Celebrate National Rum Day 2024 With These Bottles & Cocktails

R um has its fair share of curious imbibers and true enthusiasts and is a category that is seeing plenty of growth both domestically and worldwide. For National Rum Day , we’re focusing on a handful of cocktails, bottle offerings, and even distilleries to get readers in the mood to celebrate.

I know today (August 16) is National Rum Day, but as someone who proudly states gin as my favorite spirit, rum is slowly creeping up the list as I learn more. The history of rum dates back to the 1600s, with Barbados universally considered its birthplace. Across the Caribbean and other parts of the world, rum producers have particular methods of creating the spirit via pot or column stills, with unaged or light rum and aged or dark rum completing a wide range of flavors.

Source: Try Media / Getty

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.

Source: Irik Bikmukhametov / Getty

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.

National Rum Day, like most of these sorts of holidays, has roots that we’re still trying to determine. According to the Days of the Year website, the holiday was first celebrated in the U.S. Virgin Islands back in 1999. But who are we kidding? We don’t need a reason to enjoy “kill devil” but we’re going to do it big today.

Also, if you’re looking for something this weekend beyond rum, check out this summer sips guide I put together. However, you should really have some rum today!

Celebrate safely!

—

Photo: Getty

The post Celebrate National Rum Day 2024 With These Bottles & Cocktails appeared first on Cassius Life .