Rum

Rum is a distilled beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses and sugarcane juice by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak and other casks. While there are rum producers in places such as Australia, India, Reunion Island, and elsewhere around the world, the majority of rum production occurs in and around the Caribbean and along the Demerara river in South America. Some major rum brands include Bacardi, Stroh, Mount Gay, Bundaberg, Myers, and Pusser's.

Rum in cuisine

Besides rum punch, cocktails such as the Cuba Libre and Daiquiri have well-known stories of their invention in the Caribbean.

Related Topics:
Cuba Libre - Daiquiri

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Tiki culture helped expand rum's horizons with inventions such as the Mai Tai and Zombie.

Related Topics:
Tiki culture - Mai Tai - Zombie

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Other well-known cocktails containing rum include the Piña Colada, a drink made popular by Rupert Holmes' song "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)",{{inote|Blue p. 80}}

Related Topics:
Piña Colada - Rupert Holmes - Escape (The Piña Colada Song)

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and the Mojito.

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Cold-weather drinks made with rum include the Rum toddy and Hot buttered rum. {{inote|Cooper p.54-55}}

Related Topics:
Rum toddy - Hot buttered rum

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In addition to these well-known cocktails, a number of local specialties utilize rum. Examples of these local drinks include Bermuda's Dark and Stormy (dark rum with ginger beer), and the Painkiller from the British Virgin Islands.

Related Topics:
Bermuda - Ginger beer - British Virgin Islands

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Rum may also be used as a base in the manufacture of liqueurs. Spiced Rum is made by infusing rum with a combination of spices. Another combination is jagertee, a mixture of rum and black tea.

Related Topics:
Liqueur - Spice - Jagertee - Tea

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Rum may also be used in a number of cooked dishes. It may be used as a flavoring agent in items such as rum balls or rum cakes. Rum is commonly used to macerate fruit used in fruitcakes and is also used in marinades for some Caribbean dishes. Rum is also used in the preparation of Bananas Foster and some hard sauces.

Related Topics:
Rum balls - Fruitcake - Marinades - Bananas Foster - Hard sauce

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Rum punch

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Called the national drink of the Caribbean, {{inote|Henderson p. 57}}

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rum has a number of bartending and culinary uses besides straight consumption. One of the earliest uses was in the rum punch, known as Planter's punch. While there is no fixed recipe for this drink, the following rhyme is commonly used to describe the cocktail, which uses both locally made rum and spices:

Related Topics:
Bartending - Culinary - Punch - Planter's punch

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: One part sour, (lime or lemon juice)

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: Two parts sweet, (simple or flavored syrup)

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: Three parts strong, (rum)

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: Four parts weak. (water)

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We learned the rhyme and the recipe from Joe Gaylord who owns Twelve Degrees North, an inn in Grenada. The original recipe called for 1/3 white rum and 2/3 red rum. Cruzan rum tastes similar to the Grenadian "red rum," although it is 80 proof instead of 90. Grenadian white rum is very high proof ? 160 or more! This rum punch is a perfect blend of sweet, tart, bitter and spicy. This is a simple drink, but every ingredient is important. Don?t estimate amounts and don?t leave anything out or the flavors won?t be perfectly balanced.

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Three small limes or two big ones give about 100ml of juice. Angostura bitters can be found in the supermarket with the bar supplies. Whole nutmegs are usually available in the spice section. If you don?t have a nutmeg grater, just scrape it with a knife. Rubbermaid makes a 1 quart/1 liter bottle with 100ml graduations that is just right for making this drink.

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Punch

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• 100 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 200 ml spiced syrup
• 300 ml gold rum
• 400 ml water
• 6-8 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 1 nutmeg, whole

Mix well. Serve in short glasses with lots of ice. Grate a little nutmeg over the top of each drink. Makes one liter.

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Spiced Syrup

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• 2 lbs sugar
• water
• 1 inches cinnamon stick, broken up
• 2 cloves
• 1 large bay leaf

Cover sugar with water and heat. Once it is hot, add enough more water to dissolve the sugar. When it boils, add spices and boil about 5 minutes. Strain into a jar and refrigerate for use as needed. It will keep for several weeks. Once you have syrup in the fridge, making a batch of punch is quick and easy!

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Ti Punch

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• 2 Oz Rhum Agricole
• A dash of sugar cane syrup
• A slice of lime peel off the side of a lime
• Crushed ice

This is a very traditional drink in the french speaking region of the Caribbean (Ti Punch is short for petite punch).

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