July 8 is World Rum Day!

This is the perfect opportunity for us to take a little trip back in time through the history of one of the most popular and diverse drinks.
The first thing that comes to mind about rum are of course stories about pirates who had barrels of rum on board of their ships. Each of us knows the symbol of an ever so slightly swaying pirate with his bottle of rum. But we want to attribute the swaying to the swell, or to the too smoothly scrubbed planks. Of course, it couldn’t have been the rum, which was considered healthy and a cure for scurvy and other nasty diseases.
But how did the rum get on the pirate ship? The image of the pirate that we know from movies and television was inspired by real people of the 15th and 16th centuries. The time when the Caribbean, Puerto Rico and today’s Jamaica were discovered and explored.
The history of Rum
The sugar cane plant, which is the main ingredient of rum, is not native there, as one might think. No, it was brought there by Portuguese seafarers and cultivated over the decades on ever larger plantations.
When and how exactly molasses became an alcoholic beverage is a matter of speculation. It is a possibility that the slaves, who were used to grow and harvest sugar cane, discovered by chance that molasses ferments when water is added to it.
Whether the taste or the effect appealed to the people is left to speculation at this point. In any case, this original rum was drunk more regularly and was sometimes used by the plantation owners as a reward or incentive.
Bahama Mama Cocktail
On World Rum Day, the right cocktails are a must. The Bahama Mama with matching, high-quality rums is an insider tip from our colleague:
– 2 cl unaged rum (fruity)
– 2 cl aged rum (mild Jamaica rum)
– 3 cl coconut rum liqueur
– 2 cl lemon juice
– 5 cl freshly squeezed orange juice
– 7.5 cl fresh pineapple juice
– 3 dashes Angostura bitters
– 1 cl grenadine
Shake everything hard with ice cubes and strain into a glass (hurricane glass) with fresh ice cubes. Orange or lemon peel, pineapple and/or maraschino cherry are suitable garnishes.
PS: Adding the grenadine syrup at the very end creates a colour gradient in the glass.
Long Island Iced Tea
Let’s be honest… who doesn’t think of this cocktail when it comes to rum? Whether you have good, bad or no memories of it is up to you. So it’s a must in our rum cocktail list:
– 2 cl white rum
– 2 cl vodka
– 2 cl gin
– 2 cl white tequila
– 2 cl triple sec
– Juice of half a lime
– Cola to pour on top
Pour everything except the cola into a highball glass full of ice and stir. Top up with cola and serve with a slice of lime.
Not much later, the first copper stills arrived in the Caribbean by sea. With the help of these, much larger quantities of rum could be produced and the taste was also considerably improved. However, the very high-proof distillate produced this way probably had little to do with the taste we know today. The colonial masters and the moneyed aristocracy initially spurned the pungent-tasting drink from the New World. The Seafarers, however, who were looking for a long-lasting drink for their months-long voyages, were grateful customers.
And how do you transport a quantity of rum that is supposed to last for an entire ship’s crew for several months? Correct! In wooden barrels!
The time of buccaneers and pirates may be over, but what has remained almost unchanged are the barrels.
The taste
Even today, people automatically associate rum with the Caribbean, and wooden barrels are often mentioned in the same context.
Today, the barrels are no longer only for transport, but are mainly used for storage and flavoring.
For example, various pre-fillings, such as with bourbon or whiskey, or various levels of toasting or charring, soften the pungent character of the spirit and accentuate the unique floral-floral notes of the sugar cane plant and molasses.
Each Caribbean Island and probably each distillery has its own recipes and approaches, so a rum from Martinique may taste quite different from one from Jamaica or Barbados. Other nations known for their sugar cane spirits are the French Antilles, Mauritius, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Guyana and, of course, Cuba.
Barrel aging is also managed quite differently. For example, former bourbon barrels are first filled with rum and then finished in a new barrel, or one made of red wine. In this way, the distiller takes advantage of the best characteristics of new and pre-used barrels.
Piña Colada
Summer, sun, beach and holidays. Well, who thinks of another very well-known cocktail? Exactly, the Piña Colada – either you love it or you hate it, a cocktail that divides cocktail lovers. But we’re going to come up with two variants here:
With cream:
– 6 cl unripened rum
– 2 bar spoons Cream of Coconut
– 10 cl pineapple juice
– 1.5 cl lime juice
– 2 cl cream
Pour all ingredients into a shaker (cream last) and fill with crushed ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a glass and top up with crushed ice. Garnish with pineapple leaves and, if you like, a cocktail cherry.
Without cream:
– 6 cl Rum
– 4 cl Cream of Coconut
– 1.5 cl lime juice
– 1 slice of pineapple
– 1 glass crushed ice
Put the ingredients in the blender and mix! Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish as you like. Perhaps a candied pineapple slice?
Rumbarrels
Mai Tai Noir
A somewhat different Mai Tai that came to our attention during our recipe search for you. For all cocktail nerds and lovers, the site Cocktailbart.de is highly recommended. Two men with a passion for cocktails. But now the cocktail:
– 3 cl Jamaica Rum
– 3 cl matured Rhum Agricole
– 1,5 cl Apricot Brandy
– 3 cl fresh lime juice
– 1 teaspoon black sesame paste
– 3 drops of rose water
– 1.5 cl Brown cane sugar syrup
Shake the ingredients with ice and then strain into a large tumbler with crushed ice. Add a lime half as a garnish and drink!
PS: The cocktail was invented based on an insta-event #a2zcocktails 2018 by the two gentlemen from Cocktailbart.
Distillers or brewers of completely different distillates or beers can also make use of the aromas of the individual varieties. For example, former rum barrels are excellent for storing and aging IPAs, fruit brandies, whiskies and almost all sorts of other spirits. The sensory system presents coffee, chocolate and almonds – paired with spicy citrus notes, but – depending on the province – also vanilla, brioche and berries.
We regularly obtain freshly emptied original rum barrels from various countries of origin. Currently in stock are barrels from Jamaica and the French Antilles, but also from Martinique and other islands there are always new, fresh barrels. Check out our store or subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know about exciting new arrivals.
And that’s not all: rum is one of the distillates that can be mixed perfectly with other drinks. Hardly any cocktail can do without it these days.
Just the right thing to toast World Rum Day on 8.7. with us, isn’t it?

Cheers!