Spiced rum

What spiced rum actually is

Spiced rum starts life as rum, usually from the Caribbean, then gets a dose of extra flavour added after the distillation process. That flavour can come from vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, citrus peel and all that, sometimes on their own, sometimes stacked together. Legally, a spiced rum has to be bottled at a high enough strength to count as rum. Drop below that strength and the label has to call it a spirit drink instead. This surprisingly applies to a lot of famous bottles in this category – so, if you prefer, you and I can still (informally) call these ‘spiced rums’ instead of ‘spiced spirit drinks’.

Beyond vanilla and spice

Some bottlings push further than your basic spices, stirring in dark chocolate or roasted coffee for a richer, more dessert-like finish. Others add a pinch of sea salt to keep the sweetness in check.

Serving suggestions

Spiced rum is happiest over ice with a wedge of tangy lime, or topped up with cola or ginger ale if you desire something longer. The spice and citrus are there to hold their own in a mixed drink rather than disappear into it, which is really the point of adding them in the first place.