The Rum Roundup: All the Best Bottles for When It's Time to Get Tiki

This is a genre that might've given you a few bad college memories, thanks to our friends at Captain Morgan. Unlike the sugary root beer notes of that spiced rum juggernaut, Boukman's rum is infused with native Haitian woods and barks. There's also bitter almond, clove, allspice and cinnamon, all added to a spirit distilled from only the freshest sugar cane. This stuff is too special to fill out a Rum and Coke – check out Boukman's suggested list of craft cocktails culled from bartenders around the country.

I'll continue my pattern of dunking on beloved brands here by saying this ain't no Malibu. Many lower-end coconut rums have a synthetic taste (thanks to artificial coconut extract), but Coconut Cartel cuts its product with genuine coconut water. It's an aged anejo rum – perfect for a coconutty Rum Old Fashioned – meaning its flavors are deeper and more mature. Notes of plantain, caramel and sandalwood make this one a delicious sipper.

A silver medalist at the 2019 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition, Krafted's pineapple rum packs a ton of flavor for a very low profile. Blended with real pineapple and aged in charred American oak barrels, it's fruit-forward but fresh-tasting, never cloyingly sweet. It's the perfect bottle to reach for to brighten up a Rum punch – or to spike with some Campari for a Jungle Bird cocktail.

While I grew up with piña coladas buoyed only by pale Bacardi, the real deal recipes call for both white and dark rum. Lemon Hart's 1804 blend is made in the classic British style, a solid workhorse for any cocktail that tastes just as good mixed with Coca-Cola. Though it shares similar flavors – like vanilla, nutmeg and clove – with a spiced rum, those spices aren't actually infused; it's all in the rum itself.

By far my favorite bottle on the list when it comes to aesthetics, San Zanj sets itself apart when it comes to tasting, too. It's a totally unaged spirit, which usually means it hasn't had the time to develop the complex flavors of a darker rum. But San Zanj, sourced and blended 100% in Haiti, has such incredible terroir that it's fantastic to drink. A little bit fruity, a little bit savory, this one makes a fantastic highball.

I first heard about rhum agricole from my favorite pretentious bartender. As a deeper cut in the rum world, it was mostly consumed locally in the Caribbean islands, before becoming a cult favorite with rum connoisseurs stateside. The key difference with this style is that unlike other rums, it's made directly from sugarcane juice, not cane byproducts like molasses. This gives it a funkier, grassier flavor that's fantastic for deepening sweet cocktails like daiquiris or mojitos.

If you've made it this far into the list, chances are you don't mind a boozy drink. Then buckle up, because while traditional spirits cap their alcohol by volume at 40%, Plantation's overproof rum clocks in at a whopping 69%. That's the hard-swilling tradition of rums stretching all the way back to the pirate days – making it the preferred varietal for all kinds of tiki drinks. So grab yourself a bottle and mix up a round of grog. In the comfort of your own home, who cares if you get a buzz going?