Rum, name that Americans gave to a strong and flammable kind of brandy derived from the distillation of sugar cane.

Rum differs from what one simply calls “sugar concentrate” in that it contains much more essential oil from the sugar cane, and because this liquor has often been fermented with a large part of unrefined juice and from the sugar cane itself, and that is how the rum is prepared.

The essential and creamy oil of rum is usually said to come from the large quantity of fat that is used in the cooking of sugar. It is true that this fat, when it is crude, normally gives off a fetid odor to the liquid sugar, either in our distilleries or our refineries; but this does not procure the pungent taste that is found in rum , which is actually the effect of the sugar cane’s natural oils. This is how rum is recognized.

When one gathers a sufficient quantity of the substance from which it is extracted, one pours in or adds a given quantity of water to produce fermentation, but very slowly at the beginning; one then gradually stimulates it with beer dregs which raises the liquor during the operation very quickly. When everything has fully fermented and has reached the necessary level of acidity, it is distilled in the usual fashion until it can pass what one calls “the test” in sugar refineries; sometimes a strength is used similar to the one used with alcohol or wine concentrate, it is called double distilled rum . It would be easy to adjust and purify the rum concentrate, because it generates in distillation a large amount of oil, which is very unpleasant, and it needs a long time to sweeten before it can be used; instead if one tried to refine it correctly it would promptly sweeten smoothen and lose part of its bad odor.

The best state of rum , for transporting and for usage, is undoubtedly alcohol or refined spirits, because by this manner it would be concentrated to facilitate transport, and could withstand all manner of trials. It would be even better to make punch and would have a much more pleasant taste. Incidentally in this state it would be adulterated by the distillers; because when they need to mix a large amount of low-priced liquor with the rum , they take the one that has the most and strongest essential oil to weaken the oil of the other fermented liquors with which they want to mix it. It is certain that if it is refined with delicacy, one would make a spirit much more pure, that is more fine, and more delicate so that it could come very close to arrac; because in mixing a small amount of refined rum with some other spirit without odor or taste, it forms a liquor very similar in taste and smell to a genuine arrac.

Much rum is refined in England, and some are even not ashamed to make it with concentrated grain; but when one makes it with concentrated molasses, it is difficult to discover the trickery; the best method to test the rum is to pour a small quantity in a suitable container and set it on fire; when all of the inflammable part has burned, one examines the odor and taste the residue, and one will know of which liquor it was made; see greater details in Shaw, Essay on distillery . [1]

Translator's Note

1. Shaw, Peter. Essays for the improvement of arts . London: T. Longman, 1761.