Special Offers! Our Special Offers are updated daily, so check often for the latest and best deals on travel to the Caribbean! Deals to Aruba and The Dominican Republic, cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico and South America, discounts on luggage, clothing and cameras. Advertise with us! Our rates are very competitive rates from US$39.95 a year. CLICK HERE to check out our rates! Travel Tip of the Day! Copy all credit cards, airline tickets, passports and important documents, front and back. Jewelry, luggage and all valuables should be photographed prior to travel. Install motion lights in the front and rear of your house. Do not put your name on mailboxes, etc. Buy electronic timers that turn lights and TV on and off at different times. More travel tips? Click here!
|
 It would be totally remiss of anyone visiting the Caribbean not to try some of the local rums. The Caribbean is particularly well know for its rum production, and most of the islands have distilleries that can be toured and the rums tasted. The flavours of the island rums are quite distinct. Click here to visit our Specialty Tours pages where you will find a list of the distilleries in the region.
PRODUCTION
Rum is made by distilling fermented sugar and water. The sugar comes from either cane juice or molasses, both of which come from sugar cane. Molasses is the sweet, sticky residue that remains after sugar cane juice is boiled and the crystallized sugar is extracted. Most rums are made from molasses, which is over 50% sugar, and which adds significantly to the flavor of the rum. Rums made from cane juice, primarily on Haiti and Martinique, have a naturally smooth flavour. Depending on the distillery, fermentation can take anything from 24 hours for lighter rums up to several weeks for heavier varieties. After distillation, all rums are clear spirits. The final color is achieved by aging the spirit in barrels and the addition of caramel, and since caramel is burnt sugar, it is true to say that only natural coloring agents are used.
RUMS
Lighter rums are highly purified, usually charcoal-filtered and sometimes aged in old oak casks for a few months to add a degree of smoothness. Most light rums have minimal flavour and aroma, and are very similar to vodka, particularly those brands that have been charcoal-filtered. Heavier rums are usually distilled in a manner similar to that used in the production of cognacs and Scotch whiskies.
White rums are generally light-bodied and are clear with a very subtle flavor. If they are aged in oak casks to create a smooth palate they are then filtered to remove any color. They are primarily used as mixers and blend particularly well with fruit. Golden (amber) rums are usually of medium-body, and most have spent several years aging in oak casks giving them smooth, mellow palates. Dark rums are traditionally full-bodied, rich, caramel-coloured rums. The best are produced mostly from pot stills and frequently aged in oak casks for extended periods. The richest of these rums are consumed without mixers or ice. Spiced rums can be white, golden, or dark rums, and are infused with spices or fruit flavors.
HISTORY
The cultivation of sugar cane and production of sugar was introduced to the British West Indies in the 1600s by Dutch-Jews in exile from Brazil. The Caribbean became an ideal location for growing sugar cane, and sugar production quickly spread throughout the islands. The demand for sugar grew and resulted in hundreds of sugar cane plantations and mills popping up in most of the English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Dutch colonies. The harvested cane was crushed to extract the juice, which was boiled until crystallized sugar formed. The remaining juice was called molasses. By the mid-1600s this former waste product was being distilled into a spirit. In the English colonies it was called Kill Devil (from its tendency to cause a nasty hangover or its perceived medicinal power) or rumbullion, which was eventually shortened to rum. The French call theirs "rhum", and the Spanish "ron".
Rum was used as a cure for all the ailments, aches and pains that went with life in a tropical climate. Sugar plantation owners also sold it to naval ships to encourage them to stay in local waters and so discourage pirates. The British navy used a daily ration of a half-pint of 160 proof rum, which was later weakened by mixing it with an equal amount of water, producing a drink called "grog". The grog ration remained a part of British naval life until 1969. This connection between the navy and rum resulted in the spirit being introduced to the outside world and a thriving export trade developing, and which continues to this day.
Go here to see some rum recipies
|
|
|
The Travel Shop It's open 24/7. Get the best deals on flights, hotels and cruises. But that's not all. Buy brand name luggage, shoes, watches and sporting equipment and clothing, surfing gear and swimsuits. It's all available in The Travel Shop. Rum Punch Probably the best known rum cocktail in the world. An easy way to remember the recipe: one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak! Check out more rum recipes here! Caribbean Wedding? What could be more romantic than a tropical wedding on a white sand beach fringed with palm trees? Find Wedding Requirements and Wedding Planners for each of the islands.
|
