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Types of Rum


The rules for rum are not the same everywhere in the world.

What can be sold as rum in one country might not meet the conditions in another. That's why it's important to know where rum is truly rum — and where the boundaries shift. In Latin America, rums are often sweetened (sometimes 20–40 g/L) and still carry the name "rum."

Other countries traditionally follow a stricter style (for example, Barbados and Jamaica) — where rums are not sweetened. This is not set by a legal sugar limit, but rather by tradition and reputation.

Most Caribbean countries therefore do not have a fixed sugar limit — it depends on local legislation or tradition.


🇪🇺 European Union (Czech Republic)

  • Rum = only from sugarcane (juice, syrup, molasses).
  • Minimum 37.5% alcohol.
  • Only caramel coloring is allowed.
  • Sweetening up to 20 g/L. 
  • 👉 If additional sugar or flavorings are added → it is no longer rum, but a spirit based on rum.

🇺🇸 USA

  • Rum = from sugarcane or molasses.
  • Minimum 40% alcohol.
  • Sweetening and flavoring are not restricted — the producer may add more sugar.
  • If flavored, the label states spiced or flavored.

🌴 Caribbean & Latin America

  • Each country has its own rules.
  • Dominican Republic, Panama, Guatemala, Venezuela → rums are commonly sweetened (20–40 g/L).
  • Jamaica, Barbados → traditionally unsweetened (pure style).
  • Martinique, Guadeloupe → AOC agricole – strict regulations, no sweetening.

🌍 Rest of the World

  • Rules are usually more flexible.

  • Rum may have a different alcohol content, be sweeter, or flavored.

✨ Summary

  • In the EU/Czech Republic = rum follows strict rules → ensuring purity and tradition.
  • In the USA and Latin America = rum can be sweeter or flavored, yet it is still called "rum."
  • Therefore: the taste of rum varies depending on the country of origin and the regulations in place.

What Is (and Isn't) Rum in the EU and Czech Rep.


✅ What is Rum

  • Distillate from sugarcane (juice, molasses, syrup).
  • Must contain at least 37.5% alcohol.
  • May be lightly sweetened (up to 20 g/L) and colored with cane caramel only.

❌ What Isn't Rum

  • Spiced / flavored "rum" = correctly a spirit based on rum.
  • Rum liqueur = sweet drink with at least 100 g sugar/L, not rum.
  • Tuzemak = neutral alcohol + flavoring, not sugarcane.


✅ RUM

Rum is a distillate made exclusively from sugarcane. It can be obtained from:

  • fresh sugarcane juice,
  • molasses (the by-product of sugar production),
  • or cane syrup.

To be called rum, the drink must contain at least 37.5% alcohol.
Rum may be lightly sweetened (up to 20 g of sugar per liter) and colored with cane caramel.
If additional flavors or more sugar are added, it is no longer considered rum.


❌ WHAT ISN'T RUM

  • Spiced rum – in fact a flavored spirit based on rum.
  • Rum liqueur – a sweeter variant that belongs to the liqueur category.
  • Tuzemak – a Czech specialty made from neutral alcohol and flavoring. It has tradition, but it is not rum.


🌱 TYPES OF RUM

  • Agricole rum – made from fresh cane juice, fresh and grassy. Typical of the French Caribbean.
  • Molasses rum – the most widespread, rich and caramel-like, produced all over the world.
  • Syrup rum – smooth, sweeter, popular for example in Guatemala.

👉 All are true rums, but their taste differs depending on the raw material used.



⚖️ SPIRIT DRINK

A spirit drink is any alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content above 15%.
If more than 20 g/L of sugar or other ingredients beyond cane, sugar, and caramel are added to rum (cane distillate), it is no longer legally considered rum, but a spirit based on rum.


🍬Liqueur

Liqueur is a special category of spirits:

  • always contains a high amount of sugar – at least 100 g per liter,
  • often flavored with fruit, herbs, or spices.

That's why liqueurs are sweet, unlike pure distillates, which may be only lightly sweetened.


🔥Distillate

A distillate is a pure alcoholic base created by fermenting and then distilling the raw material:

  • cane → rum,
  • fruit → slivovitz,
  • pear brandy, calvados,
  • grain → whisky, vodka,
  • wine → brandy, cognac.

👉 Every rum is a distillate, but distillates can also be made from other raw materials.