Premium rum in Brookings

Brookings may sit deep in the Great Plains, but South Dakota State University gives this city an outward-looking character that few small American cities can match, a global student community, a growing arts scene, and an appetite for quality that travels far beyond the prairie. That community now has access to one of the world’s great award-winning rums. Ron Carúpano, Venezuela’s most awarded premium rum, is available in Brookings, bringing the full additive-free Venezuelan rum lineup to eastern South Dakota.

The eight Ron Carúpano expressions represent every dimension of the premium rum category. The Classics & Ultra-Premium: the approachable Legendario, the three-time Gold Medal Reserva Especial, the extended-age X.O., and the single-vintage Reserve 1996. The Limited Collectors: Reserva Limitada and Reserva Exclusiva. Distinctive Blends: the barrel-aged Cristalino and the small-batch Reserva Privada.

Each expression is produced at the historic Destilería Carúpano in Venezuela, founded in 1763, older than the university towns that would eventually carry its rum to places like Brookings — and features a strict zero-additive policy with no added sugar, caramel color, or flavor corrections. Three consecutive Gold Medals from independent international competitions in 2024, 2025, and 2026 confirm that what arrives in Brookings is not a regional curiosity but one of the world’s genuinely great aged spirits.