The History Of Spiced Rum

Rum has a long-standing history in Scotland and has had somewhat of a revival in recent years. Not only is rum reserved for the white, sandy beaches of the Caribbean but can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home with minimal expense. Our taste buds have become more refined throughout lockdown and we are no longer satisfied with high street brands of rum, but we are looking for spirits that are of high quality. We may not be able to escape to the islands of the Caribbean this summer, but we can create the swashbuckling spirit of the holiday destination by trying a bottle of NB Distillery’s Spiced Rum (70CL). We at NB Distillery pride ourselves on our expert knowledge of spirit distilling, so if you have any questions please get in touch.

The History

Rum has an interesting history as it has been traded as a commodity for centuries and is entwined with Britain's naval past. The spirit has a royal origin and was brought from India to Europe by Peter I of Cyprus as a gift for his royal dignitaries at the Congress of Kraków, held in 1364. So since the Middle Ages, people have been enjoying the spirit. In British history, it is synonymous with our naval past as gallons of rum used to be consumed on ships, because it was often cleaner than water at the time. The sailors of these boats used to mix it with beer to make Grog, which used to make the sailors quite merry. 

Rum has a dark past too as it was often associated with privateering and used to help fund the exploits of some of the most famous pirates, including Black Beard and Scotland’s own Captain William Kidd. There has been illicit trading of alcohol throughout the ages, but it was the pirates of the Caribbean which have made rum so famous (or infamous) in popular culture. Now in recent years, we’ve created spiced rum. It still maintains the history of rum but infuses the spices of the southern hemisphere and it is a greater mixer for many of our beloved modern cocktails.

Spiced Rum Cocktails

Has all this talk about spiced rum made you thirsty for a spiced rum cocktail? If it has, takes a look at our three favourite spiced cocktails for you to try:

Rum Mule

Ingredients: NB Distillery Spiced Rum, 1oz of freshly squeezed lime, half-inch thick muddled ginger (enough to fill the bottom of the cocktail shaker) and 1oz of ginger ale.

To prepare: Add muddled ginger to the cocktail shaker, add 2oz of NB Distillery Spiced Rum and 1oz of lime juice. Add crushed ice and shake. Then pour into a glass filled with ice. Add the ginger ale if preferred. 

Jamaican Rum Punch

Ingredients:1 part NB Distillery Spiced Rum, 1 part freshly squeezed lime, 1 part sugar syrup or grenadine, 1 part mixture of pineapple and orange juice.

To prepare: Mix all the ingredients in a glass, add ice if you want to be ice cool. Put it in a punch bowl if you want to share it with all your friendly scallywags.

Piñacolada

Ingredients: 2oz NB Distillery Spiced Rum, 2oz coconut cream and 6oz fresh pineapple juice.

To prepare: Blend all the ingredients with crushed ice, pour contents into a glass and add a pineapple garnish if you are feeling fancy.

NB Distillery 2021 World Drink Awards Winner Spiced Rum

NB Spiced Rum is the only true Caribbean double retort still outside the Caribbean and our full-bodied golden rum is spiced with cloves, orange, cinnamon and pepper. The result is a delightful and sophisticated spiced rum with a beautiful balance of spices.

On tasting, the superb balance of spice is revealed. The smokey molasses quickly gives way to creamy orange, subtle cloves and the warmth of cinnamon and pepper. This is definitely a ‘ Spiced Rum for grown-ups ‘, as one visitor commented.