73-706: Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice . The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak . Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced in nearly every major sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Philippines , where Tanduay Distillers , the largest producer of rum worldwide, has its headquarters. Rums are produced in various grades. Light rums are commonly used in cocktails , whereas "golden" and "dark" rums were typically consumed straight or neat , iced (" on
146-421: A by-product of the sugar refining process, could be fermented into alcohol, and then distilled. The earliest record, in a 1651 document from Barbados, mentions the island of Nevis in particular: "The chief fuddling they make in the island is Rumbullion, alias Kill-Divil, and this is made of sugar canes distilled, a hot, hellish, and terrible liquor." By the late 17th century rum had replaced French brandy as
219-568: A concentration over 50%. Beer and wine , which are not distilled, typically have a maximum alcohol content of about 15% ABV, as most yeasts cannot metabolize when the concentration of alcohol is above this level; as a consequence, fermentation ceases at that point. The origin of liquor and its close relative liquid is the Latin verb liquere , meaning 'to be fluid'. According to the Oxford English Dictionary ( OED ), an early use of
292-481: A distillery three years later. The manufacture of rum became early colonial New England's largest and most prosperous industry. New England became a distilling center due to the technical, metalworking and cooperage skills and abundant lumber; the rum produced there was lighter, more like whiskey. Much of the rum was exported, and distillers in Newport of Rhode Island even made an extra strong rum specifically to be used as
365-488: A fuller-tasting rum. Fermentation products like 2-ethyl-3-methyl butyric acid and esters like ethyl butyrate and ethyl hexanoate give rise to the sweetness and fruitiness of rum. The fermented product is then distilled. As with all other aspects of rum production, no standard method is used for distillation. While some producers work in batches using pot stills , most rum production is done using column still distillation. Pot still output contains more congeners than
438-405: A given year in a country. In Europe, spirits (especially vodka) are more popular in the north and east of the continent. Distilled spirits contain ethyl alcohol , the same chemical that is present in beer and wine , and as such, spirit consumption has short-term psychological and physiological effects on the user. Different concentrations of alcohol in the human body have different effects on
511-539: A medium of economic exchange, used to help fund enterprises such as slavery via triangular trade , organized crime, and military insurgencies such as the American Revolution and the Australian Rum Rebellion . The origin of the word "rum" is unclear. The most widely accepted hypothesis is that it is related to "rumbullion", a beverage made from boiling sugar cane stalks, or possibly "rumbustion," which
584-486: A member of the royal family or, on certain occasions, the admiralty board in the UK, with similar restrictions in other Commonwealth navies. Recently, such occasions have included royal marriages or birthdays, or special anniversaries. In the days of daily rum rations, the order to "splice the mainbrace" meant double rations would be issued. A legend involving naval rum and Horatio Nelson says that following his victory and death at
657-414: A mixture that became known as grog . Many believe the term was coined in honour of the grogram cloak Admiral Vernon wore in rough weather. The Royal Navy continued to give its sailors a daily rum ration, known as a "tot", until the practice was abolished on 31 July 1970. Today, a tot (totty) of rum is still issued on special occasions, using an order to " splice the mainbrace ", which may only be given by
730-409: A number of Latin works, and by the end of the thirteenth century, it had become a widely known substance among Western European chemists. Its medicinal properties were studied by Arnald of Villanova (1240–1311 CE) and John of Rupescissa (c. 1310–1366), the latter of whom regarded it as a life-preserving substance able to prevent all diseases (the aqua vitae or "water of life", also called by John
803-531: A person. The effects of alcohol depend on the amount an individual has drunk, the percentage of alcohol in the spirits and the timespan over which the consumption took place. The short-term effects of alcohol consumption range from a decrease in anxiety and motor skills and euphoria at lower doses to intoxication (drunkenness), to stupor , unconsciousness, anterograde amnesia (memory "blackouts"), and central nervous system depression at higher doses. Cell membranes are highly permeable to alcohol , so once it
SECTION 10
#1732863360698876-658: A slave currency. Rhode Island rum even joined gold as an accepted currency in Europe for a period of time. While New England triumphed in price and consistency, Europeans still viewed the best rums as coming from the Caribbean. Estimates of rum consumption in the American colonies before the American Revolutionary War had every man, woman, or child drinking an average of 3 imperial gallons (14 L ) of rum each year. In
949-425: A surgeon's mate, noted that there was not much for the men to do and drinking rum was very popular. In fact, Ensign Robert Johnstone, one of the officers, "thought proper to turn trader by selling (the) common rum to the soldiers & all others by whom he might gain a penny in this clandestine Manner." To conceal this theft, "he was observed to have filled up several Barrels of common rum with boiling water to make up
1022-511: A trend in the United States following the microbrewing and craft beer movement in the last decades of the 20th century. Liquor that contains 40% ABV (80 US proof ) will catch fire if heated to about 26 °C (79 °F) and if an ignition source is applied to it. This temperature is called its flash point . The flash point of pure alcohol is 16.6 °C (61.9 °F), less than average room temperature. The flammability of liquor
1095-648: A type of rum. Seco , from Panama, is also a spirit similar to rum, which is triple distilled, similar to some vodka . Mexico produces a number of brands of light and dark rum, as well as other less-expensive flavored and unflavored sugarcane-based liquors, such as aguardiente de caña and charanda . Aguardiente is also the name for unaged distilled cane spirit in some, primarily Spanish-speaking countries since their definition of rum includes at least two years of ageing in wood. A spirit known as aguardiente , distilled from molasses and often infused with anise , with additional sugarcane juice added after distillation,
1168-456: A unique style. For the most part, these styles can be grouped by the language traditionally spoken. Due to the overwhelming influence of Puerto Rican rum, most rum consumed in the United States is produced in the "Spanish-speaking" style. Cachaça is a spirit similar to rum that is produced in Brazil. Cachaca also comes from sugar cane. Some countries, including the United States, classify cachaça as
1241-421: Is also prohibited in some local jurisdictions). Some countries and sub-national jurisdictions limit or prohibit the sale of certain high-percentage alcohol, commonly known as neutral spirit . Due to its flammability (see below) alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content above 70% by volume are not permitted to be transported in aircraft. Microdistilling (also known as craft distilling) began to re-emerge as
1314-409: Is an alcoholic beverage that has been produced: Spirit drinks must contain at least 15% ABV (except in the case of egg liqueur such as Advocaat , which must contain a minimum of 14% ABV). Regulation makes a difference between "ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin" and a "distillate of agricultural origin". Distillate of agricultural origin is defined as an alcoholic liquid that is the result of
1387-411: Is applied in the cooking technique flambé . The flash points of alcohol concentrations from 10% to 96% by weight are: Liquor can be served: The World Health Organization (WHO) measures and publishes alcohol consumption patterns in different countries. The WHO measures alcohol consumed by persons 15 years of age or older and reports it on the basis of liters of pure alcohol consumed per capita in
1460-417: Is based on traditional styles that vary between locations and distillers. Sugarcane is traditionally collected by sugarcane machete cutters who cut the cane near to the ground, where the largest concentration of sugars is found, before lopping off the green tips. A good cutter can cut three tons of cane per day on average, but this is a small fraction of what a machine can cut, therefore mechanised harvesting
1533-602: Is in the bloodstream, it can diffuse into nearly every cell in the body. Alcohol can greatly exacerbate sleep problems. During abstinence , residual disruptions in sleep regularity and sleep patterns are the greatest predictors of relapse . Drinking more than 1–2 drinks a day increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure , atrial fibrillation , and stroke . The risk is greater in younger people due to binge drinking , which may result in violence or accidents. About 3.3 million deaths (5.9% of all deaths) are due to alcohol each year. Unlike wine and perhaps beer, there
SECTION 20
#17328633606981606-462: Is no evidence for a J-shaped health effect for the consumption of distilled alcohol. Long-term use can lead to an alcohol use disorder , an increased risk of developing physical dependence . cardiovascular disease and several types of cancer . Alcoholism , also known as "alcohol use disorder", is a broad term for any drinking of alcohol that results in problems. Alcoholism reduces a person's life expectancy by around ten years and alcohol use
1679-456: Is now utilized. Sugarcane comprises around 63% to 73% water, 12% to 16% soluble sugar, 2% to 3% non-sugars, and 11% to 16% fiber. To extract the water and sugar juice, the harvested cane is cleaned, sliced into small lengths, and milled (pressed). Most rum is produced from molasses, which is made from sugarcane. A rum's quality is dependent on the quality and variety of the sugar cane that was used to create it. The sugar cane's quality depends on
1752-578: Is produced in Central America and northern South America. In West Africa, and particularly in Liberia, 'cane juice' (also known as Liberian rum or simply CJ within Liberia itself) is a cheap, strong spirit distilled from sugarcane, which can be as strong as 43% ABV (86 proof). A refined cane spirit has also been produced in South Africa since the 1950s, simply known as cane or "spook". Within Europe, in
1825-420: Is referred to by the name screech , while some low-grade West Indies rums are called tafia . Many historians now believe that rum-making found its way to the Caribbean islands along with sugarcane and its cultivation methods from Brazil. The traditional history of modern-style rum tells of its invention in the Caribbean, in the 17th century, by slaves on sugarcane plantations, who discovered that molasses ,
1898-570: Is spoken, the word ron is used. A ron añejo ("aged rum") is a premium spirit. Rhum is the term that typically distinguishes rum made from fresh sugar cane juice from rum made from molasses in French-speaking locales like Martinique. A rhum vieux ("old rum") is an aged French rum that meets several other requirements. Some of the many other names for rum are Nelson 's blood, kill-devil, demon water, pirate's drink, navy neater, and Barbados water. A version of rum from Newfoundland
1971-478: Is the third-leading cause of early death in the United States. Consumption of alcohol in any quantity can cause cancer . Alcohol causes breast cancer , colorectal cancer , esophageal cancer , liver cancer , and head-and-neck cancers . The more alcohol is consumed, the higher the cancer risk. A survey of high school students in Alstahaug, Nordland county, revealed that adolescents consume alcohol at rates above
2044-411: Is typically consumed for the psychoactive effects of alcohol. Liquor may be consumed on its own (i.e. " neat "), typically in amounts of around 50 millilitres (1.7 US fluid ounces) per served drink; or frequently mixed with other ingredients to form a cocktail . In an undiluted form, distilled beverages are often slightly sweet and bitter and typically impart a burning mouthfeel with an odor derived from
2117-469: Is used in modern Britain to specify spirits bottled at 57% ABV. In 1866 the Navy fixed the issued strength at 95.5 proof (defined as "4.5 under-Proof", equal to 54.6% ABV). While the ration was originally given neat or mixed with lime juice, the practice of watering down the rum began around 1740. To help minimize the effect of the alcohol on his sailors, Admiral Edward Vernon had the rum ration watered, producing
2190-576: The quintessence of wine). In China, archaeological evidence indicates that the true distillation of alcohol began during the 12th century Jin or Southern Song dynasties. A still has been found at an archaeological site in Qinglong, Hebei , dating to the 12th century. In India, the true distillation of alcohol was introduced from the Middle East and was in wide use in the Delhi Sultanate by
2263-467: The Battle of Trafalgar , Nelson's body was preserved in a cask of rum to allow transportation back to England. Upon arrival, however, the cask was opened and found to be empty of rum. The [pickled] body was removed and, upon inspection, it was discovered that the sailors had drilled a hole in the bottom of the cask and drunk all the rum, hence the term "Nelson's blood" being used to describe rum. It also serves as
Rum - Misplaced Pages Continue
2336-587: The Jin (12th–13th centuries) and Southern Song (10th–13th centuries) dynasties according to archaeological evidence. Freeze distillation involves freezing the alcoholic beverage and then removing the ice. The freezing technique had limitations in geography and implementation limiting how widely this method was put to use. The flammable nature of the exhalations of wine was already known to ancient natural philosophers such as Aristotle (384–322 BCE), Theophrastus ( c. 371 – c. 287 BCE ), and Pliny
2409-433: The penal colony, established in 1788, faced severe food shortages, compounded by poor conditions for growing crops and the shortage of livestock. Eventually, it was realized that it might be cheaper for India , instead of Britain, to supply the settlement of Sydney . By 1817, two out of every three ships which left Sydney went to Java or India, and cargoes from Bengal fed and equipped the colony. Casks of Bengal Rum (which
2482-565: The 14th century. The works of Taddeo Alderotti (1223–1296) describe a method for concentrating alcohol involving repeated fractional distillation through a water-cooled still, by which an alcohol purity of 90% could be obtained. In 1437, "burned water" ( brandy ) was mentioned in the records of the County of Katzenelnbogen in Germany. It is legal to distill beverage alcohol as a hobby for personal use in some countries, including New Zealand and
2555-482: The 18th century, ever increasing demands for sugar, molasses, rum, and slaves led to a feedback loop that intensified the triangular trade. When France banned the production of rum in their New World possessions to end the domestic competition with brandy, New England distillers were then able to undercut producers in the British West Indies by buying cut-rate molasses from French sugar plantations. The outcry from
2628-552: The 1st century. Distilled water was described in the 2nd century AD by Alexander of Aphrodisias . Alchemists in Roman Egypt were using a distillation alembic or still device in the 3rd century. Distillation was known in the ancient Indian subcontinent , evident from baked clay retorts and receivers found at Taxila and Charsadda in Pakistan and Rang Mahal in India dating to
2701-517: The British changed the daily ration of liquor given to seamen from French brandy to rum. Navy rum was originally a blend mixed from rums produced in the West Indies . It was initially supplied at a strength of 100 degrees (UK) proof, 57% alcohol by volume (ABV), as that was the only strength that could be tested (by the gunpowder test ) before the invention of the hydrometer . The term "Navy strength"
2774-529: The British rum industry led to the Molasses Act of 1733, which levied a prohibitive tax on molasses imported into the Thirteen Colonies from foreign countries or colonies. Rum at this time accounted for approximately 80% of New England's exports, and paying the duty would have put the distilleries out of business: as a result, both compliance with and enforcement of the act were minimal. Strict enforcement of
2847-490: The Czech Republic and Slovakia, a similar spirit made from sugar beet is known as Tuzemak . In Germany, a cheap substitute for genuine dark rum is called Rum-Verschnitt (literally: blended or "cut" rum). This drink is made of genuine dark rum (often high-ester rum from Jamaica), rectified spirit , and water. Very often, caramel coloring is used, too. The relative amount of genuine rum it contains can be quite low since
2920-460: The Elder (23/24–79 CE). This did not immediately lead to the isolation of alcohol, however, despite the development of more advanced distillation techniques in second- and third-century Roman Egypt . An important recognition, first found in one of the writings attributed to Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (ninth century CE), was that by adding salt to boiling wine, which increases the wine's relative volatility ,
2993-741: The Gin category but any gin cannot be considered as London gin). Spirit drinks that are not produced within the EU, such as tequila or baijiu , are not listed in the 44 categories. Early evidence of distillation comes from Akkadian tablets dated c. 1200 BC describing perfumery operations, providing textual evidence that an early, primitive form of distillation was known to the Babylonians of ancient Mesopotamia . Early evidence of distillation also comes from alchemists working in Alexandria , Roman Egypt , in
Rum - Misplaced Pages Continue
3066-571: The King as commander-in-chief, as occurred on 29 June 2010, when previous monarch Queen Elizabeth II gave the order to the Royal Canadian Navy as part of the celebration of their 100th anniversary. Rum became an important trade good in the early period of the colony of New South Wales . The value of rum was based upon the lack of coinage among the population of the colony, and due to the drink's ability to allow its consumer to temporarily forget about
3139-521: The Leakage." Ensign Johnstone had no trouble selling this diluted rum. The popularity of rum continued after the American Revolution; George Washington insisting on a barrel of Barbados rum at his 1789 inauguration. Rum started to play an important role in the political system; candidates attempted to influence the outcome of an election through their generosity with rum. The people would attend
3212-625: The Molasses Act's successor, the Sugar Act , in 1764 may have helped cause the American Revolution . In the slave trade, rum was also used as a medium of exchange . For example, the slave Venture Smith (whose history was later published) had been purchased in Africa, for four gallons of rum plus a piece of calico . In "The Doctor's Secret Journal", an account of the happenings at Fort Michilimackinac in northern Michigan from 1769 to 1772 by Daniel Morison,
3285-564: The Netherlands. In many others including the United States , it is illegal to distill beverage alcohol without a license, and the licensing process is too arduous for hobbyist-scale production. In some parts of the U.S., it is also illegal to sell a still without a license. Nonetheless, all states allow unlicensed individuals to make their own beer , and some also allow unlicensed individuals to make their own wine (although making beer and wine
3358-399: The United States defines rum, rum liqueur, and flavored rum. In Australia, rum is divided into dark or red rum (underproof known as UP, overproof known as OP, and triple distilled) and white rum. Despite these differences in standards and nomenclature, the following divisions are provided to help show the wide variety of rums produced. Within the Caribbean, each island or production area has
3431-476: The additional term "drink") refers to liquor that should not contain added sugar and is usually 35–40% alcohol by volume (ABV). Fruit brandy , for example, is also known as 'fruit spirit'. Liquor bottled with added sugar and flavorings, such as Grand Marnier , amaretto , and American schnapps , are known instead as liqueurs . Liquor generally has an alcohol concentration higher than 30% when bottled, and before being diluted for bottling, it typically has
3504-701: The alcohol and the production and aging processes; the exact flavor varies between different varieties of liquor and the different impurities they impart. Rapid consumption of a large amount of liquor can cause severe alcohol intoxication or alcohol poisoning , which can be fatal either due to acute biochemical damage to vital organs (e.g. alcoholic hepatitis and pancreatitis ), or due to trauma (e.g. falls or motor vehicle accidents ) caused by alcohol-induced delirium . Consistent consumption of liquor over time correlates with higher mortality and other harmful health effects, even when compared to other alcoholic beverages. The term "spirit" (singular and used without
3577-451: The basis for the term tapping the admiral being used to describe surreptitiously sucking liquor from a cask through a straw. The details of the story are disputed, as many historians claim the cask contained French brandy , whilst others claim instead the term originated from a toast to Admiral Nelson. Variations of the story, involving different notable corpses, have been in circulation for many years. The official record states merely that
3650-404: The body was placed in "refined spirits" and does not go into further detail. The Royal New Zealand Navy was the last naval force to give sailors a free daily tot of rum. The Royal Canadian Navy still gives a rum ration on special occasions; the rum is usually provided out of the commanding officer's fund and is 150 proof (75%). The order to "splice the mainbrace" (i.e. take rum) can be given by
3723-689: The colony until the arrival of Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1810. In India, rum was not traditionally produced as the production processes used to make jaggery from sugarcane do not produce molasses as a by-product. Rum was not produced in India commercially until the introduction of cane sugar production processes which did. The production of spirits along with the core commodity of sugar allowed for these plantations to have high economic returns. Production expanded rapidly to meet both domestic and export markets (however exports to Great Britain were restricted by protectionist policies). Rum production continued after
SECTION 50
#17328633606983796-598: The confiscations of "whatsoever Barbados liquors, commonly called rum, kill the devil and the like". A short time later in May 1657, the General Court of Massachusetts also decided to make illegal the sale of strong liquor "whether knowne by the name of rumme, strong water, wine, brandy, etc". In current usage, the name used for a rum is often based on its place of origin. For rums from places mostly in Latin America where Spanish
3869-438: The distillation, after alcoholic fermentation, of agricultural products which does not have the properties of ethyl alcohol and which retain the aroma and taste of the raw materials used. Annex 1 to the regulation lists 44 categories of spirit drinks and their legal requirements. Some spirit drinks can fall into more than one category. Specific production requirements distinguish one category from another (London gin falls into
3942-573: The early centuries of the Common Era . Frank Raymond Allchin says these terracotta distill tubes were "made to imitate bamboo". These " Gandhara stills" were capable of producing only very weak liquor, as there was no efficient means of collecting the vapors at low heat. Distillation in China could have begun during the Eastern Han dynasty (1st–2nd centuries), but the distillation of beverages began in
4015-518: The end of the colonial era. Today, most spirits produced in India labeled as whisky, vodka, and gin are made with a neutral rum derived base. Old Monk is the primary brand of dark rum consumed in contemporary India. Commercial rum production was introduced into Taiwan along with commercial sugar production during the Japanese colonial period . Rum production continued under the Republic of China, however, it
4088-545: The exchange alcohol of choice in the triangle trade . Canoemen and guards on the African side of the trade, who had previously been paid in brandy, were now paid in rum. After the development of rum in the Caribbean, the drink's popularity spread to Colonial North America . To support the demand for the drink, the first rum distillery in the Thirteen Colonies was set up in 1664 on Staten Island . Boston, Massachusetts , had
4161-663: The fermentation process. While some rum producers allow wild yeasts to perform the fermentation, most use specific strains of yeast to help provide a consistent taste and predictable fermentation time. Dunder , the yeast-rich foam from previous fermentations, is the traditional yeast source in Jamaica . "The yeast employed will determine the final taste and aroma profile," says Jamaican master blender Joy Spence . Distillers that make lighter rums, such as Bacardi , prefer to use faster-working yeasts. The use of slower-working yeasts causes more esters to accumulate during fermentation, allowing for
4234-525: The flammability of the resulting vapors may be enhanced. The distillation of wine is attested in Arabic works attributed to al-Kindī (c. 801–873 CE) and to al-Fārābī (c. 872–950), and in the 28th book of al-Zahrāwī 's (Latin: Abulcasis, 936–1013) Kitāb al-Taṣrīf (later translated into Latin as Liber servatoris ). In the twelfth century, recipes for the production of aqua ardens ("burning water", i.e., alcohol) by distilling wine with salt started to appear in
4307-489: The hustings to see which candidate appeared more generous. The candidate was expected to drink with the people to show he was independent and truly a republican. Eventually, the restrictions on sugar imports from the British West Indies , combined with the development of American whiskeys , led to a decline in the drink's popularity in North America. Rum's association with piracy began with English privateers ' trading in
4380-539: The lack of creature comforts available in the new colony. The value of rum was such that convict settlers could be induced to work the lands owned by officers of the New South Wales Corps. Due to rum's popularity among the settlers, the colony gained a reputation for drunkenness, though their alcohol consumption was less than levels commonly consumed in England at the time. Australia was so far away from Britain that
4453-546: The legal minimum is only 5%. In Austria , a similar rum called Inländerrum or domestic rum is available. However, Austrian Inländerrum is always a spiced rum, such as the brand Stroh ; German Rum-Verschnitt , in contrast, is never spiced or flavored. The grades and variations used to describe rum depend on the location where rum was produced. Despite these variations, the following terms are frequently used to describe various types of rum: Unlike some other spirits, rum has no defined production methods. Instead, rum production
SECTION 60
#17328633606984526-401: The output from column stills, so produces fuller-tasting rums. Liquor Liquor ( / ˈ l ɪ k ər / LIK -ər ) or distilled beverages are alcoholic drinks produced by the distillation of grains , fruits , vegetables , or sugar that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation . Other terms for liquor include spirit , spirituous liquor or hard liquor . While
4599-593: The rocks "), or used for cooking, but are now commonly consumed with mixers. Premium rums are made to be consumed either straight or iced. Rum plays a part in the culture of most islands of the West Indies as well as the Maritime provinces and Newfoundland , in Canada. It has associations with the Royal Navy (where it was mixed with water or beer to make grog ) and piracy (where it was consumed as bumbo ). Rum has served as
4672-399: The soil type and climate that it was grown in. Within the Caribbean, much of this molasses is from Brazil. A notable exception is the French-speaking islands, where sugarcane juice is the preferred base ingredient. In Brazil itself, the distilled alcoholic drink derived from cane juice is distinguished from rum and called cachaça . Yeast and water are added to the base ingredient to start
4745-473: The spirit. The differences in definitions include issues such as spirit proof , minimum ageing, and even naming standards. Mexico requires rum be aged a minimum of eight months; the Dominican Republic, Panama and Venezuela require two years. Naming standards also vary. Argentina defines rums as white, gold, light, and extra light. Grenada and Barbados use the terms white, overproof, and matured, while
4818-515: The term hard liquor is sometimes used to distinguish distilled alcoholic drinks from non-distilled ones, whereas the term spirits is more commonly used in the United Kingdom . Some examples of liquors include vodka , rum , gin and tequila . Liquors are often aged in barrels , such as for the production of brandy and whiskey , or are infused with flavorings to form flavored liquors , such as absinthe . Like other alcoholic drinks, liquor
4891-414: The valuable commodity. Some of the privateers became pirates and buccaneers, with a continuing fondness for rum; the association between the two was only strengthened by literary works such as Robert Louis Stevenson 's Treasure Island . The association of rum with the Royal Navy began in 1655 when a Royal Navy fleet captured the island of Jamaica . With the availability of domestically produced rum,
4964-498: The word liquor ordinarily refers to distilled alcoholic spirits rather than beverages produced by fermentation alone, it can sometimes be used more broadly to refer to any alcoholic beverage (or even non-alcoholic products of distillation or various other liquids). The distillation process concentrates the liquid to increase its alcohol by volume . As liquors contain significantly more alcohol ( ethanol ) than other alcoholic drinks, they are considered "harder". In North America ,
5037-610: The word in the English language, meaning simply "a liquid", can be dated to 1225. The first use documented in the OED defined as "a liquid for drinking" occurred in the 14th century. Its use as a term for "an intoxicating alcoholic drink" appeared in the 16th century. In accordance with the regulation (EU) 2019/787 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 17, 2019, a spirit drink
5110-439: Was a slang word for "uproar" or "tumult"; a noisy uncontrollable exuberance, though the origin of those words and the nature of the relationship are unclear. Both words surfaced in English about the same time as rum did (1651 for "rumbullion", and before 1654 "rum"). There have been various other theories: Regardless of the original source, the name was already in common use by 1654, when the General Court of Connecticut ordered
5183-540: Was intimately involved in the only military takeover of an Australian government, known as the Rum Rebellion . When William Bligh became governor of the colony, he attempted to remedy the perceived problem of drunkenness by outlawing the use of rum as a medium of exchange. In response to Bligh's attempt to regulate the use of rum, in 1808, the New South Wales Corps marched with fixed bayonets to Government House and placed Bligh under arrest. The mutineers continued to control
5256-465: Was neglected by Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation which held the national liquor monopoly. The industry diversified after privatization and the de-monopolization of the Taiwanese alcoholic beverage industry. Dividing rum into meaningful groupings is complicated because no single standard exists for what constitutes rum. Instead, rum is defined by the varying rules and laws of the nations producing
5329-541: Was reputed to be stronger than Jamaican Rum, and not so sweet) were brought back in the depths of nearly every ship from India. The cargoes were floated ashore clandestinely before the ships docked, by the Royal Marines regiment which controlled the sales. It was against the direct orders of the governors, who had ordered the searching of every docking ship. British merchants in India grew wealthy by sending ships to Sydney "laden half with rice and half with bad spirits". Rum
#697302