Rum has been around for hundreds of years. Back in the mid-17th century, it was known as kill-devil or rumbullion. By 1655, the British Navy provided sailors with a daily rum ration of half a pint, a practice that continued until the mid-19th century.
These days, rum is produced around the world in different variations. If you love the distinct, smooth taste and want to know the differences between white, dark, and spiced rums, we have you covered.
In the most basic sense, rum-making uses molasses or sugar cane which goes through a fermentation and distillation process. This process of aging uses either a stainless steel tank or oak barrels.
The stainless steel tank keeps the liquid clear. On the other hand, oak barrels allow it to take on some color and other unique flavor characteristics from the barrels.
White rum, dark, and spiced rums are stored or processed differently to produce each variety’s distinct taste and color.
White rum is clear and also classified as silver rum or light rum. Although it’s commonly aged in stainless steel tanks, oak barrels give it a smoother flavor. Any color is filtered out after the rum is removed from the barrel.
This type of rum is the most commonly used in cocktails as it has a clean flavor, making it ideal for mixing with juices and fruit, such as in mojitos.
Dark rums age in charred oak barrels, and have a delicately smooth and full flavor. Their colors range from caramel to dark red, chocolate brown, or black.
Modern dark rums are best over ice or with a splash of water to enjoy the rich flavor. However, they can also make delicious cocktails, such as a Mai Tai with lots of fresh lime juice.
Note: Golden rums are also aged well. But the barrels aren’t charred, so they don’t take on a dark color.
Spiced rum gets its flavor from spices and herbs such as cinnamon, clove, citrus peel, cardamom, allspice, or pepper.
It can have fruity notes, but the spices are dominant. This rum can be enjoyed hot or cold and makes surprisingly good summer cocktails such as Spiced Hurricanes. Alternatively, try a hot spiced rum after dinner and allow the dark magic to soothe and relax you.
If you haven’t tried rum in all its delicious forms, here’s a simple recipe using both dark and light rums with fresh fruit juices.
Combine the following ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice:
Once it’s thoroughly shaken, pour into a glass over ice, and garnish with lemongrass stalks, wedges of fresh pineapple, lime slices, and cherries.
Rum is versatile, ideal for everything from summery cocktails to hot after-dinner drinks, and https://nextcenturyspirits.com/Next Century Spirits creates smooth and rich rums that elevate any cocktail recipe.
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