In the Islands, rum is our most precious liquid asset. Brush up on your rum knowledge with the seven facts below, and you'll be a pro in no time!
The bucs and
pirates loved it
Not the sports teams, we're talking about the sword-rattling, hard living, adventure seeking pirates. Rum was their spirit of choice and its medicinal properties came in handy on long voyages.
It's had
many names
200 years ago, patrons might ask you to pour them some grog, pirates’ drink, kill-devil, rumbullion, Nelson's blood or Barbados water. But by 1667, it was simply called rum.
More than
a drink
In the 1800s, rum doubled as a go-to beauty product for its ability to clean hair and strengthen roots.
Rum running was big business during prohibition
When alcohol was banned in 1920, it wasn't long before rumrunners were smuggling the spirit from the Caribbean to ports in Florida and along the Eastern Seaboard to engage in forbidden trade.
It's a deceptively colorful concoction
Due to several factors like the aging process, barrel type, filtration and addition of cinnamon, caramel or other spices, rum can vary in color from virtually transparent to gold, brown and even black!
Puerto Rico has a unique place in the rum world
Because of its sugar cane output, more than 80% of the world's rum sources originate in Puerto Rico. Casa Bacardi, the world's largest rum distillery, is also located on the island.
The average shot of rum only has 70 calories.
Even better, it contains no fat, cholesterol or sodium. So drink up, all you health-conscious revelers! Just don’t get carried away. Like any beverage with a little fire in its belly, always drink responsibly.
Plan your escape today to put this Rum-Soaked knowledge to use!
