Historically , rum is the first spirit of the New World, initially produced in Brazil, Barbados and Jamaica in the wake of Columbus’s introduction of sugarcane to the West Indies in 1493. By the mid-eighteen century, rum was being produced all over the Caribbean, in South America and New England, where it was the favourite spirit. The Rum Sling of that era (rum, sugar, water and lemon juice) could have been in the running as the first example of an American cocktail, if only it had employed bitters.

Historically , rum is the first spirit of the New World, initially produced in Brazil, Barbados and Jamaica in the wake of Columbus’s introduction of sugarcane to the West Indies in 1493. By the mid-eighteen century, rum was being produced all over the Caribbean, in South America and New England, where it was the favourite spirit. The Rum Sling of that era (rum, sugar, water and lemon juice) could have been in the running as the first example of an American cocktail, if only it had employed bitters.
Rum is made from molasses, sugarcane juice or concentrated syrup made by reducing the free-run juice of the pressed sugarcane. There are three basic types of rum: light, medium and heavy-bodied.
Light-bodied rum, sometimes called white or silver, spends up to a year in barrels and is filtered before bottling, rendering it very subtle, such as Bacardy Light.
Medium-bodied rum, sometimes called gold or amber, is richer and smoother in character as a result of the production of congeners (organic compounds produced during fermentation), the addition of caramel or occasionally ageing in wood barrels, fine examples include Mount Gay, Appleton Gold and Havana Club 7 year old.
Heavy-bodied rum is a category shared by blended and coloured dark rums like Mayers’s and Gosling’s, typically used in rum punches, and full-bodied, well-aged ‘brandy-style’ or sipping rums like Angostura 1824 and Barbancourt 15year.
The new fourth category, spiced or aromatic rums, taste exactly as they’re labelled because of the addition of spices or aromatics in the distillate. Flavoured rums, however, were developed only a few years ago, with the introduction of spiced and coconut rums, and in the US they are surpassing vodka and gin in terms of flavour option. Cabana Boy, a maker of Trinidat rum bottled by White Rock Distillers of Maine, now offers eight flavoured rums, and Cruzan Rum from St Croix now ofers seven. Old standards like Malibu, Capitan Morgan Spiced Rum and Bacardi Spice are still best-sellers in the US too.
Cuba: Havana Club is the best example of Cuban rums, which made from a blend of molasses and sugarcane juice in continuous stills and are sand-filtered. The range includes three, seven and fifteen year old versions.
Dominican Republic: These are just beginning to attract attention in the US, mostly because they have been available for only a few years and are similar in style to the embargoed Cuban rums that are not available in the US. The leaderare Brugal and Ron Bermudez.

Guyana: The rums of Guyana are medium to heavy in style, and much of the rum is sold for blending to companies like Lemon Hart in England, a tradition dating back to when the British Navy supplied every sailor with a ration of rum, made in Guyana and Trinidad.

Haiti: Haiti is known primarily for Barbancourt, a wonderful sipping rum made with sugarcane juice instead of molasses. Aged eight to twelve years, it has beautiful Cognac-like finish.

Jamaica: Jamaica is known for its heavier-bodied rums, made in a process similar to the sour-mash one employed in Tennessee whiskey production. The Wray & Nephel distillery, the largest in Jamaica, makes a range of medium rums and flavourful over-proof rum under their own label and the Appleton label. Myers’s Dark is favorite in the US and is the most important ingredient in Planter’s Punch.

Martinique: “Rhum” making in Martinique is influenced by french Cognac techniques, with sugarcane juice and molasses distilled in pot stills and agged in oak. Clement Rhums is one of the best from Martinique, but it is not easy to find. If you should spot a bottle, grab it!

Puerto Rico : Puerto Rico is the largest rum producer in the Caribbean, and Bacardi is the larges producer of rum in the world. Bacardi Silver is a good example, produced in a continuous still and charcoal-filtered.
Trinidad: Local producer Angostura has finally decided to produce rums under its own label, which happens to be one of the oldest continuous trademarked brands in existence. Look for Angostura Premium White as a terrific Daiquiri base.
US Virgin Islands: Cruzan Rums are fine examples of the cocktail-friendly rums here, some of which are flavoured. Of higher quality is Cruzan Estate Diamond, an older reserve aged four to ten years.

Venezuela: Pampero makes the premier rums here, the best aged rum being called Aniversario.
Rum What is in a name?
Where did rum get its name? One theory employs the Latin name for the species of grass we call sugarcane, Saccharum and officinarum, both words of which end in “rum” . The Spanish called it “ron” , the Swedes, and Russians called it rom, the French called it “rhom”. The English, however, didn’t mince words when they called rum “kill-devil”. In his book Rum, Romance and Rebellion, Charles William Taussig writes that the word rum was derived from the West indian word rumbullion. But Anton Barty-King and Hugh Massel, authors of Rom Yesterday and Today, find the origin of the word in Chaucer, who writes of “a stormy people delitynge ever in rumbol…” Taussig cites a 1676 periodical describing the substance as ‘ made of sugar canes distilled, a hot hellish and terrible liquor made on the island of Barbados.
Rum is very friendly for mixing with many types of liqueurs, bitters, spirits, tea, coffee, juices and fresh fruit. Rum is the base for some of the best and famous cocktails in the world.