Sugar cane plantations in the Caribbean began distilling rum during the 17th century from molasses, an inexpensive byproduct of the sugar refining process. The spirit came to the U.S. in 1664 with the opening of the first rum distillery on Staten Island and continued to grow in popularity through the Revolutionary War.

Rum has come a long way since those early days, and distilleries across the nation are experimenting with how to craft the finest variations. To find the best craft rum, we asked a panel of travel experts and American spirits experts to nominate their top picks, then readers voted for their favorites.

Here are the 10 best craft rum distilleries across the nation.