The drink of the explorers conquers the world
Rum has a lot to do with exoticism, seafaring and Caribbean islands. However, it is no longer a secret that the spirit is also a delicate treat in domestic bars.
Do you have to be a sailor or privateer to enjoy rum? Definitely not. But the pirate image is not completely off the table, as Michael Rapold, rum connoisseur and owner of Rum Island in Winterthur, confirms: "Adventure, drinking pleasure and sunny beaches - that still goes well with rum." A large selection of rums from all over the world and with different flavors puts a growing number of connoisseurs in the mood - and by no means all of them are sitting on a palm tree beach or setting sail. The origin of the brown burnt firewater is actually the world of islands, ships, sailors and pirates: in the Caribbean. As early as the early 17th century, slaves working on sugar cane plantations produced an alcoholic beverage from molasses, a byproduct of sugar production. The molasses, diluted with water and enriched with yeast, fermented for a few days, was then distilled and filtered, and finally stored. Now it was only a matter of time before colonial masters discovered the practical benefits of rum. In the English Royal Navy, for example, the rule applied for centuries that on the high seas each sailor had around half a liter of rum at his disposal instead of over four liters of beer per day.
Swiss rum from the country, not from the beach
There is also rum from Switzerland. One of them is the Señor Rum from the "Macardo Swiss Distillery" in Strohwilen TG, distilled in a wood fire and made from sugar cane molasses from India and Nicaragua. These are separately enriched with a special yeast, fermented, then gently distilled by hand in small batches - and aged in new American oak barrels. For the finishing touch, the brandies are additionally aged in Macardo bourbon and single malt barrels. This gives them color, their typical taste and a round aroma - without adding sugar. Before bottling, both brandies are assembled into Señor Rum.
Worth seeing
Founded in 2007, the distillery opened the new "Macardo World" in November 2020: with one of the most modern distilleries in Switzerland, an innovative barrel warehouse and, among other things, a bar, cigar lounge and store.
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Author: Thomas Pfann