Rum. — This well-known and much esteemed
spirituous liquor is imported into this country
from the West Indies, of which it is one of the
staple products. It is obtained by means of
fermentation and distillation from molasses, the
refuse of the cane- juice, and portions of the
cane, after the sugar has been extracted. The
flavour and taste peculiar to rum are derived
from the essential oils carried over in distil-
lation. When the distillation has been care-
lessly performed, the spirit contains so large a
quantity of the grosser and less volatile part of
the oil as to be unfit for use till it has attained
a considerable age. When it is weU rectified
it mellows much sooner. Eum of a brownish
transparent colour, smooth oily taste, strong
body and consistence, good age, and well kept,
is the best. That which is clear and liinpid,
and has a hot pungent taste, is either too new
or mixed with other spirits. Jamaica rum is
the first in point of quality ; the Leeward
Island rum, as it is called, being always inferior
to it in flavour, strength, and value. The
price of the latter is usually twenty per cent,
below that of the former. We import almost
all our rum in puncheons containing from
eighty-four to ninety gallons each. It is
customary, in some of the West India islands,
to put spiced pine-apples in puncheons of rum ;
this gives the spirit the flavour of the fruit ;
and hence the designation pine-apple r/tm.
Eum is also produced in and imported from the
Mauritius and the East Indies. But that of
the latter is more nearly allied to arrack than
to genuine rum. Rum is said to be much
adulterated by the retail dealers in England,
sometimes with corn spirit ; but if done with
molasses spirit, the tastes of both are so nearly
allied that the cheat is not easily discovered. —
McCulloch.
Rum often has a deep-red coloirr, which is
acquii'ed from molasses or caramel added for the
purpose, and not from the wood of the casks,
as is commonly supposed. Unlike other sjairits,
rum tends to cause perspiration. It is greatly
improved by age, and when very old is often
highly prized. At a sale in Carlisle in I860,
rum known to be a hundred and forty years old
sold for three guineas a bottle.
Rlim.-and-Milk.— Rum-and-milk, the first
thing in the morning or else twice a day, is
strongly recommended as of the greatest service
in cases of consumption. It is often almost as
efiicacious as cod-Uver oil. It may be taken
with bread-and-butter, as a meal, at breakfast
and tea, if these times are preferred by the
invalid. The usual quantities at each period
are a tumblerful of rich milk, a table-spoonful
of old rum, and a little sugar✪ Rum-and-Milk.
Page 1611 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1892. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Rum. — This well-known and much esteemed spirituous liquor is imported into this country from the West Indies, of which it is one of the staple products. It is obtained by means of fermentation and distillation from molasses, the refuse of the cane- juice, and portions of the cane, after the sugar has been extracted. The flavour and taste peculiar to rum are derived from the essential oils carried over in distillation. When the distillation has been carelessly performed, the spirit contains so large a quantity of the grosser and less volatile part of the oil as to be unfit for use till it has attained a considerable age. When it is well rectified it mellows much sooner. Eum of a brownish transparent colour, smooth oily taste, strong body and consistence, good age, and well kept, is the best. That which is clear and limpid, and has a hot pungent taste, is either too new or mixed with other spirits. Jamaica rum is the first in point of quality ; the Leeward Island rum, as it is called, being always inferior to it in flavour, strength, and value. The price of the latter is usually twenty per cent, below that of the former. We import almost all our rum in puncheons containing from eighty-four to ninety gallons each. It is customary, in some of the West India islands, to put spiced pine-apples in puncheons of rum ; this gives the spirit the flavour of the fruit ; and hence the designation pine-apple r/tm. Eum is also produced in and imported from the Mauritius and the East Indies. But that of the latter is more nearly allied to arrack than to genuine rum. Rum is said to be much adulterated by the retail dealers in England, sometimes with corn spirit ; but if done with molasses spirit, the tastes of both are so nearly allied that the cheat is not easily discovered. — McCulloch.
Rum often has a deep-red colour, which is acquired from molasses or caramel added for the purpose, and not from the wood of the casks, as is commonly supposed. Unlike other spirits, rum tends to cause perspiration. It is greatly improved by age, and when very old is often highly prized. At a sale in Carlisle in I860, rum known to be a hundred and forty years old sold for three guineas a bottle.
Rlim.-and-Milk.— Rum-and-milk, the first thing in the morning or else twice a day, is strongly recommended as of the greatest service in cases of consumption. It is often almost as efficacious as cod-Uver oil. It may be taken with bread-and-butter, as a meal, at breakfast and tea, if these times are preferred by the invalid. The usual quantities at each period are a tumblerful of rich milk, a table-spoonful of old rum, and a little sugar.
Records on this page
Rum-and-Milk