily purchase in person or online that are good examples of each individual category.
Why should you trust us?
Jonah Flicker has been writing about rum and other spirits for over a decade, visiting distilleries around the world to meet the people behind the bottles and find out more about their stories. He is a judge for the John Barleycorn Awards and New York World Wine and Spirits Competition and leads private tastings, and his work has appeared in many national other lifestyle outlets besides Robb Report, including Esquire, Food & Wine, Men’s Journal, CNN, USA Today and more.
