Rum is a spirit distilled from sugar cane juice or its derivatives, most commonly molasses. Rum may be distilled on either pot stills or column stills and is arguably the most versatile distilled spirit with extremely stylistically diverse white, golden and dark rums all enjoying a global following.

Molasses rum production makes use of the syrup byproducts from the sugar refining process, in which freshly pressed sugar cane juice is boiled and reduced to evaporate its water content. For rum production, the molasses is diluted and fermented, producing an alcoholic liquid wash which can be distilled on either pot or column stills. The resulting spirit is aged in oak casks or rested in stainless steel tanks before being diluted to bottling strength.

Rum that is distilled from fresh sugar cane juice rather than molasses or cane syrup is known as Rhum Agricole, with the ‘rhum’ spelling revealing the historical origins of these rums, which are almost exclusively made in current or former French colonies. Rhum agricole tends to have a fresher flavour profile than molasses rums, with a grassy, agricultural style often with strong vegetal notes and less intense sweetness than traditional rums. Apart from in Martinique, rhum agricole may be distilled on either pot or column stills and is usually categorised by age and/or colour.