With the word “rum”, many with the light hand of Robert Stevenson, who wrote the immortal Treasure Island, immediately represent pirates. However, the beginning of the drink of the sea robbers long before their appearance was laid by the Chinese and Indians. It was then called brahms. Once again, the Caribbean slaves “discovered” the technology for the production of rum. And only then the pirates became interested in him. The history of this drink is vibrant and exciting. There is in it the romance of sea voyages, and bloody riots, and moments of glory. How and from what do rum make it so popular? Why is it black and white? What kind of fortress should it be? Let's start in order.
What is rum and why is it called that?
This is an alcoholic beverage made from
sugarcane, more precisely, from the residual products
of sugar production. Slaves of islands in the Caribbean, bending their backs on plantations, discovered in the first half of the 17th century that fire water can be prepared from the sweet molasses left after squeezing sugar. They drove and used it solely for the purpose of at least temporarily forgetting the hardships of slavery. Soon, the drink became so popular that it began to be produced on a massive scale.
Historians do not agree on why rum was called rum. Some people think this is from the word "glass", which the Danes say "roemer". Others attribute the origin to the English word "rumbullion", that is, "a big noise", while others are sure that the drink was called rum, because it was made from sugar. And in Latin, sugar is called "saccharum."
Production process
The lion's share of rum production belongs to the Caribbean and some parts of South America. It is there that the birthplace of the famous brands "Havana Club" and "Bacardi". Previously, this drink was also made in the Soviet Union from sugar cane grown in the Asian republics.
Many are interested in how rum is made. The process is not so much time-consuming as it is lengthy, because any rum must be sustained. There are no strict standards. Each country has its own technology. It all starts with the fermentation of molasses. For this, yeast is added to it. In some industries they use ordinary ones, in others they are specially designed so that the taste and aroma of the drink turn out to be more refined. Bacardi factories use fast-fermenting yeast. However, with prolonged fermentation, the taste is richer.
The second stage is distillation. The result is rum alcohol with a strength of about 70 degrees. To make an exquisite drink from it, alcohol must be aged for more than a year.
How to make rum from alcohol?
The drink obtained after distillation is not rum. So that he becomes one, he is poured into barrels and set to ripen. Barrels use different. Some have stainless steel. High-quality rum varieties are aged in oak containers. And the best - in the so-called Bourbon. There is a province of Bourbon in France, where they accidentally discovered that unusually fragrant and tasty rum is obtained in charred wooden barrels. They should be burned not in any way, but in a special way. What is high aging rum? This is a drink that has stood in a barrel for more than 7 years. Such a rum is awarded a premium category. They drink it in its pure form, without mixing with anything.
After aging, light rum varieties are filtered to remove color pigments. Caramel is sometimes added to dark varieties. At the last stage, various spices or fruit essences can mix with the drink. They can also blend (mix) rum from different barrels and even produced in different regions.
Light brands of leading brands
Some people think that a good rum should be very strong. This is only partially correct. Together with the fortress, the taste of the drink is appreciated. The role and purpose of its use plays a role. So, for cocktails, silver, white, amber rum is more suitable. His fortress is 40 degrees or slightly less. The most famous brands are “Havana Club Blanco”, “Ron Barceló Blanco”, “Mocambo”, “Rum Barton Light”. It is impossible to list everything.
Guadalupe white rum “Karukera” is in great demand among drink connoisseurs. It is made using French technology, that is, not from molasses, but from cane juice. But the reed is taken not ordinary, but blue, in which the smell is especially intense. Rum from it is full of citrus aromas, and the aftertaste has subtle hints of cloves and dried fruit. Such white rum can not only be added to cocktails, but also drunk with ice or soda. A few words I want to say about the "weak" rum "Calypso". It is only 35 degrees, but the most delicate shades of honey, dried fruits, vanilla, chocolate make it extremely pleasant, especially for women.
Drinks for Real Men
Roma fortress in each country has its own approved standards. For example, in Colombia it should be 50 degrees or more. But with such a line, rum is also produced in other regions. For example, the Bristol Classic in Guyana has a fortress of 46 degrees, the Panamanian Ron de Jeremy Spiced 47, and the English Black Tot as much as 54.
But this is not the limit. There are drinks with a higher strength. For example, the Austrian black rum "Stroh" comes in 3 types - 40, 60 and 80 degrees. Yes, exactly 80. Of course, you need to drink such rum only diluted or use it to make cocktails and sweet dishes. Stroh makes an excellent punch, hunting tea. This drink is ideal for flaming (setting fire to the dishes it poured). It has a spicy aroma and dark golden color. Stroh received a gold medal for its excellent palatability.
Rum-like drinks
Some people, knowing what rum is made of, may confuse it with other sugarcane drinks, which only look like rum, but are not. The most famous of these is kashasa. This drink is also made from sugarcane by fermentation and distillation. In barrels withstand only some brands of cashews, but mostly small batches. In industry, a beverage is bottled immediately after distillation. To make cash, you need not only sugarcane, but also cornmeal, rice, wheat bran, and soy. In Brazil, this drink is considered national, just like in France champagne.
Another non-Roma representative is the American Aguardiente and the Indonesian Arrak. In the production of both one and the other, sugar cane is used and insist on anise.
What is homemade rum?
None of us grows sugarcane, and it’s ridiculous to buy this raw material in distant countries in order to pamper yourself with a bottle of another pleasant drink. Yes, and willpower must be in order to withstand it for at least a year. But, it turns out, there are simpler and more affordable ways. How to make rum at home?
Recipe 1. "Pineapple"
For preparation, you will need ordinary vodka, sugar and three essences - 10 ml of pineapple and vanilla and 50 ml of rum. Fry sugar in a dry pan until dark. Boil the sugar syrup separately and pour sugar into it until dissolved. Allow to cool. Add essences and vodka to taste. To sustain only a month.
Recipe 2. "Erebuni"
It's still simpler here. Medical alcohol is taken, wine, burnt sugar (for color), water and rum essence (50 mg) can be taken. All this is mixed and a unique drink with a strength of about 50 degrees is obtained.
Is it just rum?
The use of real rum
Answering the question of what rum is, you can not mention sugarcane, but say that it is a pleasant alcoholic drink, an indispensable companion of youth and social parties, a wonderful ingredient for many sweet dishes. Light brands are used for all kinds of cocktails, for example, Cuba Libre, Zombies, Mojito. Some brands of light rum are pleasantly drunk without the addition of other alcoholic beverages.
There are many rum liquors with fantastic flavors. Liquor "Malibu", beloved by many, is made in Barbados. It has many varieties, depending on the additives present in it. There is Malibu with coconut, passion fruit, mango.
Rum is used in marinades, fruit preservation, and added to baked goods.