When you think of rummy imbiber , you probably picture pirates and navy man acquire drunk on the high-pitched ocean , and for good reason . The British Royal Navy used to keep their crowd hydrated with water , beer and , yes , rum , which was rationed to sailors daily up until 1970 .
These day , rum is experience a bit of a Renascence . It is produced everywhere from the Caribbean to Europe to India . Meanwhile , the tiki drink craze refuses to go . The extremely mixable spirit present no signs of disappearing , with marketer pushing ripened and sipping rummy to a newfangled grouping of craft disembodied spirit toper . American actor and comic W.C. Fields once said , “ All roads lead to rum , ” and perhaps he was ripe .
The History of Rum
Before there was rummy , there was sugarcane , first bring in to the Caribbean in 1493 by Christopher Columbus . attend the vast voltage for profit — clams was always a hot trade good — early sugar cane James Leonard Farmer rushed to harvest the harvest and found themselves with a large excess of molasses , a muggy limpid byproduct of cabbage descent . Not recognize what to do with the excess molasses , farmers would just dump it into the sea — that is , until they acquire that the sugarcane by-product could be fermented and distilled into rum .
Though rummy production first develop in the Caribbean ( most potential in Barbados ) around the 1650s , it did n’t take long for the British colonists in North America to get on and adopt it as their own . In 1664 , they set up the nation ’s first rummy distillery in what would later become Staten Island , and three years afterwards , a still popped up in Boston . Rum yield became a booming business sector for the budding colonies thanks to their abundant resources and thirstiness , and by the close of the American Revolution , the state boasted about 150 rum still .
But it did n’t last forever . Breaking away from England meant the raw Americans mislay admission to British sugarcane plantation . Without the molasses , American distillers could n’t produce rum . So , they made do with what they had : grain . Whiskey became the all - American spirit we know and love today .
How Is Rum Made?
Unlike life such asCognacor bourbon , rummy is much declassified , meaning there is n’t a hard-and-fast system guide received yield . Therefore , any life that contains some contour of sugarcane can be called “ rum , ” and these beverage can grade from clear to dark with varying level of ABV .
That enounce , there are two chief case of rum . Rhum industriel ( industrial rummy ) is made with sugarcane byproduct and usually tastes fruitier . Rhum agricole ( agrarian rum ) , made with the sugarcane juice , is widely consider the key signature rum of the French West Indies , and it ordinarily tastes earthier than its industrial similitude .
Both styles can vary in color , from lightness to dark , but agricole rums are typically more floral and vegetative and can even be a little foul-smelling in tone . Each island in the Caribbean develop rum differently , but Martinique is the only geographic region with its ownappellation d’origine contrôlée(AOC ) , or “ controlled designation of origin , ” meaning only specific rummy from the Gallic West Indian island can be sold as “ AOC Martinique Rhum agricole . ”
In general , commercially produced , industrial rums typically depart with a infrastructure of molasses , yeast and water . During fermentation , the first whole tone of the process , yeast and body of water are added to the molasses . The strain of barm ( wild , fast or slow ) to which the molasses is discover avail determine the taste and aroma of the rum . The distillery also settle the method of fermenting ( innate or controlled ) , which also touch on the timing ( anywhere from hours to weeks ) . After unrest , the mixture is ready to be distilled . During the distillation process , the fermented liquid is placed in either a column still or a pot still . The liquidness is heat to about 175 degrees Fahrenheit , cause the alcoholic beverage to vaporise . distiller collect the vapor from the still and recondense it into the raw spirit .
After distillation , the rum is ready to be mature . The amount of prison term rummy spends being drum - aged varies , once again , by land and distillery . One class is typically the lower limit , but the aging cognitive process could last up to decades . Rum is lay in in bourbon , wooden or stainless sword tanks or some combination . Rum senesce in oak casks turns colored , whereas rummy aged in stainless brand tanks often remains colourless . Since a lot of rummy is produced in tropic climates , a good amount of the spirit is lose to vaporisation , stimulate it to mature at a faster pace than brandy or whisky .
After aging , distiller blend the rum to achieve a consistent flavor . During the flux stage , light rums may be trickle to remove any color gleaned during the aging process . With elderly rum , caramel may be added for color and relish , and water may be bestow to even out the strength .
Where Is Rum Made?
Most of the world ’s rum production is based in the Caribbean and Latin America . Most notably , rum is made in Jamaica , Barbados , Trinidad , Cuba , Puerto Rico , Guatemala , Guyana , Bermuda , Dominican Republic , Haiti and Martinique . But it can be grow wherever sugarcane is grown or imported .
Rum Styles
Silver / clean : ashen rum , also called " silver , " is very sweet , making it idealistic for cocktails and a spirit that is seldom intoxicated heterosexual . It ages quicker than any other grade of rum and is often filtered after age to remove any color .
Gold : Also bear on to as “ gold , ” atomic number 79 rums are medium corporal and a bit stronger in flavor than scant rums , having aged longer in oak barrels . Much like white rummy , gold rum meld well in cocktail , but some can hold their own as sippers .
Dark : A grade darker than gold rummy and sometimes do it by their colour ( brown , sinister or violent ) , coloured rums are senesce longer than light or atomic number 79 rums . They may be spicy or have a substantial molasses or caramel brown flavor . Full - bodied and sippable , dark rums are often service neat or on ice , but they can also be used in cocktails and cookery .
Spiced : Spiced rum begin with a golden rummy fundament , before spice are add up ( typically cinnamon , rosemary , nutmeg , clove and capsicum pepper plant ) along with caramel , depend on the sword .
Naval : Part of the dreary rum mob and typically proofed at 50 % ABV or higher , these rums are made in the dash of those historically rationed to the British Navy .
Single Barrel : Most rums on the market are go to accomplish a consistent flavor . A single - barrel rummy comes from just one barrel and may sample different from barrel to barrel .
Overproof : This full term pertain to rum with an ABV over a standard note value , usually 120 proof , or 60 % ABV .
Notable Rum Cocktails
Daiquiri : Jennings Cox , an American mining locomotive engineer , is credit for the Daiquiri ’s conception , though he may not be the lone artificer . He named the cocktail after a beach near Santiago de Cuba . Cox ’s Daiquiri calls for Bacardi rum , maize , refined sugar , mineral water and break down ice , but today , the classic rum cocktail is more unremarkably made with white rummy , simple syrup and caustic lime succus .
Mojito : The essential Cuban cocktail , a Mojito is made with whitened rummy , saccharide , linden , mint and soda water .
Mai Tai : First made popular by tiki legend Victor “ Trader Vic ” Bergeron Jr. in the 1930s , the Mai Tai is made with both light and dark rums , along with orgeat , curaçao and lime succus .
Cuba Libre : A fancy way to order a Rum and Coke .
Dark ' N ' Stormy : Technically made only with Gosling ’s Black Rum and gingerroot beer , the drink can also be doctored with lime juice and Angostura bitters .
Rum in Culture
