July 10th is World Rum Day so let’s honour rum and its myriad of styles. No spirit can transport you to the beach like rum, from tiki bar Mai Tai’s to sipping by the pool on a cool Mojito, rum invokes one of tropical beach paradises and Caribbean pirates.
Rum has a long history dating back to the 17th century. It was believed to have found its way to the Caribbean via the sugarcane route. Molasses being a by-product of the sugar industry provided a perfect sugar source for fermenting yeast and further distillation. Which of course, meant plenty of rum was to be had in the Caribbean and sugarcane growing countries such as Jamaica, Venezuela, Cuba and Puerto Rico to name a few.
The term rum originates from a myriad of names, from rumbustious to rambunctious to rumbullion to ramboozle. In the days of the infamous, Sir Henry Morgan, it was referred to as “kill divil” as it was meant to kill the devil in you. However, that did not work out so well for the real Captain Morgan who was not only a bad man and pirate, but also a killer who drank copious amounts of rum. In fact, he drank himself to death in 1688. Certainly not that dashing, swashbuckling and charming gent we see today!
Rum can be made anywhere in the world, but it must be produced from sugar cane juice or molasses. Most of the rum out there is produced from molasses.
Do not let the colour of a rum fool you as it is not always an indicator of age. Rum is often coloured with spirit caramel (or from ageing) and may also have the colour filtered out after light oak ageing, as in the case of many white rums.
Rums are often sweetened too as we see in many of the spiced rums out on the market, this style typically finds itself in some commercial or a cocktail concoction of some sort. Whereas with dark aged rums they may have spent time ageing in charred oak casks. These are heavier-bodied rums that can offer layers of complexity from wood spices and one would sip like a fine whisky or add the dark to your Dark and Stormy.
There really is a style of rum out there for everyone, so pick your treasure and have a rumbustious good time this July 10th!
Bacardi Lime White Rum – $22.99
Bacardi is the rum king stemming back to origins in Cuba in 1862. This Lime Edition offers aromas of white floral notes along with pungent lime zest. Only natural flavouring is used, this rum is slightly sweet and counterbalances the zesty notes of lime nicely. Great for summer Mojitos – all you need is a few sprigs of mint and soda or try a Bacardi Lime Cooler below.
Bacardi Lime Cooler
1.5 ounce of Bacardi Lime Rum
2 ounces of watermelon juice
Dash of sugar water (simple syrup)
Top with soda and garnish with watermelon and lime
Tommy Bahama No 2 Rum – $84.99
The Tommy Bahama brand promotes the “island lifestyle”. This rum keeps with the brand and is inspired by the easy sipping amber rums of Cuba’s golden era. Originating from Central America, this rum was aged in ex-Bourbon barrels for a minimum of 8 years. Caramelized notes of dried pineapple and banana with sweet spices entice the palate. Placed XX Gold at the Sips Awards in 2021.
Piña Colada
If you like Piña Coladas……
1.5 ounce of Tommy Bahama No 2 Rum
2 ounces of coconut milk
3 ounces of pineapple juice
Shake or blend and garnish with a pineapple slice
Bumbu XO Rum - $69.99
X marks the spot with the Bumbu XO from Panama. This XO takes a different direction with being drier than the Original. It is aged for 18 years in ex-Bourbon barrels and them finished in Sherry casks. This is one serious rum with loads of flavours ranging from toffee, fig, coffee and burnt orange to spicy wood notes. Absolutely rumbustious and delicious!
Bumbu XO Rum Punch
1.5 ounce of Bumbu XO Rum
2 ounces of pineapple juice
2 ounces of orange juice
Top with soda and garnish with mint