Most people associate rum with pirates and there are some reasons for this, which I will write about below. In this article I will try to tell and explain what rum is made of and why it is so prized by lovers of strong alcoholic drinks.

Rum is a strong alcoholic beverage made by fermenting and distilling sugar-cane by-products such as molasses and cane syrup.

The clear liquid, which is obtained after distillation, is aged for a certain time in barrels, most often in oak barrels. This is necessary to add color and flavor to the rum.

Rum is often associated with piracy due to the fact that at that time they did not know how to store fresh water for a long time. On long sea voyages, fresh water rotted, because of this, strong alcoholic drinks, including rum, were taken to disinfect the water.

Rum varieties

There are no uniform standards for distinguishing rum, but there are several main varieties of rum:

• Light rum (other names are silver or white rum) - has a weak taste, in addition to the inherent sweetness of the rum, and is most often used as a base for cocktails.
• Golden rum (also known as amber rum) is an aged rum of medium density. The taste of such rum can change from various additives: spices and caramel, but historically it acquires its darker color, aging in wooden barrels (usually oak).
• Dark rum (or black rum) - darker in color than golden rum. It is usually aged longer and in specially charred barrels. Dark rums have a much stronger flavor than light and golden rums. In its taste, you can feel the hints of spice along with strong notes of molasses or caramel.
  

  Besides being used in cocktails, dark rum is most commonly used in food preparation.

• Flavored Rum - Some manufacturers have started selling rum with added fruit flavors such as mango, orange, lemon, coconut. This rum is often blended with tropical drinks of the same flavor, which are less than 40% ABV.
• Strong rum is a rum much stronger than the standard 40%. Many types of such rum have a strength of more than 75%.
  Aged premium rum - commonly referred to as more than 5 years old rum, which is usually consumed in the same way as whiskey. Aged rum itself has a stronger character and flavor than when mixed with other beverages, so it is usually consumed neat.
• Rum Elixir is a rum weaker than the standard 40% (often just over 30%). It has a much sweeter and richer flavor. It is consumed in its pure form and is not used in cocktails. The most common brand of this rum is Legendario Elixir de Cuba.

Rum production

Rum is mainly made from molasses. Yeast and sometimes water are added to the main ingredient to begin fermentation.

After distillation, the resulting alcoholic liquid is kept in barrels for at least a year. I often use bourbon buds for these purposes.

Especially appreciated are casks and casks in which sherry or sherry brandy was infused before. Rum infused in these barrels has a special unique taste.

After aging, rum is usually blended to provide the desired flavor. During this process, light rum can be filtered to discolor (color appears during aging).

When making dark rum, caramel may be added to the rum to ensure the correct color of the product.

After watching the video, you will see all the stages of rum production: from harvesting sugar cane to bottling:

Of course, I could start an article right away on the topic and not remind you of what rum is, but I think there will be visitors who are too lazy to go to the main page and read a full and rather informative article about this drink. Therefore, before the technology of rum production is revealed and all types of rum are listed, I will say a few words about this legendary alcoholic drink.

So, this is a strong alcohol obtained by distilling fermented sugarcane juice or fermented molasses of the same plant. I'll explain the difference between these two products a little later, when we get to production. I would also like to note: if cognac in the alcoholic world is considered a model of grace and subtlety, then rum is often perceived as a drink devoid of any complexes, completely reckless and daring. It cannot be otherwise - remember the history of the romance, which is closely associated with treasure hunters and primarily with the pirates who roamed the expanses of the Caribbean. These sea robbers did terrible things, and, of course, rum inspired them to such vicious "deeds". But this is all in the past, now rum is considered an elite drink, and respectable people drink it.

Having made a slight digression from the topic, I return to the technologies for the production of rum and its types. Everything is much simpler here, in contrast to the manufacture of some other strong alcoholic drinks. The task is facilitated by the fact that there are no generally accepted technologies, since each zonal production of rum is based only on traditional technologies and recipes characteristic of the place where the plant for the production of this drink is located. Only irreplaceable technological stages are common - obtaining molasses or sugarcane juice, distillation, fermentation, blending and, of course, aging, which we will also talk about, just a little later.

So, in fact, there are only two ways of producing rum, according to which there are two main types of rum - industrial and agricultural. All stages of making rum at a self-respecting enterprise are made exclusively by hand, because this is the only way to track all manufacturing processes and, if necessary, quickly correct mistakes and direct the work in the right direction. If the process is monitored by a computer, and the entire workshop is fully automated, then there is a high probability of releasing a whole batch of ruined product, which will have to be thrown into the trash. Manual labor, of course, is very difficult and requires a lot of time from specialists, so only some manufacturers use it. But I can say with confidence that the rum, made exclusively by hand, is of high quality and has an incredibly pleasant taste. This rum is worth trying at least once in your life!

Let's get down to the details and start looking at the production of agricultural and industrial rum. The initial stage for these two types of rum is the same, and they are obtained from the juiciest lower part of sugar cane, which contains the most sugar, which is indispensable in the production of alcohols. You can talk a lot about the extraction and cultivation of this plant, perhaps I will devote a separate article to this topic. After all, harvesting sugar cane alone is worth something! In this business, strong male hands are needed in order to cut down the stems of this very useful plant. I called it useful for a reason, because not only strong alcohol is extracted from it, but also many other good things. For example, sugar, which we used to drink with tea or coffee. Now, I am sure that I will surprise the lovers of sweets. It's amazing that a ton of sugar cane makes only 100 liters of rum.

At the gathering, all the "fun" in the production of rum is just beginning, because before delivering the whole heap of sugarcane to the factory, it is preliminarily sorted several times and very carefully. Never allow unripe or rotten sugarcane stalks to enter the press. They can harm the taste and color of the future rum. So, the batch of sugar cane arriving at the factory is first crushed into smallest pieces using a special, very sharp hatchet or a large knife. But it is from this obtained viscous gruel that juice is squeezed out on a special pneumatic press. It is impossible to squeeze out all the juice the first time, therefore, manufacturers repeat this procedure several times. At this stage, the extraction of sugarcane juice ends, and now it is time to talk about industrial and agricultural rum separately.

I will start with the industrial name, as this name covers almost 90 percent of all rum brands produced worldwide. There are some nuances in the production process of such rum that seemed to me very similar to the production of sugar. So, the juice obtained earlier from selected sugar cane is heated until the liquid turns into a viscous syrup, after which the juice partially crystallizes. Next, the resulting mass is unloaded into a special apparatus called a centrifuge, which separates sugar crystals from molasses. The unit received this name due to its rapid circular rotations around its axis. And the resulting crystals are refined, and this is how sugar is obtained, without which no tea party can do. The remaining juice after distillation is poured into copper vats, where the substance begins to ferment at a low temperature. Here I note that a lot depends on the temperature! If it is low enough, then fermentation takes place much slower, but the rum will turn out with a strong aroma and a very long aftertaste. Therefore, in this case, as Comrade Saakhoviz liked to say in the legendary film "Prisoner of the Caucasus", there is no need to rush. It is necessary to produce such a legendary drink with great love and warmth.

Industrial rum is distilled in large copper alambic. In my opinion, exactly the same machine is used to make cognac. And to soften and create a more interesting flavor bouquet, some blenders use additives during distillation. For example, pineapple, vanilla, plum, grapes, peach and other fruits, and some spices can also be added, but this is extremely rare in practice.

The main feature of the industrial technology of rum production is continuous distillation, which makes the drink lighter and richer. After the completion of the distillation, high-quality alcohol with a very high strength flows out of the alambic. Approximately 80 percent of the alcohol contains the original alcohol. So how do you end up with 40% alcohol rum? It's very simple, it is diluted to the required degree with the purest spring water, which is extracted from mountain springs, where there are no cars and other "pollutants", so the air here is clean and even medicinal.

Then the already diluted rum is sent for aging in barrels made from the best oak wood for a certain time. It is here that rum matures, is filled with new flavors and takes on its color, which depends on the aging period.

This is how industrial rum is made. But that's not all there is to know about such a drink. There are several varieties of industrial rum: “young or traditional”, “old”, “aromatic” and, finally, “light”. So, “young” rum is a colorless drink that has not matured in an oak barrel, like its more mature brothers, but in a metal vat, or amber, which has stood in an oak barrel for no more than 2-3 months. Do not worry, rum aged in a metal vat will not have an unpleasant aftertaste of iron, because this is closely monitored by specialists who are engaged in alcoholic business for almost their entire adult life. And the material for creating such a vat is not taken from the ceiling, the vessel is made of special stainless steel.

"Old" industrial rum is already a more mature drink, aging of which took place, of course, in oak and not less than 3-4 years.

The main and only difference between "aromatic" rum from other types is a longer fermentation of sugarcane molasses before distillation. The result is a very rich drink with a pronounced aroma. This rum is mainly used for blending and adding to confectionery.

And finally, the last candidate is the "light" rum. It is obtained by rapid fermentation and distillation at high temperatures.

Consider one thing - the strength of rum will always be at least 40 percent, regardless of the aging period or production technology. But again, here it is worth noting that the strength of real rum cannot be much less than 40 degrees. Therefore, be careful not to run into a fake!

Agricultural rum is produced in smaller quantities in the world, but it is much easier to make. What is the catch, as they say? Probably because sugarcane is only used in one direction. That is, in the production of rum, sugar is not crystallized, but processed to the state of alcohol. It is, of course, wrong to cook both sugar and alcohol from one product. Still, there are still producers who do not skimp on quality, so agricultural rum is a more relevant topic.

So, the extracted juice is fermented naturally, that is, without the addition of any chemicals or artificial yeast. After a short fermentation, the liquid acquires a small strength - about 5 percent. The resulting substance is filtered several times and sent to distillation, which always takes place exactly twice. That’s probably all, it’s just an agricultural rum. But do not try to repeat this at home, all the same you will not succeed! Outstanding blenders and other alcoholic masters are working on its production. I completely forgot, after double distillation, a clear liquid comes out of the alambic, which with full confidence can be called real rum. "Where is the color?" - you ask. And I will answer that color is acquired only through aging in an oak barrel. Here the drink gets richer flavor bouquets and aromas.

Agricultural rum can be of two types - "white bunch" and "old". The first type is a completely transparent drink, which, after distillation, does not undergo any additional processing, but is immediately bottled and sent to the shelves of our stores. And "old", as you might have guessed, is a rum aged in oak barrels for at least 3 years with a characteristic golden color.

Perhaps enough has been said about the production and varieties of rum. I wish everyone a wonderful rest with a glass of a wonderful and aromatic drink! Let me remind you that rum should be drunk in small sips, savoring and enjoying the taste of this divine drink.

Rum is a strong alcoholic drink associated with sailors and pirates. Traditionally, it is made from sugar cane (from cane molasses, molasses, syrup) by fermentation and subsequent distillation. The inhabitants of the islands of South America were considered the founders of rum production - it is here that raw materials grow in large quantities. The drink is stored in large wooden barrels, while it becomes more intense and takes on a characteristic aroma.

Today rum has become one of the most recognizable drinks in the world. It is appreciated for its strength and noble taste, so alcohol is prepared according to classic recipes. So, George Washington preferred the original rum from the island of Barbados, located in the group of the Caribbean islands. However, cocktails with rum and other ingredients are also very popular. This drink can be made at home. There are certain rules of what rum is made of, but the recipe can be supplemented at your discretion. Homemade rum will differ from the taste of the drink presented by its best producers (Bacardi, Barcela, Havana Club), but it also turns out to be of high quality.

Rum is a combination of several types of spirits. It combines white, dark, golden varieties. These drinks differ not only in color, but also in taste and production technology. However, there is one thing in common - sugar cane is used in all kinds of cooking. The high fermentation capacity of this plant was discovered by slaves. They picked the lower, juiciest parts of the stems, crushed them and placed them in oak barrels for fermentation.

For sale on a large scale, rum is prepared by agricultural or industrial methods. In the first case, all components are harvested and processed almost by hand, so such a drink will be more expensive. There is an easier method of making rum using industrial equipment, but all the ingredients are also of natural origin.

Homemade rum is made by hand. You will need sugarcane processed products for it - they can be purchased in specialized stores. The drink can be made from whole cane stalks, molasses, or molasses. Also popular are substitutes that resemble it in taste and aroma: rum from moonshine or from vodka. The aging time of this drink is much shorter than that of other types of strong alcohol (whiskey, brandy) and is up to six months.

Ingredients for making homemade rum

There are several recipes for making rum at home. However, the traditional drink is made with simple ingredients, no additives or spices. Sugar cane is the main ingredient in its preparation and has been used historically. It contains most of the carbohydrate substances (sugars) - they provide a high fermentation capacity. Today, its processed products are also used instead. The quality of the rum remains the same, but the proportions will differ:

• molasses - contains up to 50% carbohydrates, from 1 kg of raw material you get up to 0.6-0.7 liters of pure rum;
• molasses - for 1 kg of this substance, you should take 4 liters of water and 10 g of dry commercial yeast;
• brown cane sugar - add 5 liters of water and 20 g of yeast to 1 kg.

Another equally important component that you need for high-quality homemade rum is yeast. The best solution would be dry wine yeast, but you can also take baker's yeast, increasing their amount by 5 times. To save money, you can additionally take regular sugar - it is used for fermentation processes.

Step-by-step cooking recipe

Rum at home, the recipe of which is considered traditional, is prepared in several stages. For 25 liters of water, you will need 5 kg of cane molasses and 50 g of dry wine yeast. Rum cooking technology:

• pour molasses with 10 liters of water, bring to a boil and keep on low heat until smooth, and then pour into a large fermentation container (the volume of liquid should not exceed 70-80%);
• activate yeast and pour it into a vat along with 15 liters of cold water;
• install a water seal on the fermentation container and leave it for 7-10 days at room temperature;
• when active fermentation stops, the liquid must be drained from the sediment into the distillation apparatus - for this, you can use special devices or a regular hose;
• distill rum to a strength of 45-50 degrees, and then dilute with water to 38-45 degrees with water (while alcohol is added to the water, and not vice versa);
• pour alcohol into containers for long-term storage - it will become usable after a few months of aging.

The rum recipe is simple with the right raw materials. One of the important conditions for obtaining the original color and aroma is the stage of aging and storage. Traditionally, the drink should be in wooden oak barrels or on oak chips. There is an easier way to color rum - for this it is used with sugar color, which is also obtained from cane.

• despite the fact that rum does not require long aging, it must spend several months before being consumed in barrels;
• the stages of cleaning and filtration are important for the quality of the product - you can use carbon filters or homemade ones made of cotton wool;
• the color of the drink is not an indicator of its quality; therefore, you should not additionally paint the liquid with chemicals.

Homemade rum recipe is time-tested. One of the advantages of this drink is its simplicity and the minimum number of components. You can learn more about how to make real rum according to the classic recipe in the step-by-step video:

what is RUM made of?

1. From sugar cane !!!
2. reed
3. sugar, yeast, water are made from cane, and when fermented, add cinnamon, vanilla, fruit.
4. Rum is a strong and very peculiar drink. It is made from molasses (black or light molasses) obtained in the production of sugar from sugar cane. The molasses is diluted with water, then fermented with a special yeast race, after which the brew is distilled and rum alcohol is obtained. Alcohol is diluted to 50-55%, poured into oak barrels and kept for at least 5 years at a temperature of 18-22C.
5. It has been scientifically proven that any alcoholic beverage is the result of fermentation and waste into microorganisms !!! (Bon appetit !!!.)
6. Rum - (eng. Rum) For the first time rum began to be produced at the beginning of the 17th century on the island of Barbados. In one of the dialects of the English language "rum" means "noise" or "hubbub". A strong drink made from aged alcohol is obtained by fermenting and distilling sugarcane juice. Light rum is represented by Cuban varieties, medium - Mexican and Puerto Rican, heavy - Jamaican. Rum is a must-have for the bar and is part of some of the world's best cocktails. Rum goes well with all juices, best of all with lemon but also with coconut milk, Grenadine syrup, Curacao blue liqueur and many other products. Dark rum can be consumed hot, in grog, where it is mixed with sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and hot water. Rum, which has passed a long aging in oak barrels, is drunk in its pure form.
   RUM PREPARATION IN HOME CONDITIONS ... EXACTLY - ALCOHOLIC DRINK TO THE TASTE OF REMINDING RUM

   Homemade rum (option 1)

   Take 1 liter of vodka, 50 g of rum essence, South of vanilla essence, South of pineapple essence, 200 g of sugar. Mix rum, vanilla and pineapple essences with Siberian vodka. Boil sugar and water. Pour over burnt sugar with this syrup, still hot, and stir until it is completely dissolved. Mix completely cooled liquid with vodka and essences, pour into bottles and seal tightly. Rum is ready to drink after 3-4 weeks. Filter the rum before use.

   Homemade rum (option 2)

   Take 12 liters of plain bread vodka, add 800 g of tartar, 400 g of sugar boiled into syrup, 1 g of crushed anise, 3 g of crushed saffron, 100 g of sugar, which in a piece must be rubbed over the peel of an orange, and scraped off the yellowed, softened sugar , 200 g of burnt sugar, 200 g of cocoa nuts, toasted and ground, distill. Pour the expelled vodka into a large bowl, add 16 kg of prunes, 8 kg of toasted crushed walnuts, 800 g of burnt sugar, 30 g of acetic ether and 100 g of sweet saltpeter alcohol. Shake everything well, and then let it settle so that the impurities settle to the bottom.

   Homemade rum (option 3)

   Take a bottle of malaga, 205 g of millet, coarsely crushed, 410 g of large raisins, boiled in water, 12.9 g of Peruvian balsam and sugar syrup to taste. Put all this in a bowl with 400 g of water and 200 g of white brewer's yeast. Leave to ferment for 3-4 days. Then add 12 liters of purified alcohol, distill in a cube so that 9.2 liters come out. To this distilled liquid add 205 g of fresh oak bark and 4.3 g of calamus root in a canvas bag. Put this bag in a keg in liquid, sealing it tightly.

   Homemade rum (option 4)

   Take 61.5 liters of refined bread wine, 2460 g of the best millet, roasted like coffee and coarsely ground, 8.6 g of saffron. Put all this in a cube, distill it, so that 43 liters of liquid come out. Tint with burnt sugar.

   Homemade rum "Erebuni"

   Take 500 g of wine alcohol, 48 g of rum essence, 4 teaspoons of burnt sugar, 500 g of water.
   First, dissolve 96% wine alcohol with boiled water. Then add rum essence (for a pleasant color) and burnt sugar.

7. From sugar cane.

It is a strong alcoholic drink made from the juice or fermented sugarcane molasses. That is, we understand that there are at least two ways of producing this alcohol. Depending on what the rum is made of in a particular case, the technology for its production will be slightly different.

Production methods

There are two technologies for the production of rum - industrial and agricultural. About 90% of this alcoholic beverage is produced in an industrial way. It is this kind of alcohol that fills the shop windows. But the remaining 10% are much more appreciated by true gourmets and connoisseurs of this alcoholic drink.

Industrial and agricultural technologies have significant differences, but at the same time they have a lot in common. Each of them goes through the same production stages: collection of sugar cane, its processing, fermentation of raw materials, distillation (distillation), blending and aging.

Rum production has one interesting feature. Most of this process is done manually. Automation and computerization is minimal. Only simple and time-tested mechanisms are used. This state of affairs is due to the economic and historical characteristics of the countries in which rum is produced. In other words, labor costs in these regions are traditionally very low. Therefore, manual labor is much cheaper for manufacturers than automation of production.

But let's get back to how rum is made.

It all starts with the collection of sugar cane. The most succulent lower part of the plant is used. It contains a large amount of sugar. Sugarcane is cut by hand using wide long knives or a machete.

After that, the collected plants are carefully sorted out. This is an extremely important stage. All unripe or rotten reeds are thrown aside. After all, if at least one such plant falls under the press, then the cane juice, and with it the rum made, will be hopelessly spoiled.

The harvested sugar cane is taken to the factory, where it is additionally crushed by hand and placed under a press. With its help it is possible to squeeze out the juice. This is not easy to do, so the plant material is passed through a press several times until it gives up all the liquid.

This is where the similarities in rum production methods end and differences begin.

Industrial technology

The extracted juice is subjected to heat treatment. Simply put, it starts to heat up. When exposed to high temperatures, it becomes a viscous syrup.

Then the syrup is cooled. Due to the temperature difference, partial crystallization occurs. That is, at this stage, the juice turns into sugar and molasses, which must be separated from each other.

This is done using a special unit - a centrifuge. The principle of its operation is simple. Through rapid circular movements, it is possible to separate the sugar crystals from the molasses. Thus, manufacturers achieve what they want.

After that, the sugar goes to further processing, and the molasses is poured into large metal containers. It is in them that her fermentation takes place. The speed of this process can be influenced by an increase in temperature. However, there is an interesting pattern here. On the one hand, the higher the temperature, the faster fermentation will take place. On the other hand, too high a speed at this stage negatively affects the taste and aroma of the rum. So at this stage, each manufacturer is looking for a middle ground.

The next step is distillation. It is carried out in special copper alambics. Distillation is carried out continuously. It is noticed that it is precisely this organization of this process that allows you to get the best rum.

Some rum producers use the services of blenders in search of a unique bouquet and taste. These experts will determine what additives should be used to make the drink better. In the production of rum, tropical fruits or spices can be used for these purposes. However, you need to understand that this is a departure from the classic method of obtaining rum.

The distillation product is a very strong alcoholic beverage. The alcohol content in it can reach 80-85%. Further steps depend on the type and brand of rum. Alcohol is diluted with crystal clear water to the desired strength. Note that the distillate is clear and colorless.

The last production step is aging. It is she who is responsible for giving the rum the necessary color and rich taste. Exposure is desirable, but not required. In some cases, alcohol, after dilution with water, is bottled and sent for sale. However, these are the cheapest rum varieties that are only suitable for making cocktails. High-quality cane alcohol must be infused in oak barrels. Cuban rum is considered the recognized standard.

Agricultural technology

Rum production using agricultural technology is much less common in the world. This is due to the fact that with this method, only an alcoholic beverage is obtained at the exit. All the sugar contained in cane is processed into alcohol.

The agricultural production process takes place naturally. It does not use any artificial additives. The result is a completely natural product.

So, the obtained and sugarcane juice is fermented. The output is a weak cane wine. Its strength is no more than 5-7 degrees.

The last stage is also the aging, which is made according to the general rules for this alcohol.