🥃 Rum

For readers who know whisky, gin or bourbon labels, rum is the cane-sugar counterpart: a spirit drink with a legal definition. It is made only by distilling fermented molasses or syrup left over from making cane sugar, or fermented sugar-cane juice itself. In the European Union it is category 1 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/787: it is distilled at less than 96% ABV, and finished rum must have at least 37.5% ABV. In the United States, where strength is also quoted as proof, rum must be bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) or more.

The regulation draws clear lines. No alcohol, diluted or not, may be added, and rum may not be flavoured. Colour may be adjusted only with caramel, and sweetening is allowed only to round off the taste: the finished drink may contain no more than 20 g of sweetening products per litre, expressed as invert sugar. The distillate must keep the recognisable character of rum.

Rums with a registered geographical indication may add “traditionnel” or “tradicional” to the name. The conditions are: raw materials only from the place of production, distillation below 90% ABV, at least 225 g of volatile substances per hectolitre of pure alcohol, and no sweetening. The term “agricultural” also requires distillation of sugar-cane juice alone and is reserved for the French overseas departments and Madeira. The EU list of geographical indications contains nine rum names, including Rhum de la Martinique, Rum da Madeira and Ron de Guatemala.

In the United States, the standard 27 CFR § 5.147 defines rum as a distillate of sugar-cane juice, syrup, molasses or other cane by-products, distilled at less than 95% ABV and bottled at no less than 40% ABV. Brazilian cachaça counts there as a type of rum.

Rum or whiskey, rum or brandy, rum or vodka? Mainly raw material. Rum comes from cane molasses, syrup or juice; whisky from a mash of malted cereals, matured at least three years in wood; brandy from wine distillate; vodka from agricultural ethyl alcohol. The rum definition has no required ageing, so a dark colour proves nothing: caramel is allowed. A drink with rum flavouring is not rum, because rum may not be flavoured. In the US, cachaça counts as a type of rum.

Look for the name “rum” and at least 37.5% ABV. Rums with a geographical indication (GI), such as Rhum de la Martinique, Rum da Madeira or Ron de Guatemala, carry it in the name; only they may add “traditionnel” or “agricultural”, and such rum cannot be sweetened. Age statements or “white” and “gold” are not legal rum categories. Sold in supermarkets, liquor shops and duty free.

Why it matters to you. A dark colour does not prove ageing, because caramel is allowed for colour. Rum may not be flavoured, so under EU rules a drink with added flavourings is no longer rum. “Traditionnel” and “agricultural” appear only on rums with a protected name and mean stricter rules. And remember: according to the WHO, there is no safe amount of alcohol.