Rum's mysterious and sometimes checkered history finds its origins in the early colonial era of North America. In the Caribbean sugarcane plantations, some inventive soul discovered that sugarcane's byproduct, molasses, could be distilled to create a potent and flavoursome drink. Since those early days, Rum has come a long way in both variety and quality and most Caribbean islands produce their own unique style, though it is widely produced in many locations around the world. Dark and Gold rums are often aged in wooden barrels or flavoured with spices. Their uses are many, with spiced rums making excellent mixed drinks and well aged rums superbly enjoyable served neat much like a quality whisky. White Rums are usually the production of continuous distillation giving a lighter, purer flavour. White Rum is almost exclusively used for mixing, rarely ever consumed neat, and should be seen as an essential part of any bartender's kit.
