Did you know there are now over 200 Rum's available on the market. Move over Gin!
Rum's origins lie very much in a place and time, namely the Caribbean of the 17th Century. During this period, the islands were being colonized by settlers from various European countries, particularly England, France, Spain, Portugal and Holland. These early colonists naturally sought out a way of producing alcohol – not just for its intoxicating properties, but as a way of making unpurified water safer to drink.
With its hot, humid climate, the Caribbean region is not well suited to viticulture. Neither does it lend itself to grain crops; even today, rice is the only grain successfully grown there on any significant scale. Without grape and grain, the colonists found themselves unable to produce wine, brandy or beer. With the rapid rise of the Caribbean sugar industry, a solution soon presented itself: sugarcane.
Sugarcane is not native to the Caribbean; it was introduced by Europeans. It was first cultivated there by the Spanish in the early years of the 16th Century, not long after Christopher Columbus's voyages of discovery. By the middle of the 18th Century, European demand for sugar was booming.
To satisfy this demand, large swathes of the Caribbean were planted in sugarcane. The primary byproduct of table sugar production is molasses, the black syrup created by repeatedly boiling sugarcane juice in order to extract sugar crystals.
After the process has run its course, the resulting molasses still contains about 25 percent sucrose and 20 percent glucose and fructose. It is these remaining sugars that can be converted into alcohol and then distilled into rum. (Source Wine-Searcher)
Our history with Rum starts in the early 90's when we were lucky enough to visit Bermuda and introduced to the Dark & Stormy, which is still the best rum cocktail in my opinion. Simple and refreshing. Recipe below.
We have sampled many in recent times, but decided to add Devils Bridge Spiced Rum to our small spirit collection.
Devil’s Bridge Spiced Rum started with the distinctive flavour of Bara Brith. Created by our Welsh master distiller, this is a spiced rum with familiar nostalgic flavours. A blend of our base Caribbean rum is brought to Wales for distillation in our copper pot still, where it is steeped in a unique combination of botanicals and spices. Glengettie Black Tea for depth of flavour, Bara Brith for sweetness and Shirgar Carmarthenshire Butter for smoothness. Devil’s Bridge Spiced Rum is an outstanding Spiced Rum that can be enjoyed on its own over ice, served long with a mixer or as a first class kick in any cocktail.
Dark & Stormy
60ml Devil's Bridge Spiced Rum
120ml Ginger Beer
Lime Wedge
Pour all the  ingredients into a glass with ice. Stir gently and garnish with a lime wedge.