Top Brands of Gluten-Free Rum

Celiac.com 09/17/2021 - We get a lot of questions about which particular products or brands are gluten-free, and safe for people with celiac disease. We especially get a lot of questions about liquor and alcohol. Recently, we've seen a lot of questions about rum. Specifically, which brands of rum are gluten-free?

We covered some of this previously, in an article about gluten-free alcoholic beverages. But, that was prior to the FDA's declaration that all distilled alcohol is gluten-free. 

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There are literally hundreds of brands of traditional and flavored rums. Nearly all traditional rums are distilled from sugar cane, and so they are naturally gluten-free and safe for celiacs. 

Watch out for rums that are flavored after distillation, as many of these contain gluten ingredients as flavoring. Unless the flavored rum is clearly gluten-free, such as Malibu or Bacardi, we recommend avoiding any rum flavored with unlabeled flavorings. As always, be sure to check labels, read ingredients, and choose carefully.

Top Brands of Gluten-Free Rum

Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum
Unflavored rums made by Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum are distilled in copper stills, contains no added flavors, and are considered gluten-free.

• Appleton Estate Signature
• Appleton Estate 8 Year Old Reserve
• Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Casks
• Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks
• Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Nassau Valley Casks

Bacardi
All Bacardi rum, including all flavored Bacardi rum, is considered gluten-free and safe for celiacs. 

• Bacardi 151
• Bacardi Añejo Quatro
• Bacardi Black
• Bacardi Coconut
• Bacardi Dark
• Bacardi Gold
• Bacardi Gran Reserva Diez
• Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada
• Bacardi Reserva Ocho
• Bacardi Spiced
• Bacardi Superior
• Bacardi White

Bayou Rum
Bayou Rum is an award-winning rum distilled in Louisiana from  from locally grown fresh Louisiana sugarcane.

• Bayou White
• Bayou Single Barrel 1
• Bayou Single Barrel 2
• Bayou XO Mardi Gras
• Bayou Reserve

Bundaberg Rum

A much storied and much lauded Australian classic, Bundaberg Rum offers several unflavored options, including:

• Bundaberg Original Rum
• Bundaberg Spiced Rum
• Bundaberg Red Rum 
• Bundy Wings Original Rum

Captain Morgan
A perennial bestseller and popular party favorite, Captain Morgan offers several unflavored options, including:

• Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
• Captain Morgan White Rum
• Captain Morgan 100 Proof Spiced Rum
• Captain Morgan Silver Spiced Rum

Cruzan
Though Cruzan rum does not claim or label its original rum as gluten-free, Cruzan's unflavored rums are considered gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease.

• Cruzan Aged Light Rum
• Cruzan Aged Dark Rum
• Cruzan Single Barrel Rum
• Cruzan Estate Diamond Light Rum
• Cruzan Estate Diamond Dark Rum
• Cruzan Black Strap Rum
• Cruzan Hurricane Proof

Havana Club
Havana Club is a respected maker of rum. Their traditional non-flavored rums are considered gluten-free, including:

• Havana Club Añejo 3 Años
• Havana Club Añejo 7 Años
• Havana Club Cuban Dark Rum
• Havana Club Selección de los Maestros

Malibu Rum
Malibu Rum offers another refreshing exception to the rule of flavored rums. All Malibu rum flavors are considered gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease:

• Malibu Rum
• Malibu Original
• Malibu Watermelon
• Malibu Lime
• Malibu Strawberry
• Malibu Pineapple
• Malibu Mango
• Malibu Passion Fruit
• Malibu Tropical Banana
• Malibu Black
• Malibu Red

Montanya Distillers
https://www.montanyarum.com/
We batch distill in the mountains using alembic copper pot stills over open flames, following in the footsteps of the earliest rum makers. Montanya's award-winning rums are finished with minute amounts of honey, less than .04% honey in every bottle. The acidity of the honey brings out the natural flavors of the sugar cane and the barrels. That, coupled with high altitude aging gives Montanya rum a unique, smooth and rich flavor.

• Montanya Platino
• Montanya Oro
• Montanya Exclusiva
• Montanya Valentina - Unlike other Montanya Rums, the Valentia has no added honey
• Montanya Aniversaria

Mount Gay Rum
The Mount Gay Rum visitors centre in Barbados claims to be the world's oldest active rum company, with its earliest confirmed deed from 1703. Mount Gay Rum offers six original non-flavored gluten-free rum options:

• Mount Gay Black Barrel
• Mount Gay Eclipse
• Mount Gay Extra Old
• Mount Gay Master Select
• Mount Gay Original
• Mount Gay Silver

Myers’s Rum
Myers’s Rum is distilled in Jamaica from pure molasses. It is plain and non-flavored and considered to be gluten-free. 

• Meyers's Original Dark
• Meyers's Platinum White

Rondiaz
All plain, non-flavored versions of Rondiaz are gluten-free, including:

• Rondiaz Rum
• Rondiaz Dark Rum
• Rondiaz Gold Rum

Tanduay
Tanduay is the largest purveyor of rum on the plant, outselling even the legendary giant Bacardi.

• Tanduay Dark
• Tanduay Gold
• Tanduay Silver
• Tanduay White

Again, except for brands that are known to be gluten-free, such as Bacardi and Malibu, beware of rums with flavorings added after distillation. Flavoring ingredients are often not listed and may contain gluten. So, unless you know otherwise, it's best to stick with plain, unflavored rums to be safe. 

Do you know about a good gluten-free rum that we missed? Share it in the comments below.