Rum is one of the most popular liquors in the world. And it was a necessity as a trade item in days gone by. So, it has a long history ? with the earliest known reference written by Marco Polo ? and the first distillation carried out on Caribbean sugarcane plantations in the 17th century.
After 500 years rum is making an impressive comeback and predictions show that spiced and flavoured rum categories will become a leading drink for consumers in the next few years.
What is rum and how to drink rum like a pro ? find out more here?
Rum Definition
What is rum? Rum is defined as a type of brandy distilled from sugarcanes. It contains the natural flavour and oils of the sugarcane ? with certain other added notes such as caramel, vanilla, nutmeg, and spice denoting good quality.
What is rum made of? This question can be answered simply ? it?s made from sugar. This may be sugar from the cane or the by-products of cane sugar like black treacle and molasses. Different ages of rum can be blended to create a more consistent flavour.
What does rum taste like? The underlying profile of rum is sweet, toasted sugar. All rum is made from sugar but a white rum can be dry. Gold rum has caramel commonly added to it. And dark rum aged in oak adds other wood flavours that can liken the liquor to Scotch. Navy rum is very strong, and fruit flavoured rum is infused with natural juices. Spiced rum has natural herbs and spices added.
How Is Rum Made?
Rum is made using one of three methods:
? Directly fermenting sugar cane juice
? Creating a concentrated syrup from sugar cane juice and then fermenting
? Processing the juice into molasses followed by fermenting
The most important step is properly harvesting the sugar with the cane cut close to the ground. Then while the sugar content is high it must be milled quickly, boiled, rendered down, and the juice squeezed out.
Distillation typically happens in pot stills. Depending on the type of rum it may go through the distillation process twice, raising the alcohol content. Ageing can be from a few weeks up to thirty years!
Rules for Drinking Rum
How to drink rum ? just like whiskey with a splash of water or ice, and a slice of lime. Or simply drinks it neat in a small glass, warmed between your hands.
What to mix rum with may include:
? Ice, lime, and cola
? Apple juice
? Coconut water
? Ginger beer or ginger ale
This article is provided by Samson?s Paddock restaurant
