Banter Rum Earns Gold Outstanding (98 Points) and Silver (91 Points) at the 2026 IWSC

Only on the market for 8 months, and with both rums retailing under $30, Banter White Rum claims one of only two Gold Outstanding medals awarded in the region. Banter Amber Rum earns Silver.

Lafayette, LA – June 2026 – American Cane today announced that its Banter Rum earned top honors at the 2026 International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC), often called “the Oscars of Spirits,” with Banter White Rum receiving a Gold Outstanding medal with 98 points and Banter Amber Rum receiving a Silver medal with 91 points. Banter White achieved the competition's highest distinction, a medal reserved for spirits scoring between 98 and 100 points, awarded to roughly 1% of entrants.

Held in Bardstown, Kentucky, the IWSC's North American Spirits & RTD Judging brought together an international panel of buyers, bartenders, distillers, and Masters of Wine to evaluate hundreds of entries across whiskey, gin, vodka, tequila, RTD, and rum.

“Banter White was built to prove that affordable rums can be dry, delicious, and flavorful,” said Maggie Campbell, Fractional CEO. “I’m proud that our rums, priced under $30, were built to exceed people’s expectations based on the bottle cost. That’s an experience that everyday folks who are really feeling the cost of living have not had in a while, and it is energizing.”

“I was incredibly thrilled to see that we’d received such a prestigious rating from the IWSC,” said Chaz Vest, Co-Founder of American Cane. “It feels even more amazing to be achieving this score as an accessibly priced white rum. Super proud of our team!”

Banter White Rum is a dry, lively pot-and-column blend distilled from molasses and cane juice, with notes of lime zest, vanilla bean, soursop, and macadamia. Banter Amber Rum, aged up to four years, brings pecan, baking spice, and singed grapefruit on the nose, with macadamia, citrus, honey, and pineapple marmalade on the palate. Both rums retail for approximately $24–$29, depending on market, with no sweeteners, flavorings, or shortcuts.

Banter is available online at thebanterisbetter.com, shipping to 40 states, and in stores and restaurants in Massachusetts, California, and New York, with further rollout in 2026.

About American Cane

Rooted in the heartland of cane country, American Cane strives to lead the next chapter in America’s rum story, producing top-tier expressions and building the country’s premier rum house. American Cane draws on the nation’s rich rum heritage of sourcing and production while placing flavor and quality at the center of the modern rum revival. Its mission is to raise global expectations for rum’s reputation in America and help define its distinct identity. Honoring the contributions of the past and guided by a forward-looking vision, American Cane is daring, distinctive, and unmistakably American.