International Rum Day is on August 16 and it's a great opportunity to learn something new about this incredible libation.
Rum is a diverse spirit
Rum was born in the 17th century and it was made from molasses — the byproduct of sugarcane. The startup spirit, however, was far from great. Within many years, experiments with taste and methods of production, the terrible moonshine became the sipping delicacy we know today.
The diversity of the rum category is incredible: light, gold, dark, aged, spiced, flavoured, etc. Rum is also an international spirit as it is produced in many different countries. There are rums from Puerto Rico, Cuba, India, and even Scotland. Hence, rum varies greatly based on production technique and terroir. You have rums that can make every drinker happy — from gin lover to whisky aficionado.
People think that because rum is made from byproducts of sugarcane that the final product is loaded with sugar. The truth is that after the distillation process you are left with as much sugar as any other spirit.
Rum can be savored in many ways
White rum is traditionally used in cocktails, punches, and mixed drinks while aged and aged rums are sipped neat on the rocks, just like whisky. Aged rum also can be used in different cocktails from classics like an Old Fashioned to a Manhattan, to spicy cocktails usually designated for tequila. Here are some rum-based cocktail recipes to try.
Although often consumed mixed with other ingredients, rum exists as more than a cocktail spirit. Have you tried Don Q Double Wood Rum Sherry Wood Finish neat? That's definitely something worth sipping: rich and complex, with hints of tobacco, dried fruit, cinnamon, clove, and dried cherry.
Rum is frequently used as a flavouring in desserts, sauces and other dishes. It is also used to flavour tobacco.
So, next time you are in a mood for rum, instead of trivial rum and coke, try a flavoured rum on the rocks and enjoy the assortment of tastes it provides. Experiment with new ways to savor rum!
Rum is a new whisky
From distilled waste and pirates’ poison to sipping delight, rum has come a long way. It was considered nothing more than a fun-time drink that should be spiced, flavoured and mixed to cover up the bad taste. But now rum is finally getting its way to the world of high-end drinking.
In fact, rum and whisky have a lot in common if you think about it. They both are distilled from a raw product that has been fermented with yeast, molasses in the case of rum and grain in the case of whisky, and then aged in oak casks for long period and can be blended or single barrel. There are great bottles of rums aged in new oak barrels, vermouth casks, finished in sherry wood. Both rum and whisky also have a diversity of styles.
Hence, aged rums are perfect for whiskey drinkers. These libations posses a complexity and unique flavour profile that every whisky connoisseur is looking for.