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Rum 101
Spirit Guide
Sugarcane & Molasses
Cartoon
EEM RUM
For the Team

Rum is a wide family of sugarcane spirits: some start as molasses, others as fresh cane juice. Do not sell rum by color alone. Sell it by job: clean and mixable, dark and round, grassy and cane-driven, funky and Jamaican, overproof and loud, or aged enough to sip.

Flavor Profile
What to listen for
MolassesCaramelFunky / EsterGrassySpice

Great for: tropical drinkers · whiskey drinkers exploring · sweeter sippers · guests asking for something bold

Good to Know - Types of Rum
White / Light

Unaged or lightly aged, often filtered for clarity. Clean and mixable - the rum equivalent of vodka.

Gold / Dark

Aged in oak or built for deeper color and flavor. Expect caramel, vanilla, baking spice, and roundness.

Black Strap

Very dark, rich, bittersweet molasses energy. Great when a drink needs bass notes and depth.

Overproof

Bottled above standard 80-proof. Bigger, hotter, louder, and useful when the rum needs to cut through.

Navy / Gunpowder

Historic British naval style - usually blended and higher proof, with spice, weight, and backbone.

Agricole / Cane

Made from fresh sugarcane juice instead of molasses. Grassy, vegetal, funky, and very expressive.

Pot Still

Traditional pot-still distillation creates bigger texture and ester-heavy funk, especially with Jamaican rums.

Demerara

Guyana style named for the Demerara River. Rich molasses, smoke, brown sugar, and deep spice.

Cachaça & Pisco

Not technically rum: cachaça is Brazilian sugarcane spirit; pisco is Peruvian grape brandy. Kept here for ease of search.

Planteray 3 StarWellWhite, light, clean - Caribbean$9
Old MonkDarkVanilla, caramel, smooth - India$9
Havana ClubGoldLight, clean, citrus - Puerto Rico$9
BarbancourtCaneGrassy, floral, oak - Haiti$9
Smith & CrossPot StillFunky, ester, bold - Jamaica$10
Wray & NephewOverproofWhite, raw, intense - Jamaica$10
Planteray O.F.T.D.OverproofRich, intense, dark Caribbean blend$11
ClémentAgricoleGrassy, vegetal, fresh - Martinique$12
Gosling's Black SealDarkCaramel, spice, rich - Bermuda$12
Hamilton Pot Still BlackPot StillFunky, rich, dark - Jamaica$12
Cruzan Black StrapBlack StrapMolasses, bittersweet, very dark - St. Croix$13
Cane Island Thailand 5 YearAgedSoft oak, vanilla, tropical - Thailand$14
Doctor Bird Jamaica RumPot StillTropical fruit, hogo, funk - Jamaica$15
Doctor Bird PineappleFlavoredPineapple, tropical, sweet - Jamaica$15
Diplomatico Reserva ExclusivaAgedRich, round, vanilla - Venezuela$15
Paranubes OaxacanCaneEarthy, herbal, wild sugarcane - Oaxaca$16
Appleton Estate 8 Year ReserveAgedOrange peel, oak, spice - Jamaica$18
Pusser's Gunpowder ProofNavyBold, spice, strong - Guyana blend$18
Foursquare 15 Year Single Cask NationAgedDry oak, Barbados structure$19
Hamilton 151 DemeraraDemeraraRich, smoky, intense - Guyana$19
Don Q 151OverproofStrong, light, neutral - Puerto Ricoprice TBD
Cachaça 51Not RumGrassy, bright sugarcane - Brazilprice TBD
Novo Fogo Passion FruitNot RumBright passion fruit cachaça - Brazil$16
Control Pisco PremiumNot RumFloral, grape, smooth - Peruprice TBD
Cocktail Moves - Quick Recommendations
Daiquiri / Mojito

Planteray 3 Star for clean, bright, classic builds.

Funky Daiquiri

Smith & Cross or Doctor Bird when the guest wants bigger Jamaican flavor.

Dark & Stormy

Gosling's is the classic. Old Monk is rounder; Pusser's is bolder.

Rum Old Fashioned

Appleton 8, Cane Island Thailand 5, or Diplomatico for rounded aged sweetness.

Punch / Float / Fire

O.F.T.D., Hamilton 151, Wray, or Don Q 151 when the drink needs volume.

Cane Fresh

Clément, Barbancourt, or Paranubes for grassy, earthy, sugarcane-driven drinks.

Planteray Original Dark moved to Reserve Rum. Prices marked "TBD" still need to be confirmed.