Rum... WE LOVE IT!
So in honour of National Rum Day 2021 we're sharing some of our Rum Connoisseurs knowledge, so YOU can look and sound well-informed next time you're ordering your favourite tipple!
Here are a few facts that might put you on top of your mate's list when it comes to rum general knowledge!
First of all, there wouldn't have been rum without sugarcane, and whilst we love to talk about rum, we must not forget its origins, as the history of rum is a history of slavery.
This sweet, fibrous, often toweringly tall grass that grows best where it's hot hot hot, and was brought to Europe from the Far East. With his journey to the Americas, C. Columbus brought sugar cane to the Caribbean, knowing that the West Indies would have been the perfect environment to grow sugar cane, with its hot weather, humid soil, limestone that works as a natural filter.
The main objective has always been the production of sugar/rum almost happened by accident when enslaved Africans realised that the treacly leftover product from sugar production, the molasses, would turn into some sort of alcoholic beer when fermented.
Now, as a general rule, rum is produced through the fermentation of sugar cane juice, or fermentation of molasses, however, rum production through molasses is the most popular and covers 90% of the world’s rum.
Rum can be characterised in hundreds of ways; dark, gold, aged, spiced, flavoured, silver, etc... But it all comes down to three main different styles.
French style, British style and Spanish style. British and Spanish styles are produced through the fermentation of molasses, French-style through the fermentation of sugar cane juice.
Happy Rum Day!
