The History and Connoisseurship of Rum

Description

Franklin Knight introduces the reader to the world of rum, from its origin and ancient history to its proliferation in the present. We learn about what makes rum unique and different from other spirits, with a detailed description of the various processes – fermentation and distillation, the basic chemistry of rum itself, the blending, and the physical process of harvesting, crushing, and extracting the sugary solution, which is the foundation of rum.

In a virtual world, tour-taking in rum-producing countries as far-flung as Australia and India, but one that focuses on the Americas and the Caribbean, Professor Knight guides us in a savoring of the best rums on the market, leaving the reader to become his own connoisseur. All the secrets to achieve this status are given step by step with recipes, the vast possible variations in cocktails, the vast spectrum of labels available today to a particular brand, and how to ‘fit your palate’ to a particular brand, down to employing the proper style of glass or snifter. And since fine rums may be found anywhere in the world, no specific brand of rum is ever recommended as the foremost label in its class.

There is something here for everyone, from the rum fancier to those interested in the play of material culture in world and Caribbean history, particularly in the intimate coupling of the trade in enslaved Africans and sugar cane plantation growth, and rum production and distribution.

‘This book is not an endorsement of alcohol in general or of the drinking of rum. Nor is it designed to assist in the general marketing of rum.’

 – The author.