In a big win for a local brand, Birmingham’s Campesino Rum recently took home “Double Gold” at the 2026 Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America competition in Las Vegas.

Campesino Rum wins big at 2026 Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America

Last week, the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) hosted the Access LIVE 2026 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas. During the three-day event, wholesalers, suppliers and retailers from across the country met to make new connections and discuss forces reshaping the beverage alcohol marketplace.

During the event’s tasting competition, homegrown Birmingham brand Campesino Rum scored an impressive 98/100 to take home “Double Gold” during the event.

“Campesino Silver Winning Double Gold at WSWA only confirms something we have known since Campesino started: that the quality of our products will ultimately be the key to our success.

Rum has long been plagued by big brands using added sugar and coloring to mask the harsh, abrasive spirit inside the bottle and it is humbling to finally be recognized by spirit industry professionals for our commitment to product integrity”
Hatton Smith II, Founder and President, Campesino Rum

Campesino previously won “Best in Show” at the 2021 WSWA Brand Battle.

Campesino Rum traces its history back to 2012, when Birmingham native and entrepreneur Hatton Smith II booked a one-way ticket to Panama. In the jungles of South America, Smith began distilling, bottling and selling his own flavored white rum.

Six years later, Smith moved back to The Magic City to begin selling his spirits on a larger scale. Today, Campesino uses rums from several South American countries to craft its two distinct blends:

Aged XIV, a deep, rich blend using 80% eight-year-old rum from Barbados and the Dominican Republic and 20% six-year-old rum from Panama, aged in ex-bourbon casks until full maturity.
Silver X, a light and clean proprietary blend of rum from Nicaragua, Trinidad and Tobago, aged in ex-bourbon casks before being charcoal filtered.

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