United States > Illinois

Rum Guide to Illinois

Named the Prairie State for its vast, fertile plains, Illinois offers a blend of urban vibe and rural charm. Skyscrapers like Willis Tower pierce the Chicago skyline, and farmland stretches towards the mighty Mississippi River. While sugarcane isn’t king here, rum has found a unique niche. Prohibition saw a boom in rum bootlegging, with Chicago’s Al Capone even sourcing it from Canada. Fast forward to 2004, and Illinois’ first craft distillery opened, igniting a rum-making spark. Chicago is a top destination for rum cocktail lovers to explore and now has one of the first worker-owned spirits producers in the world that makes rum.