History of Rum
Born in the 17th century, in Barbados, Rum is an eau-de-vie made from sugar cane. It was intended for slaves and sailors, and was sometimes used by pirates responsible for recruiting soldiers into the British Navy! The history of Rum is fascinating, closely linked to the various French, Spanish and British colonial empires. Consumed for 300 years, variations in flavor come from the ingredients used, but also from different production methods depending on the country of origin.
What is rum made with?
Whether we are talking about Rum, Rum or Ron, it is always about the same alcohol based on molasses from sugar cane. We are going to look at its history, its manufacturing processes as well as rum-based cocktails.
The main producing regions
The Caribbean with Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua, Barbados, Virgin Islands, Saint Lucia Latin and Central America with mainly Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Guyana, Venezuela , Brazil, Peru and Argentina The DOM-TOM with Martinique, Guadeloupe, Marie-Galante and Haiti, Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion Island.
The making of rum
Sugar cane as a raw material
Impossible to talk about rum without mentioning sugar cane grown in tropical and subtropical regions. The flavors of rum will vary fundamentally depending on whether it is produced from vesou (cane sugar juice) or molasses (resulting from the refining of cane juice, thick and viscous syrup).
The fermentation of rum
The cane juice, or molasses, is left to ferment, resulting in an alcohol called “cane wine”. This step is essential to define the aromatic profile of the rum.
There are 3 types of fermentation:
• spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, in open-air vats, for 1 to 2 weeks, practiced in small distilleries, as in Haiti
• controlled fermentation (in batches) with chemical yeasts for 2 to 3 days, guaranteeing a style unique to the brand
• fermentation continues in a fermentation tank always full of molasses, so that the yeasts are constantly active, thus maintaining the aromatic power
How is rum distilled?
The distillation of rum can be carried out in a column still or a pot still. The choice of still depends on the colonial history of the country!
- Batch distillation, a traditional method, consists of interrupting the still after the double distillation, to clean it and let it rest. This method produces rich, concentrated rums.
- Column (continuous) distillation consists of feeding two to four distillation columns without interruption and produces lighter rums.
How is rum aged?
What is rum made with?
Whether we are talking about Rum, Rum or Ron, it is always about the same alcohol based on molasses from sugar cane. We are going to look at its history, its manufacturing processes as well as rum-based cocktails.
The main producing regions
The Caribbean with Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua, Barbados, Virgin Islands, Saint Lucia Latin and Central America with mainly Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Guyana, Venezuela , Brazil, Peru and Argentina The DOM-TOM with Martinique, Guadeloupe, Marie-Galante and Haiti, Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion Island.
The making of rum
Sugar cane as a raw material
Impossible to talk about rum without mentioning sugar cane grown in tropical and subtropical regions. The flavors of rum will vary fundamentally depending on whether it is produced from vesou (cane sugar juice) or molasses (resulting from the refining of cane juice, thick and viscous syrup).
The fermentation of rum
The cane juice, or molasses, is left to ferment, resulting in an alcohol called “cane wine”. This step is essential to define the aromatic profile of the rum.
There are 3 types of fermentation:
• spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, in open-air vats, for 1 to 2 weeks, practiced in small distilleries, as in Haiti
• controlled fermentation (in batches) with chemical yeasts for 2 to 3 days, guaranteeing a style unique to the brand
• fermentation continues in a fermentation tank always full of molasses, so that the yeasts are constantly active, thus maintaining the aromatic power
How is rum distilled?
The distillation of rum can be carried out in a column still or a pot still. The choice of still depends on the colonial history of the country!
- Batch distillation, a traditional method, consists of interrupting the still after the double distillation, to clean it and let it rest. This method produces rich, concentrated rums.
- Column (continuous) distillation consists of feeding two to four distillation columns without interruption and produces lighter rums.
How is rum aged?
The aging of the rum can take place in oak barrels that have contained whisky, cognac, or even wine (port, sherry or Madeira). Depending on the climatic conditions of the aging place, “the share of the angels” can be significant. This share of the angels is the natural evaporation of part of the volume of alcohol during its aging in barrels and which can represent up to 8% per year in the Caribbean (in the UK it is only 2%). Hundreds, even thousands of bottles evaporate each year!