History of Ron

Theories come and go, but everyone seems to agree that the origin of rum dates back to the 16th century when experiments began with the fermentation of sugar cane. 

The first-time sugar cane was found was in Asia. Later, it was introduced in southern Europe by Arab traders. It was not until 1493 that the raw material for rum arrived in the Caribbean to stay forever. 

Sugarcane made its debut in the American continent following the exploratory voyages of Christopher Columbus. Initially, it was valued for the sweetness from its sugar, but later other uses and interesting products began to be discovered from it.

If we start talking about its formulation, rum is an alcoholic beverage that results from a fermentation process of sugar cane juice or molasses. 

The next step is distillation to obtain the alcohol. 

Subsequently, the process ends in the aging phase, where the alcohol rests in an oak barrel for at least a year, to earn its title of “Rum”.

Impossible to tell the story of rum without mentioning the Caribbean! 

As has happened with most alcoholic beverages, rum was reached by luck. Luck that today all our palates appreciate!

It all started with a couple of curious slaves, workers from sugarcane plantations, when they discovered that molasses (a by-product of the sugar-making process) could be fermented and this become an alcoholic beverage.

The rum is the perfect combination of sweet, bitter, and citric notes. The sweetness comes from the sugarcane, the bitterness from the wood where it is aged for more than a year, and its citric flavor is given by the same aging process. 

Not for nothing is it a multifaceted drink that can be enjoyed in its purest form, and also in more commercial versions that have given its international recognition with emblematic drinks around the world. 

And although today it is produced in more than 30 countries, rum is a Caribbean classic and the most valued brands in the world are Caribbean productions.

Already by 1667, it was baptized with the name of “Rum”, after 1661 when the Governor-General of Jamaica used this word for the first time. 

By the 17th Century, rum consumption in the United States grew rapidly and they began to build distilleries and aging cellars. 

By 1760, 80% of the production was consumed within the North American colonies, and the rest was used as means of exchange for slaves in Africa.

The oldest distillery in the Caribbean, and still in operation, is Mount Gay Distillery, located in Barbados since 1703.