| The history of rum is closely linked to the history of sugar itself, or more specifically the sugar cane from which the soul of rum is extracted. Sugar cane is native to the East Indies but after its discovery by Europeans in the 11th century, it was spread throughout Europe, South America, Asia and India, the Pacific Islands as well as the Caribbean – the warm climate of which, provided the ideal conditions for forging top-quality rum. Sugar cane was increasingly planted to feed Europe’s insatiable need for sugar, and the molasses (sweet syrup left over after canes are crushed, boiled and the sugar crystals removed) was at first simply discarded. But it wasn’t long until someone noticed that if this still sugar-rich syrup was left out in the sun too long, fermentation would begin and – you guessed it – rum was born.
At first the English dubbed this rather nasty drink "kill devil," whether for its medicinal power or its tendency to cause a rather nasty hangover, no one’s sure. The word rum was eventually shortened from the term "rumbullion," as the locals had dubbed it. Rum was sold mostly to locals as a medicinal drink, but shrewd plantation owners also sold it at a discount to naval ships. This was a way of keeping them close by, and thus warding off any pirates. By the 1730s, Britain’s Royal Navy had adopted a ration of half a pint of water-diluted rum per day, which became known as grog. This tradition lasted in the British navy until 1969 (explains a lot), and, in fact, it was the travels of the navy that introduced rum to the rest of the world.
Rum is made by fermenting either cane juice or molasses mixed with water, and then distilling the resulting low-alcohol wine. This can be done using either a traditional pot still or, more commonly, a continuous still which allows for speedier production. The resulting product is always clear and any colour found in rum is a result of aging in oak barrels or, more commonly, from colour added by the distiller. The main categories of rum are white, golden, dark, spiced and anejo, or aged rum.
White rum is light and subtle and usually sees little or no aging; it is best reserved for cocktails or highballs. Golden rum (also known as amber) is a little more interesting, having more body and often a few years aging in the barrel to soften the palate, but this, too, is generally relegated to the common cocktail. Dark rums are richer and typically have a caramel component; those made from pot stills can be worth consuming "sans mix." Spiced rums are made with the infusion of spice or dried fruit. This gives the rum a unique character, and thus limits the type of mix you ought to use. Generally these go well with fruit juices. Anejo rums are usually a blend of several vintages assembled to create a style. These can be anywhere from eight to 30 years old and are generally consumed straight.
Rum comes from all over the Caribbean and each island produces a distinct style based on raw product, technique and aging. Barbados is known for light, sweet rums from both pot and column stills. Cuba makes light, fresh rums from column stills while the Dominican Republic is known for full-bodied and aged rums from column stills. Guyana is famous for rich, heavy rums while Haiti follows the French tradition of double distilling and extended aging in oak barrels for rich, full styles. Jamaica makes rich pot-still rums available in every style, while Puerto Rico creates very dry rums, which tend to be light in color.
No matter where they come from, all rums have one thing in common – they make great summer drinks. In the past it may have been daiquiris, planter’s punch or a Cuba libre, but today the undisputed king of the rum drink is the mojito. For this you will need rum, sugar, fresh mint, lime, soda water and a muddler. If you don’t have a muddler, a small wooden pestle will do just fine. Add the mint, a touch of soda and two teaspoons of sugar to your mixing glass. Time to muddle, but not too much – just till you can smell the mint and the sugar is dissolved. Next squeeze in the lime, add the rum and shake over ice. Then strain the goods into your favorite vessel, add some soda and garnish with a sprig of mint – voila! a mojito.
When searching for a bottle of rum this year, don’t settle for the same old crap. There are lots of great rums on the market now. Try one of these: Ron Matusalem solera 15 gran reserva, Dominican Republic, $39.95 (approx.); Arecha Anejo dark rum, Cuba, $23.95 (approx.); The Secret Treasures of the Caribbean Old Venezuelan Rum, $45.95 (approx.); Cruzan Single Barrel 12-year-old amber rum $38 (approx.). |
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