THE RUM HISTORIAN by M arc o Pi er ini I w a s b o r n i n 19 5 4 i n a l i t t l e t o w n i n Tu s c a ny (I t a l y) w h e r e I s t i l l l i ve. I n my y o u t h , I g o t a d e g r e e i n P h i l o s o p hy i n F l o r e n c e a n d I s t u d i e d Po l i t i c a l S c i e n c e i n M a d r i d , b u t my r e a l p a s s i o n h a s a l w ay s b e e n H i s t o r y a n d t h r o u g h H i s t o r y I h ave a l w ay s t r i e d t o understand the world, and men. L i f e b r o u g h t m e t o w o r k i n t o u r i s m , eve n t o r g a n i z a t i o n a n d vo c a t i o n a l t r a i n i n g . T h e n , a l r e a d y i n my f i f t i e s I d i s c ove r e d r u m a n d I f e l l i n l ove w i t h i t . I was one of the founders of the firm La Casa d e l R u m. We b e g a n by r u n n i n g a b e a c h b a r i n my h o m e t o w n , b u t s o o n o u r p a s s i o n f o r rum led us to select, bottle and sell Premium R u m s a l l ove r I t a l y. I h ave v i s i t e d d i s t i l l e r i e s , m e t r u m p e o p l e, a t t e n d e d r u m Fe s t i va l s a n d j o i n e d t h e R u m Fa m i l y : t h e n e t o f d i s t i l l e r s , p r o f e s s i o n a l s , ex p e r t s , b l o g g e r s , j o u r n a l i s t s a n d a f i c i o n a d o s t h a t i s a l i ve eve r y d ay o n t h e Internet and on social media and, before C ov i d -19 , m e t u p eve r y n o w a n d t h e n a t t h e va r i o u s r u m eve n t s a l l ove r t h e w o r l d . A n d I h ave s t u d i e d t o o, b e c a u s e R u m i s n o t o n l y a g r e a t d i s t i l l a t e, i t ’s a w o r l d . P r o d u c e d i n s c o r e s o f c o u n t r i e s , by t h o u s a n d s o f c o m p a n i e s , w i t h a n ex t r a o r d i n a r y va r i e t y o f a r o m a s a n d f l avo r s , i t i s a f a s c i n a t i n g f i e l d of studies. I began to understand something a b o u t s u g a r c a n e, f e r m e n t a t i o n , d i s t i l l a t i o n , ageing and so on. S o o n , I d i s c ove r e d t h a t r u m h a s a l s o a t e r r i b l e a n d r i c h H i s t o r y, m a d e o f voy a g e s and conquests, blood and sweat, imperial f l e e t s a n d r evo l u t i o n s . I s o o n r e a l i z e d t h a t t h i s H i s t o r y d e s e r ve d t o b e r e s e a r c h e d p r o p e r l y a n d I d e c i d e d t o d evo t e my s e l f t o i t w i t h a l l my p a s s i o n a n d w i t h t h e h e l p o f t h e b a s i c s c h o l a r l y t o o l s I h a d l e a r n t d u r i n g my o l d u n i ve r s i t y ye a r s . S i n c e 2 013 , I h ave b e e n r u n n i n g t h i s c o l u m n . I n 2 017 I p u b l i s h e d t h e b o o k “A MERI C A N RUM – A S h o r t H i s t o r y o f R u m i n E a r l y A m e r i c a” S i n c e 2 018 , I h ave a l s o b e e n c o n t r i b u t i n g t o t h e M a d r i d b a s e d m a g a z i n e R u m p o r t e r.e s , t h e S p a n i s h e d i t i o n o f t h e Fr e n c h m a g a z i n e R u m p o r t e r. I n 2 019 I b e g a n t o r u n a B l o g: w w w.t h e r u m h i s t o r i a n .c o m a n d d e c i d e d t o l e ave L a C a s a d e l R u m. I n 2 0 2 0 , w i t h my s o n C l a u d i o, I h ave p u b l i s h e d a n e w b o o k “ F REN C H RUM – A H i s t o r y 16 3 9 -19 0 2 ”. I am currently doing new research on the Histor y of Cuban Rum.
Got Rum ? July 2 0 2 2 - 30
HISTORY O F C U B A N RUM 1. FOR B IDDEN B EVER AGES W it h t hi s a r t i c l e I b e gin a l o n g s e r i e s devote d to w hat i s p o s s ib ly t h e m o st i c o ni c of r um s, Cuban Rum. I d o n’ t k n ow i f in t h e USA it i s t h e s am e, but a ll ove r Eur o p e (w it h t h e pa r t i a l exc e pt i o n of G re at B r it ain an d Fr anc e) w h e n p e o p l e t hink of r um, t h ey t hink f ir st an d fo re m o st of Cuba, an d t h e ot h e r way r o un d. A n d yet , I ant i c ipate t hat Cuba e m e r g e d re lat i ve ly late in t h e wo r l d s c e n e of r um p r o duc t i o n: in t h e f ir st c e ntur i e s of Rum, t h e 16 0 0 s an d 170 0 s, t h e B r it i sh Emp ir e was t h e h o m e lan d of Rum. O nly muc h late r, a r o un d t h e mi d dl e of t h e 18 0 0 s, di d Cuban Rum st ar t it s r ap i d r i s e towa r ds t h e wo r l d. A n d o nly in t h e 19 0 0 s, w it h t h e h e lp of Pr o hib it i o n, di d it g et into t h e H a ll of Fam e of Rum, w it h a wo r l d w i d e, last in g suc c e s s. A ny way, t h e hi sto r y of Cuban Rum i s l o n g an d c o mp l ex, an d it d e s e r ve s to b e to l d ac c ur ate ly. Let ’s b e gin. A wo r d of wa r nin g. Fo r t hi s a r t i c l e, I r e ly m o st ly o n a s e mina l e s s ay by M anu e l H e r nán d ez G o nz á l e s “L a p o lém ic a s o br e la