Rum is a distilled spirit made from sugarcane. It can made using either fresh sugarcane juice, sugarcane honey/syrup, or molasses. About 90-95% of rum sold on the shelf is made from molasses. Sugarcane is an organic grass that originated in Asia. It grows in tropical climates, where the sugar industry emerged centuries ago.

In the 1600s, African slaves and European colonists made rum from molasses on Barbados in the Caribbean. The origins of the word rum are not certain. In 1650, in Barbados, it was written, and known as a spirit called kill-devil. Some say the word rum comes from rumbullion, rumbustion, or saccharum the Latin word for sugar. But it matters not a jot to rum lovers today.

Either way, rum is an English word. The French word ‘Rhum’ means rum and does not define the rum style. Likewise with ‘Ron’, which is the Spanish word for rum.

To make rum from sugarcane juice, syrup, or molasses, it is first fermented. For molasses, yeast and water are added and then it is distilled. After distillation, the liquid will be clear and is often aged in oak barrels. But not always. Unaged rum is popular, and new rum distillers are sharing some interesting unaged rum.

It’s amazing how the humble sugarcane plant can develop into such a diverse spirit for us to enjoy!

Cut to The Chase: Rum Law

If you like to geek out on some legal definitions you are in luck, or just cut to the *impact sections. 

EU Law (UK adopts EU law for now): Rum is a spirit drink produced exclusively by the distillation of the product obtained by the alcoholic fermentation of molasses or syrup produced in the manufacture of cane sugar or of sugar-cane juice itself, distilled at less than 96 % vol. so that the distillate has the discernible specific organoleptic characteristics of rum. With a minimum of 37.5% and no more than 20 grams per litre of sweetening products, expressed as inverted sugar.

*Impact: No alternative sugar sources can be used, labelling regulations and restrictive description terms can narrow consumer choice and understanding. UK rum producers also have this plus the regulatory uncertainty due to Brexit.

USA Law: “Rum” is distilled spirits that are distilled from the fermented juice of sugar cane, sugar cane syrup, sugar cane molasses, or other sugar cane by-products at less than 95 percent alcohol by volume (190° proof) having the taste, aroma, and characteristics generally attributed to rum, and bottled at not less than 40% and also includes mixtures solely of such spirits. All rum may be designated as “rum” on the label, even if it also meets the standards for a specific type of rum.

*Impact: US rum producers face similar labelling challenges as the EU. Some regulations impede and may mislead consumers. The complex approval process hinders smaller producers. Add to that, state-by-state liquor laws determine what rum brands you’ll see. US rum customers often complain they are behind the EU/UK for new releases.

Canadian Law – It has a less restrictive definition of rum. It must be a potable alcoholic distillate or a mixture of potable alcoholic distillates obtained from sugarcane or sugarcane products fermented with yeast or a mixture of yeast and other microorganisms. Rum must be aged in small wood for not less than 1 year.

*Impact: You might see Maple or Honey rum being sold there. But, no sale of unaged rum, unless certification of AOC Martinique or PGI Guadeloupe. Also, the Canadian government considers ethyl carbamate in agricultural rum a health risk, so monopolies restrict it and producers need to change their recipe.

Australia Law: Rum means a spirit obtained by the distillation of a fermented liquor derived from the products of sugar cane, being distillation carried out in such a manner that the spirit possesses the taste, aroma, and other characteristics generally attributed to rum. It is law that rum must be stored in wood for no less than 2 years. 

*Impact: The minimum of 2 years takes longer for new distillers to sell their product. It also makes it difficult for them to explore the innovative worldwide trend of unaged/young-aged rum popular among local Australian rum lovers.

Cuba DOP: Ron Cubano rum must be made from molasses derived from Cuban-grown sugar cane. Cuban rum must be aged in white oak barrels for at least two years. The use of scents, aromas, artificial additives, macerations, and extracts is prohibited in the elaboration of Cuban rum. Cuban rum is naturally aged and does not count the ageing time at lower temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius. After a minimum of two years by law, it can be filtered and then re-aged in old American oak barrels. 

*Impact: Government-owned Cuban rum has been DOP since 2010, and makes a very specific rum. Laws are strict, and no other styles are allowed. Foreign brands enter contracts, their marketing is restricted and done outside of Cuba. 

For references, see the bottom of the article 

Made Many Ways

Most rum is distilled using molasses. Fresh sugarcane juice and cane honey rums are produced in the countries it’s governed by. However, molasses is much more than a sugar-refining by-product. It’s the star of the show, a highly-concentrated rich treacly flavour bomb, like a stock cube is to soup. Once it’s let loose in the fermentation tanks, it interacts with yeast which unlocks flavour compounds. 

Then, distillation concentrates and refines. Afterward, in maturation, the cask drives flavour forward. But all these stages have multiple variables, laws, and input from master blenders or Maestro/Maestra Roneros. You can read in How Rum is Made

Not All Cane Spirits Are Rum

Sugarcane is the base of some other spirits not categorised as rum. Usually, it’s made locally, using local woods to age, or is a broader term spirit without the regulations applied to rum.

Cachaça is a Brazilian sugarcane spirit and since 2013 has been recognised separately from rum.

Aguardiente de caña is popular in Spanish-speaking Latin America, in Colombia its anise flavoured. 

Batavia Arrack from Indonesia is made from fermented cane juice, molasses & rice cakes.

Charanda from Mexico, Clairin from Haiti, Grogue from Cape Verde, Pitorro from Puerto Rico, Guaro from Costa Rica, and Seco from Panama – are all distilled from sugarcane juice but not classed as rum. 

Rum is Versatile 

Rum is enjoyed in a variety of ways. Some might enjoy rum neat, others dilute with water, or the rocks. And, many others don’t realise their classic cocktail is made with rum. From a refreshing vacation cocktail, dive bar rum & coke in their local to a high-roller sipping top-shelf dram – rum is at home in many settings.

Rum Is Culture 

Rum is deeply embedded in the cultural fabric of the West Indies and the Caribbean. It plays a significant role in shaping traditions, celebrations, and social interactions. From the Trinidad Carnival to Barbados Crop Over. And, in Barbados, there are more than 1,500 rum shops, where locals and visitors socialise together. 

Jamaica has a strong rum culture embedded in local recipes, rum punch, and reggae music – rum is never far! But rum is much more widespread, you’ll find rum culture all over the Americas, in Florida, Madeira, the Indian Ocean islands, and the Pacific islands. And, add to that worldwide Tiki culture, a subcategory of rum appreciation since the 1930s.

9 Key Takeaways to: What is Rum? 

1. Sugarcane Origins: Rum is made from sugarcane, it’s a harvested organic natural produce distillers rely on.
2. Distillers Art: Master blenders or Maestros/Maestras shape signature brand profiles and control all aspects.
3. Laws: Rum in the bottle is a result of regulation; from price to description on the label, little is straightforward.
4. Myths: Molasses is not sweet; rum is not sweet. It is the additions or dosage that makes it sweet.
5. Evolution of Rum: Modern distillers are reshaping the category by investing in sugarcane and single-estate rum. Additionally, they are experimenting with high-ester, unaged rums, and pushing boundaries.
6. The Molasses Complex: Molasses made from sugarcane, it’s not just a by-product. It’s the main ingredient and rum distillers use it to create some of the best rums in the world. 
7.  Sourcing Challenges: With increased demand, and distillers pursuing more sustainable practices, ringfencing quality raw materials is a high priority. Sourcing from certified suppliers is a big commitment to quality rum-making.
8. Rum is Changing: From climate challenges, supply issues, and longer-term plans to protect it. Reintroducing sugarcane, and producing your own molasses is not always viable, but some are leading the way.
9. Rum is Location-based: Laws and supply in your region determine your perception of rum. Visit a Caribbean rum distillery and it might blow the doors off what you thought a brand’s range is compared to what your local liquor store holds. 

Final Thoughts 

When you ask, “What is rum?” remember, the answer is not static. It depends on where you are, what is available to you, the laws in place, and what distillers and blenders are doing to create it. What is rum today will evolve in the next decade as it did in the last.

Let’s toast to Rum, Rhum, Ron, or even Rom! Embracing that rum can mean different things to different people.

Now, that wasn’t painful, was it?

Here are some sources, and further reading:

https://cocktailwonk.com/ https://therumlab.com/ https://www.rumcast.com/ https://rumporter.com/