Sugarcane arrived in the Caribbean with Columbus on his second voyage, since his father-in-law was a trader in Indonesia who specialized in this crop. Some sources suggest that this first distillation of cane was in Asia, perhaps as early as 430 AD in Korea.
Although no concrete records exist, the first Caribbean rums were probably distilled in Barbados early in the 17th century. The popularity of this new spirit spread rapidly throughout the 17th and 18th centuries in the U.S. and in Europe, and the first rum in the U.S. was distilled in 1664. It was produced all along the eastern seaboard of the United States. The British began to give a daily ration of rum to their sailors in the 17th century, and shortly thereafter also began to distribute limes to combat vitamin C deficiency or scurvy. This daiquiri, however, was far from the modern version.
Today rum comes from anywhere, but there is a style associated with particular Caribbean islands. Modern rum is the most varied of spirits categories, even without the inclusion of Cachaça, which is thought to have evolved separately.
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Wine Regions of the World
