Rum · Florida
Rum Distilleries in Florida
Tour 9 rum distilleries in Florida. Each offers visits, tastings or experiences you can book directly — including Wicked Dolphin Distillery, Big Cypress Distillery, Loggerhead Distillery.
9distilleries
Hemingway Rum Company (Papa's Pilar)
Papa's Pilar rum on the streets of Key West
About rum distilleries in Florida
Rum is Florida's most natural spirit, and a tour of the state's distilleries quickly explains why. More than half of the sugarcane grown in the United States comes from Florida's fields, so makers here can work with truly local molasses and cane rather than shipping it in. The result is a rum scene with a strong sense of place, stretching from the Gulf Coast down towards the Keys. Sarasota's Drum Circle Distilling has been turning out Siesta Key Rum since 2007, leaning into spiced, toasted-coconut and limited-edition expressions. In Cape Coral, the family-run Wicked Dolphin draws on cane grown barely half an hour away to make its silver, spiced and Rumshine bottlings. Down in Key West, the Hemingway Rum Company's Papa's Pilar pours light-to-dark rums in a 19th-century warehouse near the author's old haunts, nodding to the island's rum-running past. Add St. Augustine Distillery, Big Cypress, Copper Bottom, Gamblers Bay, Loggerhead and Tropicana's 82 West, and you have a coast-to-coast trail built around sun, cane and a touch of pirate romance.
What makes Florida rum special
The headline is provenance. Because Florida grows so much of the country's sugarcane, distilleries such as Wicked Dolphin can source cane and molasses locally, giving their rum a genuine farm-to-bottle credibility that few mainland states can match. That closeness to the raw material shapes everything from texture to the grassy, tropical character you'll find in fresher styles. There's also breadth: you'll meet clean silver rums built for cocktails, slow-sipping aged expressions, and a long list of Florida-friendly flavours, with toasted coconut, spice and citrus appearing again and again. Equally distinctive is the culture wrapped around the spirit. Key West's Papa's Pilar plays openly on Ernest Hemingway and Prohibition-era rum running, while names like Siesta Key, Wicked Dolphin and Loggerhead tie themselves to beaches, marine life and the laid-back coastal identity that draws visitors in the first place.
What to expect from a rum tasting
Most Florida rum tastings are relaxed, conversational and generous with context. Expect to start with an unaged or lightly aged silver rum to set a baseline, then move through spiced and flavoured pours before finishing on a darker, barrel-aged expression. Guides tend to talk through the journey from cane and molasses to fermentation, distillation and ageing, and at cane-focused producers like Wicked Dolphin you'll hear plenty about the local fields. Many tasting rooms double as cocktail bars, so you can try the rums neat and then see how they perform in a daiquiri, mojito or house punch. At Papa's Pilar in Key West, the experience leans into storytelling and mixology inside a historic warehouse, while Drum Circle's Sarasota home focuses on its range of Siesta Key bottlings. Tours are usually short, friendly and well suited to first-timers.
Planning your visit
Florida's rum distilleries are spread along both coasts and down into the Keys, so it helps to plan around a region rather than trying to see everything at once. The Gulf Coast around Sarasota and Cape Coral is an easy cluster, pairing Drum Circle (Siesta Key Rum) with Wicked Dolphin and nearby producers, while St. Augustine and Copper Bottom anchor the northeast Atlantic side. A Key West trip naturally centres on Papa's Pilar. Check hours and tour times before you go, as smaller producers may run tastings only on certain days, and book ahead at weekends. Always arrange a designated driver or rideshare, and bring ID. If you want to take bottles home, ask about limited or distillery-only releases, which are often the most interesting thing on the shelf.
Frequently asked
- Why is Florida a good place for rum?
- Florida grows more than half of the sugarcane produced in the United States, so distilleries here can work with locally grown cane and molasses. That closeness to the raw material gives Florida rum strong provenance and a fresh, tropical character, particularly at cane-focused makers like Wicked Dolphin in Cape Coral.
- Which Florida distilleries are best known for rum?
- Drum Circle Distilling makes Siesta Key Rum in Sarasota, Wicked Dolphin is based in Cape Coral, and the Hemingway Rum Company produces Papa's Pilar in Key West. You'll also find rum at St. Augustine Distillery, Big Cypress, Copper Bottom, Gamblers Bay, Loggerhead and Tropicana Craft Distilling's 82 West label.
- What is Papa's Pilar rum?
- Papa's Pilar is a range of light-to-dark rums from the Hemingway Rum Company, poured in a historic warehouse in Key West. It nods to Ernest Hemingway and the island's rum-running history, and the distillery offers tours and mixology sessions on site.
- Do Florida rum distilleries offer tours and tastings?
- Yes. Most have tasting rooms and run guided tours that walk you through the process from cane and molasses to ageing, usually finishing with a flight of rums. Many also serve cocktails so you can taste the spirits both neat and mixed.
- Can I tour several Florida rum distilleries in one trip?
- It works best by region. The Gulf Coast around Sarasota and Cape Coral lets you combine Siesta Key Rum and Wicked Dolphin, while a Key West trip centres on Papa's Pilar. The state is large, so cluster your visits rather than driving the whole coast at once.
- Do I need to book a rum tasting in advance?
- Booking ahead is wise, especially at weekends and for smaller producers that run tours only on certain days. Check each distillery's hours before travelling and arrange a designated driver or rideshare, as you'll be sampling several spirits.