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.
