Marauding pirates, drunken sailors and the infamous triangular slave trade are all protagonists in the colourful history of rum.
Like the region it has its roots in though, rum has shaken off its murky past, to become one of the world‘s favourite tipples, with premium varieties gracing the top shelves of cocktail bars the world over.
Originally published in Real Life magazine, October 2014.
Rum’s story is the story of the West Indies. From the arrival of the first Europeans and their expansion into these island outposts, to the rise and fall of a plantation economy and the havoc wrought by lawless privateers, through to its transformation into the sophisticated vacation destination it is today, rum is inextricably linked to the region.
In taking a few stalks of sugarcane with him on his second voyage to the New World in 1493, Christopher Columbus could not have known that he was shaping the course of history. But the hot, humid climate of the Caribbean proved ideal for sugarcane cultivation and, with Europeans developing an insatiable appetite for all things sweet, it was not long before plantations were flourishing throughout the islands.
Quite where or when the forerunner of the rum we know today was first created is not certain, but like so many enduring commodities, its creation was born out of necessity.
Even in its most primitive and fiery incarnation, rum – or Kill Devil, as it was originally called – offered a productive solution to managing the waste from sugar production: following extraction of the sugarcane juice, and its crystallisation into sugar, a viscous brown syrup remained. This syrup, otherwise known as molasses, was initially dumped into rivers and oceans – until it was discovered that it could be fermented, diluted and turned into an alcoholic brew that was, according to early critics “hot, hellish and terrible.”
Foul though it was, the potent brew offered a means to raise spirits, or at least soften the edges of a harsh existence, both for the pirates who terrorised the region, and later the Navy sailors whom plantation owners tempted into port with discounted prices, in the hope that their presence would deter the pirates.
A ration of rum served to sailors in a daily ritual called ‘Up Spirits’ soon became standard practice in the British Navy, and would remain so until 1970.
Inevitably, the passage of time saw vast improvements in rum production methods and rum rose from being a spirit worthy of only the roughest and most undiscerning drinkers, to an exotic beverage that was exported to Europe and the new colonies of North America.
While aging rum in oak barrels added colour, aroma and a smoother taste, and blending two or more rums gave the spirit greater complexity, for much of the latter part of the 20th century rum was considered little more than the almost-flavourless alcoholic component of frothy, fruity cocktails with exotic names. This association of rum with Piña Coladas and Daiquiri-style concoctions did no favours to those producing increasingly elegant, premium rums.
As consumers have become more informed about the quality of the spirits they imbibe, however, their appreciation for truly fine rums has grown. Most bars and restaurants today carry at least one or two premium rums: darker, heavier bodied and exuding warmth and depth of flavour, premium rums are best served straight up, in order to appreciate their subtle complexities.
It’s been a centuries-long evolution for this amber nectar, from rough and ready to supremely sophisticated, and its transformation echoes that of the region as a whole. In more ways than one, rum truly is the spirit of the Caribbean.
NATASHA WERE 
“Give me the juice from the sweet sugar cane”