Rum can be confusing. Its flavor varies depending on where it’s made, and different types of rum are best drunk, well, differently.
Before we get into the ways to drink rum, let’s look into what rum is.
What is Rum?
Rum is made from distilled sugarcane byproduct, either sugarcane juice or molasses. Rum-like drinks go back thousands of years; however, traditionally rum is said to have originated in the Caribbean in the early 1600s when people discovered that molasses could be fermented into alcohol and then distilled.
The style and flavor profile of rum are influenced by where it’s made, what type of sugar byproduct is used, the distiller’s technique, and how long and in what type of barrel it’s matured. These variables make one type of rum, such as Puerto Rican white rum, ideal for the classic daiquiri, and Jamaican pot still rum better for a Zombie cocktail.
Rum FYIs
- Rum is made from sugarcane, but it isn’t sweet, unless a producer adds sugar after distillation.
- Some bartenders know rum, some don’t. Find one who does.
- Some rums, like rhum agricole and 151 proof varieties, have a higher alcohol content than other spirits (typically 80 proof).
3 Best Ways to Drink Rum
1. Cocktails
2. Single Mixer Drinks
3. Neat, Rocks and Water
Best Rum Cocktails by Rum Type
White Rum
- Piña Colada
- Mojito
- Daiquiri
- Bahama Mama
Spiced Rum
- Rum and Coke
- Spiced Rum Punch
- Autumn Spiced Cider
Cachaça
- Caipirinha
Dark Rum
- Neat or on the rocks
- Mai Tai
- Jungle Bird
- Adult Butterbeer
Rum Agricole
- Ti Punch
Demerara Rum
- Rum Old Fashioned
- Zombie
Summer is just around the corner, and rum is the quintessential summer spirit. How about a rum-tasting party at the end of spring? Now, that’s something Jack Sparrow would dream about.
