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National Rum Day is an informal American date, 16 August
National Rum Day is 16 August. Difford’s Guide records that it began in the United States and is now kept in some other countries on the same date.
It has no official standing. No government has proclaimed it, no founder or sponsoring body is on record, and no event is attached to the date. Treat it as a calendar date for enjoying rum, not an anniversary.
Other rum days sit nearby in the calendar, and they are easy to confuse.
Rum days compared, from Difford’s Guide and, for Black Tot Day, Royal Museums Greenwich
National Rum Day
- Date
- 16 August
- Where it began
- The United States
- What it marks
- Nothing documented; an informal day for rum
International Rum Day
- Date
- 16 August
- Where it began
- A name some calendars outside the US give the same date
- What it marks
- The same informal day
World Rum Day
- Date
- Second Saturday in July
- Where it began
- Listed separately from National Rum Day
- What it marks
- An informal day for rum
Black Tot Day
- Date
- 31 July
- Where it began
- The Royal Navy, United Kingdom
- What it marks
- The last daily rum ration, 31 July 1970
| Day | Date | Where it began | What it marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Rum Day | 16 August | The United States | Nothing documented; an informal day for rum |
| International Rum Day | 16 August | A name some calendars outside the US give the same date | The same informal day |
| World Rum Day | Second Saturday in July | Listed separately from National Rum Day | An informal day for rum |
| Black Tot Day | 31 July | The Royal Navy, United Kingdom | The last daily rum ration, 31 July 1970 |
The rum dates in 2027
World Rum Day
- Date in 2027
- Saturday 10 July
Black Tot Day
- Date in 2027
- Saturday 31 July
National Rum Day
- Date in 2027
- Monday 16 August
| Day | Date in 2027 |
|---|---|
| World Rum Day | Saturday 10 July |
| Black Tot Day | Saturday 31 July |
| National Rum Day | Monday 16 August |
Nobody has documented why 16 August was chosen
No reason for 16 August has been documented. Any explanation offered for the date, late summer included, is guesswork.
The UK has no national rum day, and Black Tot Day is the British date
There is no national rum day in the UK. No government department or trade body has designated one. British bars and shops that mark 16 August are using the American date.
Britain’s own date in the rum calendar is Black Tot Day, 31 July: the day in 1970 the Royal Navy issued its last daily tot of rum. It marks a real event, recorded in Parliament. Jerry Can Spirits was founded on Black Tot Day 2025.
Tasting one rum from each tradition is the simplest way to mark it
Rum is made in three main traditions, set by the countries that colonised the islands, and 16 August is a fair excuse to taste one of each. Rum, rhum or ron sets out the differences, and the Caribbean rum houses the producers.
English-speaking islands make the heavier rums
Barbados, where Richard Ligon found rum distilled in the late 1640s, blends pot and column rum. Jamaica makes heavy, fruity pot-still rum from long fermentations. Guyana’s Demerara rum is dark and dense. These are the rums to reach for when you want weight.
Spanish-speaking islands make light ron
Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic make ron, lighter rum from column stills, often aged in casks. A white ron is the base of the Daiquiri and the Mojito.
French islands make rhum agricole from cane juice
Martinique and Guadeloupe distil rhum agricole from fresh cane juice rather than molasses. It tastes of grass and cane. Martinique’s appellation dates from 1996.
Taste from the lightest rum to the heaviest
Pour a small measure of each into a tulip glass, let it sit for a minute, and nose it with your mouth slightly open. Taste the lightest first and the heaviest last, or the light rums taste of nothing. A few drops of water open up a strong rum. How to taste rum covers the method in full.
Each style has a classic drink
For a ron, the Daiquiri: white rum, lime and sugar. The Mojito adds mint and soda.
For a heavier rum, the Dark and Stormy with ginger beer and lime, or the Mai Tai with aged rum, lime and orgeat. For rhum agricole, the Ti’ Punch: rhum, lime and cane syrup.
For the navy line, the Navy Grog, rum with lime and water. A Rum Punch scales any of these for a group.
A home tasting needs three or four rums and small pours
Three or four rums are enough, ideally one from each tradition, or white, aged and dark from one island. Pour 15ml to 20ml of each per person.
Cover the bottles or number the glasses so nobody sees the label. Give each taster water, plain crackers and a card for colour, nose, palate and finish. Pour the lightest first and the heaviest last.