Why Is Rum Called Rum?
Thank you to C D-X (@cdx2) for this free image on Unsplash
Welcome to Drinkipedia! Each week I will answer a real question that people search for on Google. This week’s question is: Why Is Rum Called Rum?
Rum is a spirit made by distilling fermented molasses, a by-product of white sugar production. It is most associated with islands in the Caribbean. In its early days (17th & 18th centuries), rum went by the names rumbullion, rumbustion, and rumbowling. The etymology is not clear but two plausible explanations are that it came from Saccharum officinarum, Latin for sugar cane, or that it is a corruption of bram or brum, Malay for distilled sugar cane juice. Rhum Agricole, a style which originated in French Caribbean islands, is made by distilling fermented sugar cane juice.
In its earliest incarnations it was a rough and ready liquor distilled on rudimentary equipment which in 1651 earned it the description “a hot, hellish and terrible liquor” leading to the apt nickname ‘Kill Devil’.
Cheers!
Jane
Books & Courses
At the School of Booze I encourage lifelong learning but you can do your homework at the pub! Textbooks (written by me) include titles about beer, gin, cocktails, and a drinks miscellany. Signed Copies Here And if you are in the market for some inexpensive downloadable Beer, Cider, or Wine Knowledge courses click here.
I also write fiction and my first novel ‘Sole Brethren: If The Shoe Fits’ was written under my pen-name B.A. Summer. One of the characters is the scion of a Champagne house, and it also contains the perfect pub. Here are some reviews.