Rum is one of the oldest liquors in the world, dating back to theseventeenth century. It is distilled from either sugarcane juice or molasses,and can be nearly colorless with a light body and faintly aromatic, ordark brown with a heavy body, flavorful and have a rich aroma.
Most of the world's rum comes from the Caribbean. Puerto Rico's ishome of the white or silver rum which is clear and light in body andflavor, Puerto Rican golden and amber rums have a deeper colorand a flavor, while Jamaican and Cuban rums are rich and full-bodied.
The distillation process decide the flavor and aroma of the rum,with continuous- or patent-still distillation giving a light-bodied rum,and the traditional pot still a richer an heavy-bodied rum. Some rumsare given additional flavor by the addition of herbs, spices orfruits.
The color of the rum depend on how the rum is aged. Most rum is agedin charred oak casks giving it a brownish or yellowish color, frequentlyenhanced with caramel, while rum aged in steel tanks remain colorless.
In the bar rum is one of the most important liquors. It is used in avariety of classic cocktails, like the Cuba Libre,Mai Tai, Daiquiri andPina Colada, but can also be served neat or on the rocks.