Rum

Discover the best Rums

This eau de vie, made from sugarcane during the 17th century, comes straight from the Carribeans. Before that, sugarcane wine (distilled sugarcane juice, or "vesou" as the locals call it) was sold on the islands for more than 400 years. Also known as "kill-devil", "guildive" or "cachaça", rum was artisanally made using unfiltered cane molasses and mainly consumed by the lower class: sailors, slaves, pirates…

Rum became an "official" spirits between 1642 and 1688, in Barbados. At the time, even the British Navy used it as rations, seeing as their water supplies were quick to stagnate. The mixture of water and rum gave birth to the famous grog. In Europe, rum was so popular that France had to regulate its sale because it was overshadowing the local production of Cognac and Calvados.

There are two main types or rum: agricultural rum and industrial rum. The first one is lighter and made with pure sugarcane juice. The second type, sometimes called sugar mill rum, is made with sugarcane molasses, like in the old days. Its texture is naturally much thicker. Rum, whether agricultural or industrial, usually comes in two shades; we use the terms white rum and dark rum (also known as amber rum).

You may have heard of "ron" (Hispanic origin) or "rhum" (the European version) but all three of them are in fact the same thing, with only a few tweaks depending on the country. Whatever its name, the cocktails you can make with your rum are the only thing that counts. Today, more than 20 million hectares of sugarcane plants are grown in the entire world, which makes about 560 000 tons of rum each year.

Browse our selection of rums and old rums.