Rum

part of: Sugarcane

Rum is a distilled spirit with deep roots in the Caribbean and a strong following in Australia, thanks in part to Bundaberg Rum and the country’s own sugarcane-growing regions. It’s made from sugarcane byproducts — most commonly molasses, though some styles use fresh cane juice.

The spirit ranges enormously in style: white rum is light and clean, suited to cocktails like mojitos and daiquiris; gold and dark rums carry richer caramel and spice notes from barrel ageing, making them good for sipping or mixing into richer drinks. Aged rums can develop complex flavours comparable to whisky or brandy.

Rum is one of the most versatile spirits in the bar. Beyond cocktails, it’s used in cooking — particularly in desserts like rum baba and bananas foster — and in marinades and glazes where its sweetness complements pork, chicken, and tropical fruit.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Rum is produced by fermenting either sugarcane molasses or fresh sugarcane juice with yeast. The fermented liquid is then distilled — either in pot stills for a heavier, more flavourful spirit, or in column stills for a lighter, cleaner result. The raw distillate is typically clear; colour and complexity come from ageing in oak barrels, which can last anywhere from a few months to several decades. The spirit is diluted with water to the desired strength — 80 proof (40% ABV) being the standard — before bottling.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 231kcal
Protein 0g
Carbs 0g
Fat 0g
Fibre 0g Sugar 0g
Mass Distribution

1 fl oz is about 27.8 g — roughly 60 kcal of this.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon 1.26kg
Freshwater 0.17L
Land 18.4m²

Where it comes from

In the kitchen

Used as

tropical baking and cocktail spirit

Classic dishes
  • Mojito
  • Daiquiri
  • Rum Cake
  • Bananas Foster

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

SR Legacy

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

made fromSugarcane, juice goes well withlime goes well withcoconut goes well withpineapple goes well withbanana goes well withvanilla shares a sourceBrown Sugar shares a sourceMolasses & Syrups shares a sourceMonosodium Glutamate (MSG) shares a sourcePowdered & Icing Sugar shares a sourceRaw & Unrefined Sugar shares a sourceSucralose shares a sourceSugar Confections shares a sourceSugarcane
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