RUM — LIZ DEVINE

At first glance, rum is any alcoholic beverage distilled from fermented sugar cane products. However, once the spectrum of fermented sugar cane products is considered, we can understand that there are endless possibilities for flavors. Rum can be made from fermented sugar cane juice, molasses, processed sugar, or any combination of them. Rum may be column distilled or pot distilled, aged or unaged, with or without additives - it is an umbrella term.

I visited two rum distilleries in Mexico, which might not be the first place people think of when they think of rum, but Mexico has an abundance of sugar cane. I visited one rum distillery in Oaxaca and one in Michoacan, and both distilled their rums from fresh sugar cane juice pressed on-site. The flavor is distinct and much more complex, in my opinion than its rum counterparts.