Certain spirits at the typical bar have extremely specific functions, while others are universally useful. Rum is one of the most adaptable spirits available, and its popularity has been rising recently. It can serve as the base of a cheerful holiday cocktail complete with an umbrella or used as a cosy pick-me-up on a frigid winter evening.
It's the ideal opportunity to learn more about rum since it's swiftly rising to prominence among mixologists, bartenders, and enthusiasts of home bars worldwide. A brief overview of the seven things you should know about rum is provided here.
What Is Rum?
Rum is a distilled beverage made from sugar. More precisely, made from sugarcane—either syrup, molasses, or pure sugarcane. To make a sweet and smooth spirit, a combination of molasses, or sugarcane, is fermented, distilled, and then aged in oak barrels.
How Is Rum Made?
Sugarcane juice or molasses are the ingredients used to make rum, a liquor. After fermentation, the sugarcane is distilled. The clear liquid that remains after distillation is usually aged in stainless steel tanks, hardwood barrels, or bourbon casks. The sort of rum that is produced depends largely on the distillation vessel. Rum matures darker in oak barrels than it does in stainless steel tanks, where it almost stays colourless.
Where Is Rum From?
There is a theory that suggests Barbados is where rum originated. If you are searching for a brand that has a long history, Mount Gay Rum's 1703 document provides compelling evidence.
However, many people now know that Rum was being produced earlier since there is a record of a Dutch trader named Erasmus Schetz conducting commercial distillation in Brazil in 1536.
Is Rum Gluten-Free?
Since no grains are used in the production of rum, it can only be prepared by fermenting sugarcane juice, a syrup formed from the juice, molasses, or sugar itself. Therefore, rum is considered gluten-free.
Why Is Rum Dark?
The hue of rum, or any other liquor, is acquired by its ageing process in oak barrels. Although there are other variables at work, the main cause is the chemistry of the spirit reacting with the wood; the longer this interaction occurs, the deeper the colour gets.
What Is Navy Strength Rum?
Rum has a long history with sailors because it was, they who first shared it with the globe after discovering it while travelling. The most accurate definition of navy-strength rum is rum having a minimum alcohol concentration of 57% ABV, or 114 proof. The rum has its roots in the British Royal Navy's heyday when sailors were given a daily ration of rum.
What Are Spiced Rums?
Spiced rum is golden rum that has been infused with several spices, such as clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger, in addition to pepper, rosemary, and ginger. Additionally, some versions include colouring ingredients like molasses or caramel.