Updated May 2026.
US rum is a spirit distilled from sugarcane or sugarcane by-products (molasses, juice, syrup) and bottled at no less than 40% ABV under TTB’s standard of identity. A 1.5-ounce 40% pour is one NIAAA standard drink. White/silver, gold, and dark are color and aging stories, not proof classes. Overproof rum is a different pour — 60–75% bottles exist; do the math before you mix.
Bacardi Superior and Captain Morgan Original Spiced US flagships are typically 35–40% depending on SKU and market. Captain Morgan Original Spiced is 35% ABV (70 proof) in the United States — below the 40% rum floor because it is a spiced rum / flavored product, not straight rum. Bacardi Superior is 40%. Read the neck. See Bacardi Gold vs Superior and rum drink count.
How to read the rum shelf
| Label | Typical meaning | Drink math |
|---|---|---|
| White / silver rum (e.g. Bacardi Superior) | Column-still rum, often charcoal-filtered; US 40% | 1.00 std drink / 1.5 oz |
| Gold / añejo | Oak and/or caramel color — color is not a TTB age statement | Use labeled ABV |
| Spiced / flavored (Captain Morgan Original US) | Flavor added; US Original Spiced 35% | 0.88 std drink / 1.5 oz |
| Overproof (e.g. 151-class, 60%+) | Much more ethanol per ounce | 1.5 oz of 75% = 1.88 drinks |
| Agricole | Cane juice, usually Martinique AOC / similar rules | Read the label |
A 750 mL 40% rum is about 17 standard drinks; the same bottle of 35% spiced rum is about 15. “Years aged” on rum is not the US bottled-in-bond rule. Caramel coloring is common and legal for many rums; it is not a dessert-spoon of sugar we will invent a gram count for. Four 40% pours are four drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target.
Sources
- TTB standard of identity for rum: cane source; ≥40% ABV for rum as a class.
- Captain Morgan Original Spiced US: 35% ABV on current US labels (flavored/spiced class). Bacardi Superior: 40%. other SKUs.
- NIAAA standard drink (December 2025).