International Rum Day 2021 - Which Rum Should You Be Drinking?

International Rum Day (Nation Rum Day in the US) has been celebrated for many years and what better way to get into the celebration than at the end of a pandemic? Any excuse for a party is what anyone would need after the last year!

Rum originates all the way from the Caribbean in the 17^th century. Hard-working slaves on sugarcane plantations discovered that they could use the remaining molasses of the refining process, and ferment them into the spirit we know as rum.

European colonists quickly took to rum as their go-to beverage at sea due to the fact that their wine and beer didn’t travel well across the Atlantic. Also, because the spirit is much stronger!

To get in the spirit of National Rum Day of 2021, here is an ever-so handy compilation of all the best rums to celebrate the day with. From the classic coconut rum to the spiced specials, there’s everything you could wish for!

Burning Barn Rum

One of the best brands to try, especially if you’re interested in a local Birmingham brand, is Burning Barn Rum. With all rums forged from the fire, the statement 3 available is the Spiced Rum, Smoked Rum and Honey & Rum. An option for everyone!

Each rum has it’s own smoothness and richness, whether you like to drink this gorgeously crafted spirit straight or with mixers, Burning Barn have something perfectly crafted for you.

An incredible suggestion for serving, directly from their website, is to serve their Honey & Rum liqueur with fresh pink grapefruit juice, lime juice and agave syrup, topped with soda and a slice of pink grapefruit. This makes Burning Barn’s Honey Rum Paloma cocktail, which is the ideal choice for a summer celebration.

Jester Rum - Shakespeare Distillery

Another West Midlands rum to be added onto your ‘to try’ list is the Jester Rums from Shakespeare Distillery. This unique Stratford-upon-Avon based brand was founded in 2015 to capture the essence of the Tudor era, of which Shakespeare began his influence in England, and have recently introduced their Jester White Rum and Jester Spiced Rum.

With every bottle sourced from small batches, every sip is perfected within Stratford’s only working distillery. Their Jester Rum is British-made and crafted with ingredients and flavours inspired by the Shakespearean era alongside high-quality rum spices. The smooth taste makes this a beautifully homegrown rum to have as a sipping drink, especially for those who love the historical element!

The Jester British White Rum is an award-winning, fabulous choice to dine with on National Rum Day.

Lost Year's Four Island Rum

The Lost Year’s Four Island is one of the finest options for a smooth, smoky glass. The Four Island Rum is littered with awards and is a stunning blend of three barrel-aged rums from distilleries around the globe: Barbados, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. This gives the rum the authentic, Caribbean, tropical taste. They also have other delicious variations of their rum: Navy Strength, Silver Moon, and Arribada Cask Aged Rum.

Lost Year’s is a rum brand with a purpose, as every bottle purchased is saving up to ten baby turtles. Even the name of the brand is inspired by the turtles, as when baby turtles disappear beneath the waves after hatching, they aren’t seen for up to a decade. Lost Year’s wants to make sure as many of these endangered sea turtles live these ‘lost years’ in the ocean.

Alongside enjoying the first-class, aromatic taste of Lost Year’s Rum, feel good about supporting an amazing cause and have a cheers to the sea turtles.

Queen Cleo

Queen Cleo is a rum brand for those who love the history of rum. This original spiced rum highlights an interesting story about rum smuggling during the prohibition period. In the 1920s, Gertrude Lythgoe ran a liquor shipping operation from the Bahamas to the US, she has inspired the name of ‘Queen Cleo’ as two of her nicknames were ‘Cleo’, after Cleopatra, and ‘Queen of the Bahamas’.

This rum has a warm, smooth taste to the palate, reflective of the waters in the Bahamas, and ensures that whether you’re drinking Queen Cleo in the Bahamas, on a beach or on your sofa at home, you’ll be warmed through with that holiday feeling!

The Queen Cleo Spiced Rum is a stunning blend of many spices and flavours, including lime, pecan, vanilla, and caramel. Paired with cola, on its own, or shaken into a summery cocktail, Queen Cleo is a great choice to celebrate National Rum Day with.

Hattiers Rum

Another favourite is Hattiers Rum. Another UK based rum established in 2017 at the lovely coastal town of South Hams in Devon. This award-winning blend of aged rums is available in bars and pubs across the UK. Inspired by a love of the sea, Hattiers Rum was created with the memory of the sea-faring legacy the coastal towns of South Devon.

Hattiers Rum have managed to capture the essence of the sea and the fruity taste of the Caribbean in the same bottle.

An iconic blend for on its own or as a delicious cocktail for having on National Rum Day.

RumJava

An upcoming trend in 2021 is coffee-based rums, like RumJava Artisan Crafted Rums. With five different blends available, there’s a coffee flavoured rum for everyone!

RumJava’s Signature blend is a silky, smooth rum with just a hint of coconut within the vanilla-infused coffee flavour. This rum is handcrafted and double-distilled in Florida, which means the coffee beans are deliciously roasted and have the perfect combination of coffee to these mouth-watering flavourings, such as hazelnut, cinnamon, and caramel.

Try this luxurious coffee rum in many ways, as a sipping rum or mixed in a cocktail with fruit juices or hot coffee!

Make sure all of these are added onto your ‘To Try’ drink list to ensure your palate is properly prepared for Birmingham Rum Festival next year. After having to reschedule twice due to the pandemic, this epic festival is going to be back better than ever in 2022, and we need all of our attendees ready for the event! Buy your tickets now on their website.

All these beautifully crafted rums are the ideal way to honour a national celebration. There’s no excuse not to celebrate Rum Day of 2021 with all these extravagant choices on offer!