Happy #NationalRumDay

I know, I know. We always talk about vino in this blog, but variety is the spice of life, so in honor of National Rum Day, I give you, well, rum.

In case there are any doubts, rum’s not just for pirates. And as any rum lover will tell you, it’s not just for Jimmy Buffet fans, either.

Rum is a distilled spirit made from sugarcane juice or molasses, and light-colored rums didn’t  get a lot of barrel aging. And if they did, sometimes they’re filtered to remove the color. Aged, or añejo rums, on the other hand, did spend time in oak barrels. If the inside of the barrel is charred, the rum will take on a brown or reddish color.

Besides the fact that it’s National Rum Day, you may be wondering why Señorita Vino is spending time on this subject in the first place. Well, a good amount of rum is produced in Latin American countries, including Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Venezuela, Cuba, and yes, even Perú. Can I get a salud?

So Happy National Rum day, my darlings. I leave you with a recipe from the good people at Bacardi Rum, who, for the record, did not invite me to participate in their rum-soaked festivities today, but I’m gonna feature one of their recipes anyway because today’s busy and I have to get my wine-booty to the gym, and they were the first name that popped up on an Internet search. De nada, Bacardi.

Recipe for Viñas de Macondo 

(A rum cocktail featuring grapes, because this is, of course, Señorita Vino)

Ingredients

1 part Bacardi Superior Rum

1/8 parts White currants and agave puree

Top up Sparkling Wine

Instructions

Add the first two ingredients to a chilled or frozen glass. Mix and add the sparkling wine. Stir carefully – you want to preserve the fizz.

¡Salud!