Rum is distilled from the fermented products of
sugar cane – usually molasses. As is the
case with all distilled spirits – rum
is water white when first distilled. Fermentation
is the process by which the sugar in molasses
in converted into alcohol by the use of yeast.
Distillation is the process of boiling a liquid
and condensing its vapour to produce another
liquid. Once fermentation and distillation have
taken place, the Master Blender uses several
different types of types and styles of rum to
create a brand – in a similar way that
an artist uses different colours to create a
painting. Rum then ages in oak barrels that
have been charred on the inside. The ABV for
rum can vary from 37.5% to 57% - according to
the style – please check carefully when
making your cocktails as rum cocktails can be
very strong – especially when mixed with
other alcoholic cocktail ingredients.
Rum – Aged,
Golden, Spiced
Produced using a similar process to dark rum – the golden rather than dark
colour depends on the amount of caramel added to colour and flavour the rum.
Aged rum usually refers to a longer period of ageing of a particular rum style
to achieve a more robust flavour from the wooden barrel it is aged in. Spiced
rum is as it suggests a rum blend which contains additional spices such as vanilla
and ginger for added aroma and flavour The ABV of these rums can vary – please
check carefully.
Produced by the above method, dark rums obtain
their colour from the addition of caramel
and the extractives of the oak barrel during
their ageing. In-the-spirit’s
preferred Dark Rum is Woods 100 Rum.
Woods 100 is blended with several different rums and has soft toffee notes
complemented by rich Demerara flavours. At 57%
ABV, Woods 100 is the highest ABV dark rum on the UK market – so go for
cocktails of quality and not quantity!
For our entry on white rum, we are using the
most well known brand - Bacardi Carta Blanca.
As with many rum brands, molasses are used
as the base product
are transformed into alcohol through spontaneous (natural) fermentation. In the
recipe for Bacardi, purified water and yeast are then added producing a “mash” which
is then fermented for a further 30-35 hours in carefully controlled conditions.
The fermented mash is then distilled. Distilling involves the heating the fermented
mash and repeatedly passing it through copper and stainless steel stills to remove
the smallest impurities. Bacardi is then charcoal filtered to rigorously control
the purity before ageing begins. Bacardi is aged in white oak casks which are
monitored closely. After ageing to develop the flavour, the liquid then undergoes
a finishing process known as charcoal mellowing leaving the rum clear and colourless
or as they can now refer to it “white rum”. Perfect for cocktails!
The ABV of white rum can vary from between 37.5 to 50% ABV. Bacardi Carta Blanca
is 37.5% ABV.
De Kuyper’s Sour Apple is a delicious
liqueur made with apple flavours blended with
fine spirits and is reminiscent of Granny Smith
apples. This beautiful bright green liqueur brightens
up cocktails and long drinks with its exceptionally
fresh sweet and sour apple taste.
Contrary to popular belief, Tequila is
not made from alcohol derived from the cactus
plant,
but from the agave plant (pronounced ‘Uh-Gah-Vee’),
which is closely related to the yucca and the
amaryllis.
The sweet sap from the agave is fermented and
then distilled twice in copper pot stills to
retain the
flavour of the original liquid. Tequila is traditionally
drunk either as a shooter, with lime and salt.
Triple
Sec is similar to Blue
Curaçao in that
it is made from oranges from the Caribbean island
of Curaçao (situated just off the coast
of Venezuela in South America). Triple Sec – literally
meaning Triple Dry – is distilled three
times – creating a liqueur which is drier
to the taste and higher in alcohol strength than
the Curaçao liqueurs– yet still
keeping the juicy orange flavour.
De Kuyper Triple
Sec is 40% ABV and is widely regarded as a
high quality and economic alternative to Cointreau.
