Rum, in some ways, is relatively young in comparison to other spirits. It all came about during the 17th century, which saw the start of the sugar rush, with countries vying for this valuable commodity.
During the sugar making process, sugar cane is crushed to produce cane juice, which is then boiled until the sugar crystallises. The producer is then left with a thick black substance known as molasses. Producers then realised that by distilling this viscous mass, they could make rum and maximise their profits. By the middle of the 17th century, most sugar makers had a distillery attached to them for this sole reason.
It wasn’t long before this alcoholic drink became popular in the British upper classes. It was seen as a good match to brandy, and due to the fact that it had spent more time in barrels travelling across the Atlantic, was probable more drinkable.
As the sugar industry grew, a larger workforce was required, which came in the shape of African slaves who were bought with rum. Rum wasn’t only a new currency, but had also been adopted by Americans as their national spirit.
Sugar production and rum distillation grew through out the Caribbean, starting in Barbados then going through Jamaica and finishing in Cuba. Here the spirit was highly industrialised and modernised, and changed forever through the work of Don Facunado Bacardi, who is praised with producing the first light rum in Santiago in 1862.
Rum was now concentrated around four specific flavour profiles:
- Jamaica- intense and pungent
- Guyana- rich and sweet
- Barbados- more delicate style
- Cuba- light and fragrant
The Cuban style rum became a huge favourite of Americans travelling to Havana to drink cocktails during prohibition. In Britain however, rum went the opposite direction, with heavier, darker rums being preferred, reminiscent with the old style navy rums.
Since the end of prohibition, rum failed to really carry in terms of consumption levels. Although this is bad for big brands, it also means that we now have more houses of rum, all concentrating on their own styles.
