Its
place in the canon of British inebriation was cemented thanks to the
adventurous but often brutal history of imperialism. Some of its earliest distillers were
plantation slaves in the Caribbean, who fermented alcohol out of molasses from
the sugar cane they were forced to harvest.
Kill-devil, as rum was often called, soon became intrinsic to Britain’s
seafaring history, used variously as a way to stave off scurvy and as payment
for thirsty sailors. The Royal Navy’s daily rum ration, or “tot”, was only
abolished in 1970. When Admiral Nelson
died, according to legend his body was soused in brandy or rum to preserve it
for the voyage home. On arrival the
booze had already been drained by thirsty sailors who had drilled a hole in the
barrel, earning another nickname: “Nelson’s Blood”. Throughout the British colonies, rum was used as currency and was made in many of the colonies and a major part of the "Triangle Trade".
“The
challenge with any spirit is to present it in its naked form with access to all
of its benefits and faults,” said Walters. “With rum you need a lot of
expertise.” Unlike gin, which can be
made relatively quickly with little more than ethanol and botanicals, rum is
expensive and fiddly. Importing molasses
is costly – Walters gets his from Venezuela – while the tarry syrup is messy
and hard to handle. Yields are typically
low because yeast, required for fermentation, does not respond well to the
acidity of molasses. “All the commercial
odds are stacked against you,” Walters said.
Nonetheless, the effort is paying off. Sales of his three brands, led by
flagship Old Salt Rum, were 40% higher than 2016, leapfrogging vodka sales in
the process.
“Rum cocktails are some of the most
popular ones ... mojitos, daiquiris. And there’s a rise in tiki-style drinks
too, Mai Tai’s, Pina Coladas etc. “They
not only use rum in abundance but may use several in one cocktail.” He is also predicting an upsurge for spiced
rums, usually made using imported spirits and infused with spices and other
ingredients such as fruit peel.
People have gone to bourbon, whiskey and gin, but the natural sweetness
and flavor of a good premium rum is bringing them back into the fold.
