In this article, we are going to discuss the 20 best rums for a refreshing Mojito. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global rum market, the most popular rum brand in the world, and the recent acquisitions in the rum industry, and go directly to 5 Best Rums for a Refreshing Mojito.
The Mojito is one of Cuba's best exports to the world. This rum-based highball is loaded with a unique flavor, has a fun style, and an appealing history. While the exact origins of the libation are lost in time, it is said that the original Mojito was a medicinal drink to curb disease on the island of Cuba. Back in the 16th century, an English explorer named Sir Francis Drake discovered the drink mixture as a cure for his crew’s dysentery and scurvy after an unsuccessful invasion of Havana.
Adding to the timeless classic concoction’s popularity is the widely spread rumor that it was also Ernest Hemingway’s favorite drink. At the famous Havana cocktail lounge La Bodeguita del Medio, there is a quote on the wall penned supposedly by the iconic novelist himself ‘Mi mojito en La Bodeguita, mi daiquirí en El Floridita’. But aside from the celebrated handwritten note, there exists no evidence that Hemingway even drank Mojitos, or that he ever set foot in the joint. Yet, the marketing stunt seems to have worked and thousands flock to the historic bar in Old Havana every year to get their ‘Hemingway Mojito’.
Global Rum Market:
As we mentioned in our article – 12 Countries that Produce the Best Rum in the World – the global rum market is estimated at $17.4 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $24.5 billion by 2033, with a CAGR of 3.5% during the forecast period.
Rum is building momentum and getting more popular in America. Today, the category is one of the most steadily growing and continues to benefit from several intersecting popularity shifts. In recent years, distillers have experimented with flavored rums, making the category much more versatile in offerings, and so today, flavored and spiced offerings account for over 57% of all rums sold.
This highly mixable spirit also provides a key function in cocktail culture. While rum is a staple of on-premise tiki bars, it is also one of the only spirits for which it’s common to blend multiple varieties in the same cocktail. According to Bacardi’s 2022 Cocktail Trends Report, four of the top-10 best-selling cocktails are rum drinks, making the spirit a must-have for all on-premise programs.
Most Popular Rum Brand in the World:
The Filipino brand Tanduay bested all others to claim the top spot as the Best-Selling Rum in the World. The rum business of tycoon Lucio Tan’s LT Group sold 27.4 million nine-liter cases in 2022, up 16.1% from the 23.6 million cases sold in 2021. For comparison, the world’s No. 2 rum brand, Bacardí, sold 23.6 million cases last year, including the brands in its ready-to-drink portfolio. That means Tanduay sold nearly 4 million cases more than its closest rival.
In a release, the company attributed the brand’s robust growth to its aggressive international expansion, the rise of cocktail culture, and its diverse product offerings. Besides its home country of the Philippines, Tanduay Rum is present in 18 international markets as of July 2023. The brand has partnered with leading international spirits distributors to make its products available in different countries and has tapped leading bartenders to help promote its offerings.
In 2022, Tanduay’s consolidated revenue reached approximately $560 million, a 26% increase from the previous year.
Recent Acquisitions in the Rum Industry:
The growth of premium rum has been reflected in the merger and acquisition space in the past year. It was announced earlier this year that the Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE:BF-B) has completed the acquisition of the Diplomático Rum brand and related assets from Destillers United Group S.L. (Spain), for an estimated $725 million. The spirits giant announced its agreement to purchase the brand in October 2022, giving it an entry into the growing super-premium rum category.
As part of the acquisition, Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE:BF-B) added a Panama-based aging, bottling, and shipping production facility to the company. Destillers United Group S.L. will continue to produce and age the unique, carefully-crafted, and complex Diplomático Rum in their original distillery at the foot of the Andes mountains. Distributed in over 100 countries, Diplomático Rum is a super-premium rum brand from Venezuela.
Another industry giant that has recently been busy making deals in the rum industry is Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO). It was announced earlier this year that the spirits behemoth has completed the acquisition of Don Papa Rum. The upfront consideration was $276 million, with a further potential consideration of up to $188.6 million through to 2028 subject to performance, reflecting the brand’s current growth potential. Available in over 30 countries worldwide, Don Papa Rum is a super-premium dark rum from the Philippines.
With that said, here are the Most Delicious Rums for a Mojito.
20 Best Rums for a Refreshing Mojito
Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we referred to a number of sources, such as Liquor, VinePair, Men’s Journal, Reddit etc., looking for the Best Rums for a Mojito. We picked rums that appeared at least thrice in these sources, assigned them a score based on their number of appearances, and ranked them accordingly. When two rums had the same score, we ranked them based on their ratings on Drizly.
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20. Ca?a Brava 3 Year Old Rum
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Ca?a Brava 3 year Old Panama Rum is aged in new American oak barrels, before being finished in Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey barrels - it is then carbon filtered to remove the coloring from aging but none of the complexity.
Ca?a Brava hails from the Don Pancho's Las Cabras distillery in Panama, where they use local molasses to make the aged rum from which this is blended.
19. The Street Pumas Panama Rum
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Rich in tropical fruit, vanilla, cocoa beans, and exotic spices, this is a dynamic white rum distilled from molasses in Panama at a site that shares lineage with the iconic distilleries of Nicaragua.
The Street Pumas Panama Rum is arguably one of the best rums to mix into a Mojito, Daiquiri, and several other cocktail recipes.
18. Bayou White Rum
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Bayou White Rum is the purest of the Bayou family with an enticing aroma of vanilla and banana. Made from locally sourced sugarcane, this beautifully smooth and versatile rum is distilled in traditional copper pot stills and bottled without aging, capturing the spirit's bright, crisp character.
It was announced in 2018 that the SPI Group has completed the acquisition of 100% of Bayou Rum owner Louisiana Spirits, two years after buying a majority stake in the business.
17. Plantation Original Dark Rum
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Plantation Original Dark Rum is a rich and intense style of Jamaica and Barbados rum, with their notes of plum, banana, and vanilla. The flavor is further enhanced by aging in Cognac casks in France, which adds fruitiness and spice.
Available in over 68 countries around the world, the Plantation Rum brand is owned by Maison Ferrand.
16. Appleton Estate Signature Blend Rum
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Crafted with Jamaican limestone-filtered water and no added flavors, Appleton Estate Signature Blend is a delicious blend of pot and column still rums, aged for an average of 4 years.
Appleton, along with the Wray & Nephew and Coruba Rum brands, was acquired by Gruppo Campari in December 2012, as part of the Italian giant’s purchase of the Jamaican company Lascelles deMercado & Co for $409 million. With 255,000 9-liter cases sold in America in 2021, Appleton Estate ranks among the Most Popular Rum Brands in the U.S.
15. Captain Morgan White Rum
Insider Monkey Score: 4
Captain Morgan White Rum is created from the finest of Caribbean rums and has a crisp, clean, and refreshing taste that is always worthy of the Captain’s attention.
Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) got ownership of the Captain Morgan brand after its $8.15 billion joint acquisition of Seagram with France’s Pernod Ricard. The London-based company, which footed $5 billion of the bill, got the lion’s share of Seagram’s portfolio.
14. Cruzan Aged Light Rum
Insider Monkey Score: 4
Exceptionally smooth, this expression is a blend of rums aged one to four years in American oak casks, then treated to a ?ltration process that brings out the full-bodied taste. The light color resembles that of chardonnay, a distinctive indication of its aging.
Although the Cruzan rum brand is now owned by the Japanese Beam Suntory, Inc., the founding Nelthropp family still operates the distillery and handles rum production. It was reported in 2022 that Beam Suntory is in talks with banks and potential suitors to possibly offload some brands, a move that could also include Cruzan Rum.
13. Don Q Cristal Rum
Insider Monkey Score: 4
Unlike most clear rums, Don Q uses a multiple distillation system to produce a cleaner, more refined, and more delicate flavor profile, so a Mojito made with Cristal will sip much smoother than a drink made with another rum.
Don Q, a multigenerational family rum brand, prides itself on its Puerto Rican roots. The label, produced by Destilería Serrallés since 1865, is popular as the oldest operating distillery in Puerto Rico, as well as the island’s best-selling rum. The brand has been available in the U.S. market since 2009.
At only $12.49, the Don Q Cristal Rum is counted among the Best Cheap White Rums for a Mojito.
12. SelvaRey White Rum
Insider Monkey Score: 4
SelvaRey White Rum is a unique blend of 3 and 5-year-old rums, aged in Bourbon barrels and charcoal filtered. The 3-year-old brings the youthful vibrancy of fresh-cut sugarcane, rounded out by the rich toffee notes of the 5-year-old rum.
SelvaRey Rum is a premium U.S.-based rum brand, co-owned by American pop/R&B/funk recording artist Bruno Mars.
11. Rhum Barbancourt White Rum
Insider Monkey Score: 5
Rhum Barbancourt is an especially fine rum, pot-stilled from fresh sugar cane juices to create a uniquely smooth taste to be enjoyed on the rocks, or with your favorite mixer.
Barbancourt is the most renowned rum out of Haiti, and perhaps also the most widely appreciated rum from the half-island by dint of being the most easily available, and affordable.
Rhum Barbancourt sits among the Best White Rums for a Mojito.
10. Banks 5 Island Rum
Insider Monkey Score: 6
Named after the famed explorer Sir Joseph Banks, this expression is a blend of 21 rums from five rum producing countries – Guyana, Trinidad, Barbados, Java, and Jamaica.
Originally formulated by master blender Arnaud de Trabuc, working with the American bartender Jim Meeham, Banks 5 Island Rum launched in August 2010. The brand was acquired by Bacardi in 2015.
9. El Dorado Rum - 3 Year Old
Insider Monkey Score: 6
Created on the banks of Demerara, the smooth and uniquely complex El Dorado aged rums represent over 300 years of Caribbean rum crafting. Laid down in oak barrels for at least three years, this rum is then double filtered through natural charcoal to remove color, resulting in a spirit that is incredibly smooth and versatile. This is the Perfect Rum for Mixing Cocktails.
8. Mount Gay Eclipse Rum
Insider Monkey Score: 8
Eclipse is the embodiment of the Mount Gay style, body, and aroma, which the Master Blender Trudiann Branker uses to blend every variety of Mount Gay Rum. For many, Eclipse is the reference by which all rum should be measured.
In 1989, the French spirits company Rémy-Cointreau acquired the majority ownership in Mount Gay Distilleries, Ltd, and still owns the brand to this day. The alcohol giant has invested heavily in Mount Gay over the last decade, including a $19 million refinery in 2014 and a $9.7 million plantation the following year.
Mount Gay Eclipse is one of the Best Dark Rums for Mojitos.
7. The Real McCoy 3 Year Old Rum
Insider Monkey Score: 8
Produced at the Foursquare Distillery on the Caribbean island of Barbados, this offering from Real McCoy has been aged in American oak Bourbon barrels before enjoying a filtration process to remove the color imparted by the maturation, but not the flavor. As such, this rum lends itself well to use in flavorsome cocktails and mixed drinks.
Constellation Brands acquired a minority stake in The Real McCoy rum brand in 2018.
6. Diplomático Planas
Insider Monkey Score: 9
Diplomático Planas is the replacement for the brand’s Blanco Reserva. This Venezuelan white rum is aged for six years, the same as its predecessor, and the strength has been upped to 47% ABV. It's an elegant and rich blend, with a surprisingly intense taste for a white rum.
Diplomático Planas is ranked among the Best Rums for Mojitos on Reddit.