How to make spiced rum quickly and easily without screwing up

Obviously, the first distillates of the XNUMXth century could not boast of a pleasant taste. It was not for nothing that the first Roma called “fire water”, or even worse – kill devil – a swill that will kill the devil. But it is worth adding a pinch of cinnamon bark, a couple of cloves and allspice peas to such a drink, as it will sparkle with completely new colors, it will become drinkable and even somewhat pleasant. And what can we say about the ennoblement of good, high-quality rum with spices.

White, dark, aged, from pure cane juice, from molasses, flavored… There is no unified global classification of rums, each country makes them according to its own laws and regulations.

But rums can be roughly divided:

1. for raw materials – for those made from molasses, or pure sugarcane juice;
2. on those driven out in columns or in traditional cubes;
3. into aged, white, dark, flavored, spiced or spiced.

I dare to suggest that the so-called spiced – spiced rums – trace their history from the very beginning of this category of drinks, lie at the origins. The fact is that in the XNUMXth century, when the Spaniards in the Caribbean began to distill the remains of sugar production into rum, knowledge of the physics of distillation and the experience of distillers were negligible. It was not for nothing that the first Roma called “fire water”, or even worse – kill devil – a swill that will kill the devil.

In order to hide the terrible spirit and vile taste, all sorts of flavors were added to the distillate – fruits, spices. More often, spices – fruits quickly deteriorated, and with spices, which in those days in Europe were worth their weight in gold, the colonialists filled the holds. Well, what is it worth throwing a few cloves, peppers and cinnamon flakes into a barrel of rum, but after a few days at sea the rum will become more palatable?

Now, of course, there is no such need – rums have evolved, greatly improved in quality and in many ways are not inferior to premium whiskey or cognac, and in some aspects even surpass them. The need has simply turned into a need. The need for a qualitatively new, multifaceted drink, the facets of which are so pronounced that they will not be lost in multi-ingredient cocktails. However, there are also plenty of people who like to drink pure spiced drinks.

Cooking delicious spiced rum is not difficult, it would be from what. And now we come to the most important thing: I think it is very conceptual to make it from real, personally prepared rum from molasses, well, at least a little bit, for an experiment. Moreover, there was a request from readers. Recipes are attached.

Not your typical spicy rums

There are infinitely many of them. Take, for example, our rum tinctures – Velvet Falernum with kaffir lime leaves, citrus Nui Nui, the same Dominican Mamajuana – these are also spiced rums, only with their own specifics. There are other interpretations as well.

Spiced rum with honey and chili

Not at all a typical spiced rum, the organoleptic of which is based on a complex combination of volatile compounds of licorice (anise), camphor (cardamom), capsaicin (chili) and vanillin (vanilla beans). Light and golden rum, infused with this extravagant blend, will be an impeccable base for cocktails, while dark rum, aged for some time on heavily toasted oak chips, will be perfectly savored with ice.

Detail star anise, make longitudinal cuts on cardamom, cut vanilla lengthwise, remove seeds from pepper and chop coarsely. Mix everything, except honey, in a jar of a suitable volume, mix well and leave for 1-3 days in a dark, cool place. After 24 hours, start tasting and strain when you start to like the result. Add honey, stir until it dissolves (honey can be melted beforehand) and set aside for 2-3 weeks to settle. Remove from the sediment, filter and you can try.

This is the time to show enthusiasm and try out different varieties of chili and spices. Exactly here (tested in practice) dried guajillo pepper or chipotle (smoked jalapeno) will fit in exactly here. With regular chili, you can cook according to the principles of standard pepper or look for ideas in non-standard, but it is better to take spices from the first recipe in this article. The amount of star anise and cardamom can be doubled if you like their intense flavors.

Spicy concentrate for rum

Not at all a simple base for flavoring light rum. It is based on the technique of boiling, concentration and caramelization of individual ingredients in order to obtain fundamentally new aromatic components. The main motive here is molasses.

¹ – refers to real brown cane sugar, cane refined with molasses impurities; instead of sugar, you can use molasses, preferably fancy quality, or use a mixture of regular refined sugar and molasses, which is probably the best solution.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the concentrate is reduced by about half. Strain through a sieve and then through a coffee or cotton filter. If using molasses, be sure to filter while the syrup is hot. Boil down as much as possible, cool and mix with light rum to taste (start with a small batch, but this volume is calculated for about 0,75-1 l of rum with a strength of 40%). Previously, rum can be infused for 1-2 months on heavily burned oak chips. The rest of the concentrate can be sealed and left in the refrigerator for further experiments. Of course, the variability of spices, as well as their quantity, remains at your discretion.

Rum liqueur “Black poppy”

There is vanilla, which means the rum is spicy. The rest is details. The poppy has one not very pleasant feature: its beautiful blue-black color is deceptive. The outer pigment layer of poppy seeds is brown, but they are covered with calcium oxalate crystals, which refract light and it is reflected in a different color spectrum, with blue tints. So the drink will not turn out to be a very presentable brown color, but it will have a spicy taste and a rich, dense texture that are unexpected for many.

Grind poppy seeds to a granular paste, mix with rum and vanilla pod cut lengthwise. Close the container in which maceration will take place, mix thoroughly and leave in a dark, cool place to infuse for 7-10 days. Ultimately, poppy should dominate the taste and aroma. Strain through a sieve, filter, add sugar syrup and pour into a clean bottle. Store in a dark cabinet, consume within 1 year. Such poppy liqueur is savoured simply with ice, but if desired, it can become a curious cocktail ingredient.

Rum liqueur “Tropical Orchid”

This exotic blend of ripe mango, ginger, coconut, and vanilla (the fruit of a tropical orchid) is so exquisitely delicious that it doesn’t need to be praised in other ways. But the liquor deserves it, at least for its beneficial properties. Mango and ginger are rich in antioxidants, and coconut milk, on the basis of which the syrup will be cooked, increases the level of “good” cholesterol in the blood. But the taste here, of course, is paramount.

Mix rum, mango, vanilla and ginger (peeled and cut into small strips) in a jar of a suitable volume. Close the jar tightly, mix vigorously by shaking and leave in a dark cabinet for 3-5 days. Strain, do not squeeze out the solid residue. Add coconut syrup, stand for 2-3 weeks, filter and you can try. Store in a dark cool place for no more than 1 year.

* Coconut Cream Syrup

• 400 ml canned coconut milk
• 400 g cane sugar

Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly, remove from heat and cool. Pour into a sterile container; Keep refrigerated; use within 2 weeks.

Other interesting combinations for rum:

• Kaffir lime, lemongrass and ginger. Pour a bunch of kaffir lime leaves (do not exclude the possibility that you will come across them) in a liter jar with 700 ml of light rum. After 3 days, add a couple of stalks of lemongrass and a finger-sized piece of ginger, peeled and cut into strips. After another 3 days, you can filter, and after 2-3 weeks of aging, you can already taste.
• Fried coconut/chips and vanilla. Place half a cup of toasted coconut chips in a one-litre jar and top up with rum. After 15 days, add a vanilla pod with seeds cut along it, and after another 5-6 days, strain the fragrant rum into a clean container. It remains only to filter, let rest for 2-3 weeks and you can eat.
• Dried apricots, dried pineapple and vanilla. Dried apricots only work in this combination, but a few other neutral spices can be added. For 0,75 liters of rum, take 50 g of dried apricots, the same amount of pineapple and 1 vanilla pod. Infuse for 3 weeks, then you can sweeten with cane sugar, 200 grams for this amount will be just right.
• Black pepper and ginger. For 1 liter of light rum, take 1 tbsp. l. crushed lightly black peppercorns and grated ginger root. Maceration will take only a day or two, there are a lot of emotions. Recommend!

To be continued …