Rum. Australians overthrew their government for it. The Royal Navy got a daily ration of it until 1970. George Washington demanded it at his 1789 inauguration. Although it’s been around for 100 years, we still drink it like there’s no tomorrow.
Unlike many other types of alcohol, there is no international standard for what constitutes a “rum.” Each country sets its own guidelines for how rum is made, which allows for a good amount of variety and local tradition around the world. Generally speaking, rum is made from fermented sugar cane, either juice or molasses, distilled to at least 40 percent alcohol, and then aged in oak barrels.
Within those very general guidelines, there is endless variety. Light rum, a specialty of Spanish-speaking countries and islands, has a clean, sweet taste and is good for subtle drink mixtures.
English-speaking countries and islands tend to produce darker rums, aged in heavily charred barrels for a stronger, fuller molasses taste. French islands are known for their rhum agricole, made with sugar-cane juice for a natural sugar-cane flavor. Distill rum to a high concentration, and it becomes 151.
Although you should feel free to drink your rum neat, rum cocktails are worth trying. The International Bartenders Association recognizes seven rum-based cocktails: Cuba Libre (AKA “rum and coke”), Daiquiri, Long Island Iced Tea, Mai-Tai, Mojito, Piña Colada and Planter’s Punch.
While all of these drinks can help you beat the heat, my personal favorite for the summer is the piña colada. Instead of setting yourself up for major disappointment with store-bought piña colada mix, experience the islands: Buy a coconut. Pound a couple holes in the coconut with a nail and drain the milk into a blender. Smash the empty coconut with a hammer, then scrape out some of the meat and add it to the milk.
Add an equal amount of light rum or coconut rum and three times that amount of pineapple juice and chunks if you like its texture. Add a bunch of ice and blend until smooth. Shred some of the remaining meat and mix it with sugar. Wet the rim of your glass and then set it in the coconut-sugar mixture to frost the glass.
This might sound like a lot of tedious work, but it makes for quite the sensation at a party when you bash a coconut open on the back steps with a hammer.
More importantly, it makes one heck of a good drink.
If you aren’t so handy, just buy cream of coconut and shredded coconut and proceed accordingly. Whatever you do, don’t use an artificially flavored mix; respect your rum, and do this wonderful summertime beverage justice.
