Silver and gold in the spirit world | Rum
Long summer days should be spent on the beach enjoying sun, sea and sand, but when the sun starts to go down plenty of beach bars transform into popular watering holes serving up cocktails to while the evening away. At the base of many a cocktail is the sugarcane spirit, rum.
Rachel Zammit Cutajar
A distilled alcoholic beverage, rum is made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses or directly from sugarcane juice through a process of fermentation and distillation and then usually aged in oak barrels.
Light rums – commonly referred to as ‘silver rums’ – are usually used in cocktails, whereas golden or dark rums are generally aged, have more flavour and stronger tasting than white rums. They are typically consumed individually or for cooking. Spiced rums obtain flavour through the addition of spices like cinnamon, rosemary, aniseed, pepper and sometimes caramel. Premium rums are also available and are usually served either straight or iced.
The majority of the world’s rum production occurs in the Caribbean and Latin American nations and differs significantly depending on country of origin.
The Spanish-speaking islands of the Caribbean tend to produce Anjeo rums, which have been aged for a longer period in oak barrels. These have a particularly smooth taste and hail from countries such as Cuba, Guatamala, the Domenican Republic, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela and Panema.
English-speaking islands and countries are known for darker rums with a fuller taste that retain a greater amount of the underlying molasses flavour. Rums from Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Saint Kitts, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Jamaica are typical of this style.
French-speaking islands are best known for their agricultural rums, produced exclusively from sugar cane juice. These retain a greater amount of the original flavour of the sugar cane and are generally more expensive than molasses-based rums. These rums are generally produced in Haiti, Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Rum has come a long way from being the drink of drunken pirates with many an elegant cocktail being prepared with the luscious drink, and premium rums enjoyed by many.
During the Prohibition, the popularity of rum grew as a result of its amenability to mixing, and resulted in a number of new cocktail recipes including the Daiquiri, Cuba Libre and Pina Colada.
Rum’s horizons have also been expanded by the Tiki culture that has taken the US and subsequently the rest of Europe by storm. Rum based Mai Tais and Zombies give that typical French Polynesian feel.
Rum may also be used in a number of cooked dishes. It may be used as a flavoring agent in items such as Sicilian rum babas or rum cakes. Rum is commonly used to macerate fruit used in fruitcakes and is also used in marinades for some Caribbean dishes. It can spice up a simple dessert by mixing it with ice-cream and raisins.
