a few months to eliminate roughness in the flavor, and diluting and bottling it at around 43% alcohol Some light rums are given a brief time in barrels, but then are passed over charcoal to remove the color and some of the flavor Traditional Rums Traditional rums are made very differently, and have a much stronger flavor and darker color Most come from Jamaica and the French-speaking Caribbean (Martinique, Guadeloupe) They were once fermented for up to two weeks with a spontaneous group of microbes, and often by adding the already strong-flavored lees of one fermentation to the next vat Today, most traditional rums are fermented for a day or two with mixed microbial cultures dominated by an unusual yeast (Schizosaccharomyces) that excels in ester production They’re then pot-distilled to a much lower alcohol content, and therefore end up with four to five times the quantity of aroma compounds that light rum has Finally they’re aged in used American whiskey casks, where they get most of their color Caramel can be added to deepen the color and flavor, a procedure that seems appropriate since rum is made from sugar in the first place Rums as Ingredients Rums are delicious on their own, but it’s their aptitude for other foods that accounts for much of their popularity Light rums go well with tart-sweet fruits and are the base for a number of tropical cocktails, including piña coladas and daiquiris Medium and dark rums are a useful ingredient in sweets of all kinds thanks to their full caramel flavor Vodkas Vodka was first distilled in Russia in medieval times and for medical purposes, and became a popular drink in the 16th century Its name means “little water.” It has traditionally been made from the cheapest .. .the quantity of aroma compounds that light rum has Finally they’re aged in used American whiskey casks, where they get most of their color Caramel can be added to deepen the color and flavor,... since rum is made from sugar in the first place Rums as Ingredients Rums are delicious on their own, but it’s their aptitude for other foods that accounts for much of their popularity Light rums go well with tart-sweet... Light rums go well with tart-sweet fruits and are the base for a number of tropical cocktails, including piña coladas and daiquiris Medium and dark rums are a useful ingredient in sweets of all kinds thanks to their full caramel flavor