To every country, its rum
The connotation and definition of rum can vary from country to country and from culture to culture: one only needs to consider the difference in spelling between “Rhum”, produced in France and its French-speaking colonies, “Rum”, most notably used in England, and “Ron”, as pronounced by the Spanish.
Each culture has imposed its own influence on the production of this highly prized spirit, while simultaneously undermining its deep, intrinsic relationship with territories such as Caribbean islands and South America, where sugarcane flourishes and where most of its production is located.
At the same time, the methods employed for the production differ from area to area: Spanish and Spanish speaking colonies distill their Rons in column stills, while French Rhum is distilled using the pure juices of sugar canes. Lastly, British Rum is produced with molasses and distilled in column stills.
