Rum

The Epic of Rum and the Origins

The origins of rum are shrouded in mystery and controversy: today, the paternity of this distillate is disputed between the French, English and Spanish. Although sugarcane is cultivated throughout the tropical world and there are ancient records of an Asian distillate from sugarcane juice, rum as we know it originated with European colonisers who, by importing stills and distillation techniques to the New World, exploited sugarcane plantations in the Caribbean islands. Sugar cane did not originate in the Americas, but was introduced thanks to Christopher Columbus who brought plants from the Azores.

The Spanish remember a monk who is said to have produced the first distillates on the island of Cuba, while the British boast the foundation of the first Caribbean distillery in Barbados in 1703, called Mount Gay, which is still active. Towards the end of the 17th century, a French monk, Jean Baptiste Labat, started a small production of sugar cane juice distillates with charentais stills in Martinique.

The origin of the word 'rum' is uncertain: it could derive from the English 'rumble', meaning bubbling, or from the Spanish 'rumbullon', meaning 'bustle', referring to tumultuous fermentation. Others speculate that it comes from the scientific name for sugar cane, Saccharum officinarum.

From 19th Century to Current Excellence

Until the 19th century, rum was a poor quality distillate, enjoyed by slaves, pirates and sailors, while settlers preferred more refined European spirits. A significant contribution to the improvement of the rum production process came from Facundo Bacardi Massò, who founded Bacardi y Compania in 1862, producing light and pleasant distillates with new techniques: filtering with charcoal, different strains of yeast and maturation in American oak barrels.

The success of rum grew in the 20th century thanks to the improved quality of the distillate, tourism in the Caribbean and testimonials such as Ernest Hemingway, who in his novels celebrated the Cuban cocktails drunk in the 1950s. Today, rum is as noble and prestigious a distillate as whisky and cognac, thanks to the important master distillers who have offered high-quality spirits.

Different Styles of Distillate: Rum, Ron and Rhum

Rum varies according to raw material, production process, local traditions and ageing. A distinction is made between white rum, not aged in wood, and aged rum, with appellations such as amber, golden, anejo, vieux and trés vieux depending on the period of maturation. There are also wood-aged white rums, with the transparent colour due to filtration with activated charcoal.

The type of raw material used is crucial: molasses or pure sugar cane juice. Furthermore, the style varies according to colonial history: French agricultural rum s, English rums from molasses, and Spanish ron from sugar cane.

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