I feel like we should have a rum discussion. Anyone up for it?

So, rum. Probably the easiest spirit to enjoy if you aren't much of a drinker, due to its sweetness (made from sugar cane vs grain.) Rum has a lot of negative, racial connotations due to the fact that it's pretty much why slaves were brought to the Carribean. That's for later.

As mentioned, rum is made from molasses, which is basically the heavy, dark syrup that's a result of refining sugar cane

The fun part about rum is all the different varieties. Of all the spirits it is most like whiskey in the number of different varieties. And they're all very different.

Like tequila, the darker the rum the more intense and flavorful it is. And that's due to the fact that it is aged in barrels (usually oak) and the spirit takes on the nature of the barrel. Also, like any other spirit the older it is the smoother it is.

Damn near every country makes some variety of rum but it's most closely associated with the Carribean. You're probably familiar with it from a cruise or some Carribean vacation. The word rum dates from the 1600s but no one is sure where it comes from.

Supposedly Marco Polo wrote about drinking a sweet spirit "wine" made from sugar that he had in the middle east.

But the story I remember is that some African slaves in the Carribean discovered you could drink fermented molasses and that's basically where we got rum.

But IIRC, it was Americans who made rum popular in the 1600s and the first distillery in North America was somewhere in New York. (I have no idea why I know that, lol)

Also, there's a story that George Washington himself demanded that a barrel of rum be served at his first inauguration. My man.

Somewhere in mid 1600s the Royal Navy began serving a daily ration of rum instead of French brandy. Good call, fellas. Water didn't travel well and the greatest danger sailors faced was scurvy. So the Navy began serving a daily ration of it and it helped defeat scurvy. And morale

That's probably enough history. But know that rum has a very long and interesting history that's very tied in to America itself

Varieties. Practically every country makes some version but we'll stick to Carribean, with a shout out to Zacapa rum Nicaragua (I think.) It has a legendary smoothness supposedly due to sugar grown

Wait, I'm skipping ahead. Let's do white rum vs dark rum. Varieties will make more sense after.

It isn't complicated. Like any spirit, the lighter the color the newer the spirit and the harsher the taste. Think tequila, for example. The darker it is generally means it has been aged longer in a wooden barrel

You can get aged rum that is clear but that means it's just been aged in a stainless steel tank and it's boring. Stay away from that.

Usually rum is aged in used bourbon barrels, which gives it a nice complexity. If you are looking for rum to sip (and it's great for that) look for a light brown to black rum that has been aged a few years. It's smoother and has more complexity with the taste.

You can find aged rums 20+ years like any other spirit. It's obviously more expensive but incredibly smooth and complex. And not made for your cruise ship piña colada, if you get my drift. Usually well rum used in cocktails is cheaper, white rum. That isn't good for sipping.

It's harsh and has a burning taste with a harsh finish. Don't sip white rum. It's not very good. That shit is made for cocktails.

I don't have time to get into the different varieties because there are dozens. Most of you are probably familiar with Bacardi, which is the cheaper end of the rum spectrum. But you can get white rum, dark rum, and spiced rum, and then each country has its own variety

White rum is the newest or youngest rum. It's mainly for mixing into cocktails. As mentioned, if you're looking for something to sip avoid white rum.

Dark rum is usually amber in color and that's usually due to ageing in bourbon barrels, though you can find craft rums ages in all sorts of spirit barrels

Just know that at the cheaper end of the spectrum, the color is mostly artificial. Bacardi is especially know for its incredibly light rum. Something to due with the fermentation process,iirc.

And know that Gold rum is a thing but we're gonna avoid that tonight. Basically in the middle between dark and white rum

Spiced rum is just that: dark (often very dark, or black) rum that has had proprietary spices added to it. This is the most enjoyable to sip. The flavors are very complex but balanced with rums sweetness.

Kraken is a newer entry on the market and one of my favs. They make a few black and spiced rums that are great neat. And it's budget friendly. Appleton Diplomatico, Sailor Jerry and Captain Morgan all make really nice spiced rums for under $30 a bottle