Rum and rising ...the UK’s new spirit craze!

THE IDEA of British rum might initially seem a little puzzling.This quintessentially Caribbean liquor is made by fermenting and distilling sugarcane molasses or juice and speaks of sunshine, beaches and blue sea.The resulting clear sprit is aged in oak barrels and flavoured. There are dark rums, gold rums, light rums, flavoured rums and spiced rums. But sugarcane can only be grown in tropical climates, and rum and Britain have a long and tangled history tied in with slavery.

Rum is said to be named after “rumbullion” or “rumbustion” – meaning uproar or tumult due to the effect it had. British colonisation of Barbados and the capture of Jamaica in the mid-17th century led to soaring popularity back home and vast quantities of rum were imported into the UK. For two centuries, Royal Navy sailors were given a daily tot of rum – only abolished in July 1970 on “Black Tot Day”.

The rise of craft distilleries in Britain has led to an upsurge in gin and vodka production. Rum has been slower to take off but, more recently, enterprising producers have been importing the spirit and flavouring it, or distilling imported sugarcane molasses from scratch.

Spices and flavourings including vanilla, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, banana, coconut and raspberry have been used to create a vast number of thrilling UK varieties.

The best can be drunk neat like brandy. Lighter ones mix well with citrus and tropical flavours in cocktails like mojito and daiquiri. So, if you fancy a taste of the tropics with a twist, give British rum a go.And nothing is better than warming the cockles on a cold Firework Night!