Rum is one of the oldest spirits in the world. Nowadays, it is mainly made from sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) in the Caribbean, South and Central America, Tahiti, and the Philippines. It was the West Indian Fleet who made rum famous in Germany and Scandinavia in the 18th century. It imported rum from the Caribbean, particularly from the Virgin Islands, and brought it back on its ships to Europe.

“Rumbullion”, meaning ruckus or uproar, is supposed to be where the high percentage beverage got its name. A reference to the fact that even then, the enjoyment of rum usually led to a brouhaha.

Rum is usually made by fermenting sugar cane molasses with yeast and then distilling it. It is also occasionally made by fermenting sugar cane juice or fresh sugar cane. The most important ingredient for rum production is sugar cane. After harvesting, it is pressed and its juice is reduced to a syrup. This syrup contains about 30% sugar.

A process of cooling, crystallising, and centrifuging the sugar follows. It is then boiled again, in order to obtain as much sugar as possible. The thick, sticky, black mass that remains is called molasses. It contains, apart from the remaining sugar and important minerals, other substances that contribute to the rum’s aroma and taste.

An average of 5 litres of rum can be made from 12 tons of molasses. The basic ingredient is normally molasses, but can also be sugar cane juice with water. Depending on the recipe, this is either fermented with cultivated or wild yeast over a period of 24 hours (for light rums), or up to a few weeks (for dark rums). After distillation, the rum is a colourless liquid that contains 40 to 75 vol.% alcohol.

Storing it in wooden caskets gives rum its colour and rounds off its flavour. Caramel is sometimes added to colour brown rums. The minimum alcohol content is 38 vol.%. The commercial standard is usually 40 to 55 vol.%.

We at RITTER SPORT use genuine Jamaican rum in our Rum Raisins Hazelnuts and RITTER SPORT Rum Crispy Pralines. It has an alcohol content of 75 vol.% and is characterised by its particularly strong, persistent flavour.