The Best Selling Rum In The World Is A Brand You May Not Recognize

If you've ever looked for rum at an American bar, odds are there was a bottle of Bacardi somewhere. The brand is a giant in the rum world, and the alcohol industry more broadly, as the world's largest privately owned, family-held distiller. But, despite Bacardi's prominence, it's only the second-best-selling rum worldwide. The winner? Tanduay, an icon of the Philippines.

According to The Spirits Business, a trade magazine for the alcohol industry, Tanduay sold 23.2 million cases of rum in 2025, far ahead of Bacardi at 19.3 million cases. Both have slumped from 2024 amid a broader rum industry downturn, but Tanduay less so. That's reflective of long-term consumer preference: It's been the world's best-selling rum for nine years straight.

Tanduay dark rum is most common in the Philippines, where it's also made and headquartered since 1854. This rum can also be found in at least 23 other countries across the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, and North and South America. While some believe that Tanduay is unavailable in the United States, some liquor stores with larger selections may be able to fulfill an order.

Before you go out of your way to special order Tanduay dark rum, consider the differences between dark rum and light rum. They're both distilled from sugarcane, albeit with different methods, and while light rum has a short aging process (if any) in stainless steel barrels, dark rum is aged for several years in barrels typically made of oak or acacia wood, which were often previously used to age other alcoholic beverages. Dark rums thus have more prominent flavor notes, meaning spirits such as Tanduay dark are the rums you should avoid when making mojitos. The inherent flavors of dark rum are too strong, and overpower what's supposed to be a crisp, clean, gently sweet cocktail.

However, there is a mojito-inspired cocktail perfect for dark rum: the old Cuban. It's essentially a mojito with dark rum and champagne, instead of light rum and seltzer water. It's spicy, sweet, and boozier, with overall bigger flavors than the original drink. However, think twice before paying extra for Tanduay dark (or the other rums the brand sells): reviews suggest it's a perfectly competent spirit for mixing, but not a particularly memorable experience either. Perhaps save it for when you see a bottle in person.