Rum

What is rum and how is it made?

Rum emerged in the 17th century in the Caribbean, most probably on the sugar plantations of Barbados, when it was discovered that molasses, a by-product of sugar production, could be fermented and distilled. Under the European Union's regulation 2019/787, rum is made only from sugar cane raw materials, meaning molasses or syrup left from sugar production or cane juice, and distilled to below 96%. It's bottled at a minimum of 37.5% ABV, may not be flavoured, only caramel may be added to adjust colour, and sugar added to round off the taste may not exceed 20 grams per litre.

Aged rums mature in oak casks. In hot climates like the Caribbean, interaction with the cask speeds up and evaporation is much higher than in cool climates, so the age of a tropical rum can't be compared directly with a spirit rested for the same time somewhere cool like Scotland.

Three traditional styles

• Spanish style: light-bodied rums distilled in column stills in Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. They get most of their character in the cask.
• English style: fuller, fruitier rums from pot stills and long fermentation in Jamaica, Barbados and Guyana.
• French style: vegetal, earthy rhum agricole made from fresh cane juice in Martinique and Guadeloupe.

White, gold, dark: colour doesn't show age

White rums are preferred for cocktails, gold and dark rums for long drinks and richer recipes, and aged rums for sipping neat. But colour alone isn't a sign of age: Trinidad's Angostura Reserva is rested in cask for at least three years and then filtered and bottled clear. And some dark rums have their colour adjusted with caramel.

How to serve it

White rum is the base of the Mojito, Daiquiri and Piña Colada; for a Cuba Libre you just need rum, cola and fresh lime. Dark rums come into their own in long drinks with ginger beer, like the Dark 'n' Stormy. Sipping aged rums from a tulip glass, at room temperature or over a single large ice cube, brings out notes of vanilla, dried fruit and spice. For spiced and fruity bottles, see our spiced rum shelf; for an agave-based alternative, our tequila range; and for every bottle, the rum and tequila category.

Highlights from our shelves

• Havana Club 3 Años: a light white rum from Cuba for cocktails.
• Havana Club 7 Años: the same house's aged dark rum, made for sipping.
• Brugal Añejo: a Spanish-style añejo from a Dominican house producing since 1888.
• Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva: a rich, sweetish aged blend from Venezuela.
• Angostura Reserva 3 Year Old: a clear Trinidad rum, aged then filtered.
• Bacardi Carta Blanca: a versatile white rum for Mojitos and Daiquiris.