White Rum
Light, unaged (or briefly aged) rum — clean and versatile.
White rum is typically filtered and column-distilled rum, lightly aged or aged and then carbon-filtered to strip color. The style is cleaner and more neutral than dark or aged rum — a workhorse for drinks that want rum's presence without its weight. Bacardi built the category's global footprint; Havana Club, Flor de Caña Extra Seco, and Plantation 3 Stars are all excellent cocktail choices. The Daiquiri and Mojito both live or die on good white rum and fresh lime; neither is forgiving of a harsh or cloying bottling.
History
White rum emerged from 19th-century Cuban distilling practice, which cleaned up the dark, pungent rums of the colonial Caribbean. Bacardi's pioneering charcoal filtration in the 1860s defined the modern light style.
Common uses
Daiquiri, Mojito, Piña Colada.
Cocktails that use White Rum
- Daiquiri — White rum, fresh lime, and sugar — the purest rum cocktail
- Mojito — White rum, mint, lime, sugar, and soda — Cuba's most beloved export
- Piña Colada — White rum, coconut cream, and pineapple juice — Puerto Rico's pride
- Hurricane — Dark and light rum with passion fruit and citrus — New Orleans' Pat O'Brien's classic
Substitutes
- Aged Rum — Richer and darker — changes the drink but can work.