Seth Benhaim has never been one to play it safe in the spirits world. You might know him as the founder of Infuse Spirits Group, or from Broken Barrel Whiskey, the brand that shook things up by aging whiskey with broken staves for bold, distinctive flavors. From the start, Seth’s reputation has been built on one thing: breaking convention to create something unforgettable.
Now, he’s bringing that same creative fire to a new frontier: Mainland Rum.
Launched this year, Mainland American Rum Company is reimagining what rum can mean in the U.S. As the first independent American rum bottler, Mainland shines a light on rums made right here at home, celebrating local distilleries, unique terroirs, and craftsmanship too often overshadowed by imports.
Nearly 90% of the rum Americans drink comes from abroad. Yet across the country, nearly 3,000 craft distilleries are quietly producing incredible rums that deserve their moment in the spotlight. Mainland’s mission is simple: bottle the very best of them and put American rum on the global map.
For Seth, this isn’t just another project. It is about giving American rum the attention it deserves and proving that what is made here is every bit as exciting, if not more so, than what comes from traditional rum regions.
And of course, big ideas only matter if they translate in the glass. To kick off Mainland’s journey, we’re thrilled to share a single-barrel selection that shows exactly what American rum can deliver.
This 8-year California rum was distilled from molasses and aged in a 30-gallon virgin white oak barrel. Bottled at a staggering 155 proof, it is a powerhouse pour built for high-proof chasers who love releases like Kings County or 13th Colony Double Oaked. Alongside it, we have secured a handful of Mainland’s other small-batch rums from Louisiana, Florida, and Georgia, each one with its own story to tell.
A beast of a rum - giving off full and intense notes of toasted sugars and dark fruits like blueberry, plum, cherry, and fig, not all unlike something like Kings County, continuing with rich brown sugar syrup and sweet but mature oak.
At 155 the palate bites, full of chocolate covered blueberry, toasted sugars, and plenty of heat with an engulfing mouthfeel. Nips of spearmint meet sugared berries, and an intense oak brownie finish.
