Rediscovering Rum by Susan Campbell No longer resigned to simply act as a base for fruity cocktails and frozen daiquiris, rum is becoming a bona fide contender as a connoisseur’s spirit along with cognac and scotch. In fact, there are now big festivals celebrating the evolution of this liquor once considered bottom of the barrel pirate fuel.
A rough history
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the words “Yo, ho, ho”? “And a bottle of rum,” of course! Rum and pirates have always been close compatriots in a rough life at sea. And rum was also the spirit of choice for the Royal Navy to ration to their seamen from as early as 1655, though it was later diluted with lime juice and water (grog) to prevent both scurvy and to avoid over inebriation. In fact, the word “proof” as it relates to alcohol content today originates from those days. British sailors were sometimes paid in rations of rum, and they didn’t like the idea of their portion being watered down too much. So they would demand some gunpowder be put in a sample, and if it ignited when lit, it was “proof” that the rum contained sufficient alcohol. The words “proof spirit” remained as a measure of ethanol or alcohol content. It’s no surprise that rum became synonymous with seafarers since it originated in the Caribbean’s sugarcane plantations. One of the reasons that rum production became popular in the French colonized islands is that once demand for sugar dwindled when France began making sugar from beets, many islands had a surplus of fresh
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cane juice so they made rum with it instead of using molasses like many other islands. This rum made from cane juice has its own distinction as rhum as opposed to “rum.” Rhum agricole is the French term for it. Incidentally the Brazilian rum cachaça is also made from fresh sugarcane juice instead of molasses. And it’s also no surprise that rum became a popular base for fruity cocktails since fruit grows easily on most islands, as do spices. Every island has its own version of rum punch or ti rum punch (“ti” being short for petit meaning “small”) depending on what spices and juices they like to add. Though the ingredients in an island punch differ slightly, they are all based on a typical recipe of ingredients that cover the spectrum of sour, sweet, strong, and spicy. Later, rum became the spirit of choice for tropical concoctions like piña coladas, mojitos, daiquiris, and of course, the famous Cuba Libre. Its original flavor always completely drowned in other delights. But today, rum is finally gaining more respect as a stand-alone sipping drink in its own right thanks to the creation of a higher quality product. !
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