Vote Today for Your Favorite Craft Rum Distillery

     USA Today’s 10 Best travel and lifestyle events are very well known and always a good indication of what is going on around the United States.  We are right in the middle of the 10 Best Craft Rum Distillery Contest right now.  Look over the list of candidates and vote today at http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-craft-rum-distillery-2017/ . 

     Sugarcane plantations in the Caribbean began distilling rum during the 17th century from molasses, an inexpensive byproduct of the sugar refining process. The spirit came to the U.S. in 1664 with the opening of the first rum distillery on Staten Island and continued to grow in popularity through the Revolutionary War. Rum has come a long way since those early days, and distilleries across the nation are experimenting with how to craft the finest variations. We asked a panel of American spirits experts to nominate 20 of the best craft rum distilleries in the USA. Many of these distilleries work in small batches using locally-sourced ingredients. Many are family-owned. Many painstakingly distill their spirits using a blend of traditional and modern techniques. All take pride in crafting unique rums worthy of sipping as well as mixing.  Which is your favorite? Vote once per day until polls close on Monday, September 11 at noon ET. The 10 winning distilleries determined by your vote will be announced on Friday, September 15. 

Here are the current leaders, but you can add your opinion by voting for your favorite.

• 1. Wicked Dolphin - Cape Coral, Fla.
• 2. Tailwinds Distilling - Plainfield, Ill.
• 3. Roulaison Distilling Co - New Orleans
• 4. Lyon Distilling Company - St. Michaels, Md.
• 5. New Holland Artisan Spirits - Holland, Mich.
• 6. Lost Spirits Distillery - Los Angeles
• 7. Malahat Spirits - San Diego
• 8. Allegheny Distilling - Pittsburgh
• 9. Cutwater Spirits - San Diego
• 10. Calwise Spirits Co - San Diego
• 11. Still 630 - St. Louis
• 12. Richland Distilling Company - Richland, Ga.
• 13. Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery - Swisher, Iowa
• 14. Cannon Beach Distillery - Cannon Beach, Ore.
• 15. 3 Howls Distillery - Seattle
• 16. Privateer Rum - Ipswich, Mass.
• 17. The Noble Experiment NYC - Brooklyn, N.Y.
• 18. Artisan Grain Distillery - Davenport, Iowa
• 19. Do Good Distillery - Modesto, Calif.
• 20.Sutherland Distilling Company - Livermore, Calif

     These are the distilleries chosen by the expert panel put together to nominate the twenty distilleries to compete in this year’s voting to be named as part of the “10 Best.  The panel charged with the job of nominating the candidates consists of Emily Arden Wells, Martin Cate, Brian Christensen, Laura Johnson and Arthur Shapiro. 

     Remember you only have until Noon, September 11, 2017 to place your votes.